Jacks or Better Strategy - Draw Hands Defined

In this strategy we have an "arsenal" of ten hand groups, with names that are consistent with the "Best Shot" theme, for waging video poker war against the Jacks or Better machines.

I'll go over all the hands involved and then give you a condensed "crib" sheet that you can carry around and memorize over a few cups of coffee or take to the machine for quick reference. (This is the little "secret weapon" I promised you.) Most casino operators won't care if you occasionally glance at notes inside the back of a pack of cigarettes or somewhere. They do care, if they have a full crowd, and certain players tie up their machines with very slow play.

The only reason for putting the hands in groups with names is to make them easier to remember. However, people process information to be memorized in different ways. Some folks might find the draw hand rankings easier to memorize if they make them new lyrics for "Tiptoe Through The Tulips" or something. If so, go for that, or whatever works.

Here are the ten hand group titles:

Automatics
Top Draw
Semi-Automatics
Fast Draw
Sure Hit
Sharpshooters
Straight Shooters
Bullets
Triggers
Duds

How to Use the Strategy: As the names imply, the groups that are highest on the list are the strongest. Within the groups, the hands are shown in descending priority and your best play is always the hand that is highest on the list. So for example, if you have ace of spades, king of hearts, queen of spades, jack of spades and ten of spades you would break up the straight and replace the king of hearts. This is because four cards to a royal flush is higher on the list than a straight.

Remember that HIGH cards are Jack - Ace, and LOW cards are 2-10. Hold cards are shown in blocks. The unblocked cards have no significance except to represent typical side cards that are to be replaced by your draw.

It will be important for you to be able to recognize all the hand types and their abbreviations.

Automatics

These are the "no brainers" of the bunch. You have four "pat" high paying hands that you never draw to. (No point in drawing to the 4 KD, so it is also considered pat.)

There's not much to think about with the 3 KD and the 2 PR either. They are both sure winners that can improve to bigger winners with a good draw.

R FL
Royal Flush

STR FL
Straight Flush

4 KD
Four of a Kind

FH
Full House

3 KD
Three of a Kind

2 PR
Two Pair

Top Draw

This is any four of the five cards needed for a royal (or ace high) straight flush. Draw to the one card that you need to make the royal.

4 CDS to a R FL
Four Cards to a Royal Flush

Semi-Automatics

The only time you would not hold all five cards to either of these hands is when they contain four cards to a Royal Flush. Then you break the hand and draw one card.

FL
Flush

STR
Straight

Fast Draw

Except for "Top Draw" again, this can be any four cards to a straight flush. It doesn't matter if the draw is inside, open end or one end, they all work. If you happen to also have the lower ranked high pair, break the pair and draw to the straight flush.

4 CDS to a STR FL
Four Cards to a Straight Flush

Sure Hit

When you draw to this hand, with a pair of jacks to a pair of aces, the worst you can do is get your money back. Break the pair only when you also have a hand above it on the list.

H PR
High Pair

Sharpshooters

Three cards to a royal flush: Any three of the five cards that it takes to make a royal flush.

3 CDS to a R FL
Three Cards to a Royal Flush

Any four cards suited, (without four cards to a Straight Flush or three cards to a Royal.)

4 CD FL
Four Card Flush

A Pair of 2s thru a Pair of 10s

L PR
Low Pair

Primary Draw Hands

These primary hands that we just looked at are not only the strongest but are generally the easiest to spot. They will be shown in the first column on your Best Shot condensed strategy order guide that you take to the machine.

When the machine first deals your hand, if you find the hand description in the first column on the left, you play it without concerning yourself with the lesser strength, secondary draw hands in the second column on the right.

Secondary Draw Hands

Most of your opening dealt hands will fall into these secondary groups. These hands are shown in the second column on the right and, just as in the primary groups, the highest strategy value hands are the highest on the list. You will note that draw hands with three suited cards to a Straight Flush are shown regular face red type. This is to make your hand description search easier because if your hand does not have three suited cards, these descriptions can be ignored. Here are the secondary draw hands.

Straight Shooters

Consecutive denominations that are open on both ends for a Straight.

4 CD STR
Four Card Straight

Three suited cards in denomination order, i.e.: (4 5 6) (9 10 J)

3 CD STR FL
Three Card Straight Flush

Three suited cards in denomination order but with one gap in the middle, i.e.: (9_ J Q) (A_3 4), and with one or two High cards.

3 CD IN STR FL w 1 or 2 H CDS
Three Card Inside Straight Flush with 1 or 2 High Cards

Three suited cards in denomination order but with two gaps in the middle, i.e.: (8_ _J Q) (9_J_K), and with two High cards.

3 CD DBL IN STR FL w 2 H CDS
Three Card Double Inside Straight Flush with 2 High Cards

Bullets

One of each of the four High cards. Hold them all, even if two of them are suited.

4 H CDS
Four High Cards

2 H CDS Suited
Two High Cards Suited

Three suited cards in denomination order but with two gaps in the middle, i.e.: (A_2 _5) (7_9_J) (9 10_ _K), and with one High card.

3 CD DBL IN STR FL w 1 H CD
Three Card Double Inside Straight Flush with 1 High Card

Four cards to a straight that includes both the high and low ends with a one card gap in the middle. (3 4_6 7)

4 CRD IN STR w 3 H CDS
Four Card Inside Straight with 3 High Cards

Three suited Low cards in denomination order but with a one card gap in the middle, i.e.: (3_5 6) (3 4 _6)

3 CRD IN STR FL w No H CDS
Three Card Inside Straight Flush with No High Cards

Triggers

If you are dealt three High cards and one of them is an Ace, hold the two face cards and draw three.

3 H CDS No Ace
Three High Cards No Ace

2 H CDS
Two High Cards

If you are dealt an Ace with a Ten suited, hold the Ace and draw four.

1 H CD w 10 Suited No Ace
One High Card with 10 Suited No Ace

1 H CD
One High Card

Three suited Low cards in denomination order but with two gaps in the middle, i.e.: (2_4 _6) (5_ _8 9)

3 CD DBL IN STR FL w No H CDS
Three Card Double Inside Straight Flush with No High Cards

Duds

Five low cards: Let's talk about this hand... all is not lost.

This hand consists of five low cards with the suits and denominations distributed in a way that you can't find anything of higher value to play. I thought about calling this hand a "shot in the dark" to be consistent with the other hand group names, but decided that "duds" is more to the point and easier to remember.

On a positive note, your second chance at a dealt pay hand is now better than your first because five low cards are now gone from the deck. Your chances of being dealt a pair of jacks to aces are much better than on the first deal.

Your chances of being dealt a royal flush are improved from almost impossible to almost, almost impossible, but just remember, when those five new cards pop up... anything can happen.

5 L CDS - Draw New Hand
Five Low Cards - Draw New Hand

That's it for all the draw hands used to compile the final strategy. The "Condensed Best Shot Strategy" at the bottom of the page is a recap of all these of these hands and groups of hands listed in strategy order and in abbreviated form.

I recommend that you print the page, clip out the strategy and take it to the machine with you for quick reference. You will find that after you've had a little experience at making all the correct plays, most of the plays will come to you automatically. Later, they all will. It won't take long.

Remember that when the machine displays your opening dealt hand, first see if you have one of the Primary Hands on the left side of your sheet. Then make sure that you play the highest one that you can find on that list. If instead, you have a Secondary Hand on the right side, first check to see if you have three cards suited to a Straight Flush. If you don't, just ignore the hands printed in red and find your highest hand on the secondary list. If you do have the three Straight Flush cards, include the red listings in your search.

The "Best Shot" Condensed Strategy

Now you have it!

Everything you need to know about how to play expert jacks or better video poker is right here. All you need to do is memorize the play ranking order in the "Best Shot/Nutshell" strategy, or memorize as much as you can and take a copy with you to the casino machine for quick reference. Just print and clip out the condensed strategy on this page or download the Jacks or Better condensed strategy in .pdf format for easy printing.

You have what it takes to be an expert winner at jacks or better video poker. I wish you very good luck.

Give it your Best Shot and WIN!

The

eBook Pages

video poker ebook
Section I. video poker introduction
Section II. five card draw poker - The Basic Poker Game
Section III. jacks or better video poker
Section IV. evaluating video poker hands and draw options
Section V. jacks or better strategy - Draw Hands Defined

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