Rose Bailey | January 5, 2023 | Updated on: August 8th, 2024
Jacks or Better Video Poker Australia
Jacks or Better is one of Australia’s most popular versions of Real money Video Poker. The game is similar to Seven-Card Stud and is so popular that Jacks or Better has largely set the standard for most other Video Poker games.
In this Casino Inquirer Jacks or Better guide, we will take new players through all the basics, like the rules, winning strategies, paytables, and more. We will also help Australian gamblers find the best casino sites to play real money Jacks or Better.
Play Jacks or Better in Australia
How to Play Jacks or Better in Australia
Playing Jacks or better is very easy to play and understand. At the beginning of each round, players will be dealt five cards, and they need to decide which cards they will discard and replace. In order to win, you need to make the best possible five-card hand. If you have never played a round of Video Poker before, we’ve got this great, easy-to-follow guide to help you through your first hands.
- Step 1 – Choose one of our recommended casino sites that offer Jacks or Better Video Poker and go through the process of making your casino account. Once your account is created, deposit funds into your account.
- Step 2 – Once your account is created and funded, head over to the Video Poker section and select Jacks or Better.
- Step 3 – Once the game has loaded, you can select your bet. This includes setting the value of each coin and how many coins you are betting.
- Step 4 – Once your bet is locked in, hit the ‘Deal’ button. You will now be dealt five cards. Look at your cards and look for potential winning hands.
- Step 5 – Discard any cards that are not worth keeping. These will then be replaced.
- Step 6 – Once your discarded cards have been replaced, the game will now look at your hand and determine if you have created a winning hand.
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Jacks or Better Video Poker Hand Ranking
When playing Jacks or Better, you will find that the game uses the standard poker hand rankings. There are no special or unique hands in Jacks or Better. Below is a breakdown of the winning hands.
- Royal Flush – As always, the best possible hand is the Royal Flush. This is a 10, Jack, Queen, King, an Ace, all of the same suit.
- Straight Flush – Five cards of consecutive value from the same suit.
- Four of a Kind – Any four cards of the same value
- Full House – A Three of a Kind, plus a Pair
- Flush – And five cards of different values from the same suit.
- Straight – Five consecutive cards from different suits
- Three of a Kind – Three cards of the same value
- Two Pair – Two pairs. For example, 6, 6, 3, 3, J
- Pair – The weakest hand is just one pair of cards
Jacks or Better Paytables
It is important to make sure you are familiar with the paytables on offer in Jacks or Better. There are several different paytables used, but we will start with a close look at the most profitable paytable. This is often referred to as the 9/6 Paytable or the Full Pay paytable.
| Hand | 1 Coin | 2 Coins | 3 Coins | 4 Coins | 5 Coins |
| Royal Flush | 250 | 50 | 750 | 1000 | 4000 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 |
| Full House | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
| Flush | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 |
| Straight | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 15 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| One Pair | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Return to Player | 98.37% | 98.37% | 98.37% | 98.37% | 99.54% |
Different Paytables for Jacks or Better
Aussie online casinos have some freedom to make changes to the paytable for Jacks or Better. While the 9/6 is the most profitable, there are several other common paytables.
| Hand | 9/5 | 8/6 | 8/5 | 7/5 | 6/5 |
| Royal Flush | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 50 | 500 | 50 | 50 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 25 | 2 | 25 | 25 |
| Full House | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 |
| Flush | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Straight | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| One Pair | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Return to Player | 98.44% | 98.39% | 97.29% | 96.14% | 94.99% |
Jacks or Better Video Poker Strategy
When playing Jacks or Better, you will need to decide which cards to discard and replace. It is important to make sure you are discarding the right cards to make sure you stand the best chance of building the best winning hand. Below we have a winning strategy for Jacks or Better.
| Initial Hand | Best Decision |
| You have a Four of a Kind, Straight, Flush, or Royal Flush | Do Nothing |
| Four Cards needed for a Royal Flush | Replace One Card |
| Have a Three of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full house | Do Nothing |
| Four Cards needed for a Straight Flush | Replace One Card |
| Two Pair | Replace One Card |
| One High Pair (Jack or Better) | Replace Three Cards |
| Three Cards needed for a Royal Flush | Replace Two Cards |
| Four Cards for a Flush | Replace One Card |
| One Low Pair (10s or less) | Draw Three Cards |
| Four Cards for an open-ended Straight | Replace One Card |
| Two Suited Cards that are Jacks or Better | Replace Three Cards |
| Three Cards needed for a Straight Flush | Replace Two Cards |
| Two Unsuited High Cards | Replace Three Cards |
| Suited J 10, Q 10, or K 10 | Replace three Cards |
| One High Card | Replace Four Cards |
| Five Unconnected Low-Value Cards | Replace all Five Cards |
Jacks or Better FAQs
Can I play Jacks or Better for real money in Australia?
Yes, Jacks or Better is one of Australia’s most popular real money video poker games. Almost all of our recommended casinos offer Jacks or Better for real money.
What is the best hand in Jacks or Better?
As with almost all versions of Poker, or Video Poker, the best hand is the Royal Flush. This comes with the biggest payout, but it is exceptionally rare.
How do you win in Jacks or Better?
In order to win in Jacks or Better, you need to build a five-card hand of One Pair or better.
Can I try Jacks or Better for free?
Yes, Jacks or Better is one of the games that can be tried for free at online casinos. Use this opportunity to play for free to test out the game, get comfortable with it, or test out strategies.
What is the house edge on Jacks or Better?
The house edge in Jacks or Better varies a little, depending on which paytable is being used. The worst house edge is around 5%, with the best being 0.46%.
How many cards can I replace in Jacks or Better?
In Jacks or Better, you can replace all five cards if you wish.