The Three Stages of Jacks or Better Mastery

October 13, 2014 by

If anyone wants to get into video poker on any meaningful level, then they need to achieve Jacks or Better mastery. This is required because the key lessons of this particular game form the best foundation for playing video poker, so if you want any chance of being a great player, then it’s the first thing on the agenda. We want to share with you three three key stages of learning this game on such a high level.

The First Stage of Jacks or Better Mastery

The very first thing you have to learn is the basic comparisons between different types of made hands and different types of draws. For example, a four-card royal flush draw is stronger than a flush or straight, and three to a royal is stronger than four to a flush. A flush draw is weaker than a high pair but stronger than a low pair, and a low pair is stronger than a straight draw. There are other situations you’ll need to learn where you have two good ways to play a hand and have to choose the right one.

Stage Two: Advanced Comparisons

A number of exceptions exist to the basic comparisons. A good example is when you have KQJTT with no possible flush draw. The normal way to play it is to keep the small pair TT instead of the straight draw KQJT. However, in this particular situation, the power of all of the high pairs you could make with the draw makes it overtake the small pair. There are plenty of other exceptions that you have to learn on the second stage of this process.

The Final Stage: High Card Hands

The hardest hands to play in Jacks or Better are when you have no pair and no draw, and now you have to make the most from a bad, high-card hand. Learning the rules for these situations is difficult but necessary because of the value you gain from playing them correctly. Put these stages in order and do the work, and you’ll be able to become a master at Jacks or Better.

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