The wombat says: Looking for an introduction to video poker? Then you’ve come to the right place, Wombat fans! Jacks or Better from Genii Gaming is a simple way to learn the ins and outs of one of the most famous card games out there. It’s also old as hills – and can be traced back to the 19th Century when poker first became popular on Mississippi riverboats. Oh to have been alive then!
This version comes with x800 your bet max win. And as the name suggests; in order to make a win you’ll need to make a hand of at least a pair of Jacks. It´s a good ol’ traditional game like the Ace of Spades slot. Except it’s video poker. Let’s take a seat at the table…
Look and Feel
With a clean crisp interface and pastel blue colour palette, Genii have kept this simple and easy in the eye. The main focus of the game is on the cards which is as it should be in any online poker slot.
You’ll also hear the soothing big band-style soundtrack that is pleasing to the lug holes and helps you keep calm and the stakes get higher. And who doesn’t love a bit of saxophone? The graphics are nice, so it’s a thumbs up to the games makers. We’d say this game is almost as slick as Dragon Tiger Baccarat from Switch Studios. Almost.
Game Play
Bets start in Jacks Or Better from 00.1 per hand all the way up to 25.00, and the game uses a standard 52 playing card deck.
Jacks or Better (or Draw Poker) is one of the most basic variations of poker. To play, a hand begins with your bet. Next, you are dealt 5 cards and you can to choose to hold, or have a new hand of cards.
Jacks or Better: The Hands
The aim is to get a hand with a value higher than 2 Jacks. Here are the hands you’ll be looking for:
Royal Flush: This is the big daddy of the game and the highest paying hand on offer. Get 5 sequential cards of the same suit starting with 10 and ending with Ace and you will scoop a chunky 800x your original stake.
Straight Flush: This cheeky number consists of five sequential cards of the same suit up but not including the royal cards). We’re talking 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 for example. Land this as your hand and you will net 50x your bet.
Four of a Kind: To get this hand you’ll need to have 4 cards of the same number – 4x Kings or 4x 2s. This will give you a pay-out of 25x your wager.
Full House: Get a win of 9x your wager with a hand of 3 matching value cards plus a pair (e.g. three 7s and two Kings or three Queens and two 5s).
Flush: This is made up of 5 cards of the same suit. Any suit. Manage this and will win you 6x your bet.
Straight: You’ll need 5 cards in sequential order but of any suit to make up this hand. And it will scoop you 4x your stake.
Three of a Kind: This is a hand that contains 3 cards of the same number. We’re talking three 6s or three Jacks for example. You’ll net x3 your bet for hand like this.
Two Pairs: It’s pretty simple this one! You’ll need 2 pairs of cards in your hand (e.g. two 4s and two Aces). The payout for this is x2 your bet.
Two Jacks: The lowest hand possible – get dealt 2x Jacks and you’ll win x1 your bet.
Conclusion
Jacks or Better is a simple and basic online poker variant – and this version from Genii does what it says on the tin. So, whether you’re new to online poker, or are a veteran of the green baize game, you’ll definitely enjoy a round or two.