ks or Better is the most commonly played variant of video poker at online casinos. Most of the other video poker variants are derived by tweaking some of the rules and payouts of this game. Like all online video poker games, Jacks or Better is a game of skill and luck. Players must correctly hold and discard cards in order to achieve best results in the long run. There are different strategies available for Jacks or Better online video poker. The simplest strategy is the easiest to learn and implement but it offers a slightly lower average return to the player. As the strategy used becomes more complex, the average return will increase. The simplest strategy, also known as basic strategy, offers an average return of 99.45%. The optimum or most complex Jacks or Better strategy offers an average return of 99.55%. Therefore for new players or those who play for short durations the basic Jacks or Better strategy suffices. The basic strategy for Jacks or Better online video poker can be divided into two parts. The first part covers unmade hands, which are defined as hands that do not have a winning combination. In this case players have to hold cards so to have the highest possible of the hand rankings in a given list. The list follows a logical sequence and in descending order is as follows: four to a royal flush, four to a straight flush, three to a royal flush, four to a flush, low pairs, four to a straight, three to a straight flush, two to a royal flush, two unpaired cards higher than jack and one card higher than jack. Low pairs are a pair of tens or lower, which do not appear in the payout table for Jacks or Better. If none of these combinations can be made the player should replace all five cards. The second part covers dealt cards that already contain a winning combination. The basic Jacks or Better video poker strategy states that a winning combination should never be broken except in two cases. The first case is that four cards to a straight flush should be preserved even if it requires breaking a jacks or better pair. The high payout for a straight flush evaluated with the probability of drawing the fifth card to make a straight or a flush makes it worthwhile to lose out on the jacks or better payout. The second case is when the player holds four cards to a royal flush then the fifth card must be discarded even if it contributes to any paying combination. There are some aspects of Jacks or Better strategy that are not related to the holding of cards. Most online casinos offer the 9-6 version of Jacks or Better. This pays out 9 to 1 for full house and 6 to 1 for flush. Alternative versions like 8-6 and 8-5 are known to exist. 8-5 Jacks or Better pays out 8 to 1 for full house and 5 to 1 for flush. It is always better to check out the payout table to ensure that 9-6 version is on offer. The other versions should not be played because they offer lower returns.
