How To Play Jacks Or Better Poker

  by Adel Awwad

Jacks or Better is a variation of five-card draw poker. You can learn how to play Jacks or Better easily if you already know the rules of poker. If you don't, learning how to play Jacks or Better is a great introduction to the game. Though draw poker variations are not popularly played in Las Vegas, you can find many internet casinos offering games like Jacks or Better. Would you like to learn how to play Jacks or Better?

The hand ranking in Jacks or Better is the same as standard poker; with the exception that the lowest winning hand possible is a pair of jacks or better--hence the name of the game. The first step in learning how to play Jacks or Better is to memorize the rank of hands. A Royal Flush, which consists of sequential cards of the same suit from Ten through Ace, is the highest possible hand. In descending order from the Royal Flush, they are: Straight Flush (any five cards of the same suit in sequential order); Four of a Kind (four same-value cards, such as four 3's or four 9's); Full House (three same-value cards plus a pair of another value card); Flush (five cards in the same suit, no particular order); Straight (five cards in sequential order, non-matching suits); Three of a Kind (three same-value cards and two unmatched cards); Two Pair (any two sets of same-value cards); Pair (Jacks or better: any pair of Jacks, Queens, Kings or Aces). When you learn how to play Jacks or Better, you can play just about any other variation of poker.

If you're just starting out at poker, learning how to play Jacks or Better is a good way to get to know the game because it's easier to get a high hand than it is in the more common stud poker varieties. In Jacks or Better, the game starts out with each player being dealt a face-down five-card hand. Players then keep as many or as few cards as they believe will make a good final hand and discard the rest. A second round is then dealt so that each player has five cards again. One strategy for how to play jacks or better is to know which cards to keep from the initially dealt hand. You should generally keep cards that would contribute to a good hand; for instance, a pair of Jacks or better; or three same-suit or sequential cards that might add up to a flush or straight.

Once you know how to play Jacks or Better, you can move on to other forms of poker. Jacks or Better is one of the easiest variations of poker to master, and knowing how to play Jacks or Better can help you hone your poker skills. Good luck in the game!