Jacks or Better video poker strategy

 In that most popular version of video poker, the player gets the pay for a card set with a pair of courts or more (two pair, Three of a Kind etc.)

·         Below there is a simplified strategy for video poker Jacks or Better.

·         Keep the possibly highest card set according to the following order, throw the rest of the cards.

1.      Full House or a better card set (Four of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush )

2.      four cards for Royal Flush (10©, Q©, K©, A©,)

3.      Straight, Three of a Kind or Flush

4.      four cards for Straight

5.      Two pair

6.      one pair of courts

7.      three cards for Royal Flush

8.      four cards for Flash*

9.      low pair (no courts, i.e. 4¨, 4ª)

10.  four cards for outer Straight (5§, 6¨, 7©, 8§)*

11.  two courts of one colour (Q©, A©)

12. three cards for Straight Flush

13. courts of different colours

14. 10-K, 10-Q, 10-J of one colour

15. one court

16. throw all cards

*card colours: spades, clubs, hearts, diamonds.

* Four cards for outer Straight: here you can use two different cards to complete Straight, i.e. 5-6-7-8 is an outer Straight, 4-5-7-8 is an inner Straight. Notice that A-2-3-4 and J-Q-K-A are inner Straights.

 An Example:

5§, 5¨,  A¨, K¨ 9¨

Which cards should the player keep?  

• Four cards for Flash (No.8)
• Low pair (No.9)
• Two courts of one colour (No.11)

Answ: as you can see from the above strategy the player should keep four cards for Flash which is on top of the strategy chart, No 8.

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