About Playtech Jacks or Better Video Poker
Video poker is one of the popular games at online casinos today. One of the standard video poker games from renowned online gambling software provider Playtech is Jacks or Better. This game is simple, easy, and fun to play. All players need to do is put together a winning hand over two consecutive deals. The game does not have any special features, like a wild card. There is a unique twist to the game, however; players must have a minimum hand of a pair of Jacks to be able to win. The game also offers a good shot at winning big, since the top payout is 4,000 coins. This huge payout is possible if a player wagers the maximum amount and lands a Royal Flush.
Playtech’s Jacks or Better is played with a regular 52-card deck. The minimum bet is 0.05 per line, and the maximum is 5, which works out to a 25 credit maximum bet. Players can adjust their bet amount by clicking the ‘-’ or ‘+’ sign at the bet amount.
Bonus Round or Gamble Feature
Jacks or Better has a great way of allowing players a chance to increase their winnings. This is through the Gamble feature, which is seen in all Playtech video poker games. This feature becomes operational whenever a player puts together a winning hand. A prompt appears on screen informing the player that he could double his winnings. The player has three options to choose from:
- Double: The player can double his winnings by clicking this option. On the flip side a loss could result in loss of all earnings from that winning hand.
- Double Half: This gives him an extra half of whatever he won in the hand. On the flip side, a loss would result in losing half of his winnings from the hand. This is a safe option that ensures he does not lose all that he won.
- Collect: This allows the player to collect whatever he won. This is the safest option as he gets to keep whatever he won in that hand.
This is how the Gamble feature works. Once he selects the Double or Double Half option, 5 cards appear on screen. One of them is open, while the other four are closed. From these four, the player needs to select one card. The card he selects should be of a higher value than the open card to double his winnings. If he chooses a card of a lower value than the open card he loses whatever he won, or loses half of what he won, depending on which option he selected in the first place. The player can continue using the Gamble feature till such time as he loses or decides to collect.
Expert Tips
The objective of playing Jacks or Better is to get the best hand to ensure the player is able to win. That is relatively simple, except for one thing: players need a minimum of a pair of Jacks to win. The hands that contribute to wins are listed above, and that means choosing the right cards to hold is critical.
To win more, the best way to play would be to wager the highest amount possible on a hand. The most you can win is 4000 coins given that the maximum bet is the 5-coin maximum. Players can also opt to play safe to preserve their bankroll by betting smaller amounts, but the outcome would be that they would not be able to rack up big wins all the time.
How to Play Playtech Jacks or Better
Playing Jacks or Better is easy and a lot of fun. The first step is of course to place the bet. Players can place their bets by choosing the coin denomination they want to use and then selecting from one of the two options available – Bet One and Bet Max. Once the player has placed his bet he clicks the Deal button.
5 cards are dealt, all open cards. The player gets to Hold up to 4 of these cards. Once the player holds the cards, the remaining cards are replaced through a fresh deal. The player needs at least a pair of Jacks to win, which is where the name Jacks or Better comes from. When a player wins, he is also given the Gamble option. As explained earlier, this option gives him a shot at doubling his winning, or at least increasing it by half.
The game is cool because of a certain level of customization it offers. A player can check his game history by clicking the History option in the Settings menu at the top right. Players can also tweak their game settings, general settings, and also audio settings by clicking Options in the Settings menu. Customization that a player can do includes:
- Sound effects
- Volume
- Fast play
- Game history (this is available only for real money players)
- Gamble feature (players can hide the Double Up window)