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Jacks or Better: Strategy

How to Use This List

In "Jacks or Better", you are dealt 5 cards and must choose which to keep. Deal a hand in the game above, and the trainer will automatically scroll down to highlight the best mathematical move below!

Rank What to look for in your hand (Stop at first match)
1Already have a winning 5-card hand: A Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, or Full House. (Keep all 5 cards).
2Three of a Kind: You have 3 cards of the exact same number/face. (Keep these 3 cards).
3Two Pair (Keep all 4 cards) OR 4 cards to a Royal Flush (Keep the 4 suited high cards).
4Already have a winning 5-card hand: A regular Flush or a regular Straight. (Keep all 5 cards).
54 cards to a Straight Flush: Keep the 4 cards of the same suit that are in sequence.
6High Pair: A pair of Jacks, Queens, Kings, or Aces. (Keep the pair).
7Specific 4-card Flush: Keep 4 cards of the same suit (must include an Ace, a Ten, another High Card, and a low card) BUT ONLY IF the 5th card you are throwing away is a King, Queen, Jack, or Ten.
83 cards to a Royal Flush: Keep 3 High Cards (or 10) of the same suit.
94 cards to a regular Flush: Keep 4 cards of the same suit.
104 cards to an outside Straight: Keep King, Queen, Jack, and Ten.
11Low Pair: A pair of 2s through 10s. (Keep the pair).
124 cards to an outside Straight: Keep 4 cards in sequence (from 5-4-3-2 up to Queen-Jack-10-9).
133 cards to a Straight Flush IF (Possible Straight combos + Number of High Cards) is 3 or more.
144 cards to an inside Straight: Keep Ace, King, Queen, Jack (mixed suits) BUT ONLY IF your other option is keeping a suited Queen & Jack that has a Flush Penalty OR you are throwing away a 9.
152 cards to a Royal Flush: Keep Queen and Jack of the same suit.
164 cards to an inside Straight: Keep Ace, King, Queen, and Jack (mixed suits).
172 cards to a Royal Flush: Keep Ace & any High Card of the same suit, OR King & any High Card of the same suit.
183 cards to a Straight Flush IF (Possible Straight combos + Number of High Cards) exactly equals 2 AND you have NO Straight Penalty.
194 cards to an inside Straight: Keep Ace, High Card, High Card, Ten OR Keep King, Queen, Jack, 9.
203 cards to a Straight Flush IF (Possible Straight combos + Number of High Cards) exactly equals 2 (Even if you have a penalty).
213 cards to a Straight: Keep King, Queen, and Jack (mixed suits).
222 cards to a Straight: Keep Queen and Jack (mixed suits).
232 cards to a Straight: Keep King and Jack (mixed suits) BUT ONLY IF your other option is keeping a suited Jack & Ten that has a Flush Penalty.
242 cards to a Royal Flush: Keep Jack and Ten of the same suit.
252 cards to a Straight: Keep King and any High Card (mixed suits).
262 cards to a Straight: Keep Ace and Queen (mixed suits) BUT ONLY IF your other option is keeping a suited Queen & Ten that has a Flush Penalty.
272 cards to a Royal Flush: Keep Queen and Ten of the same suit.
282 cards to a Straight: Keep Ace and any High Card (mixed suits).
291 card to a Royal Flush: Keep a King by itself BUT ONLY IF your other option is a suited King & Ten that has a Flush Penalty AND you are throwing away a 9 (9 Straight Penalty).
302 cards to a Royal Flush: Keep King and Ten of the same suit.
31Just one High Card: Keep a single Ace, King, Queen, or Jack by itself.
323 cards to a Straight Flush IF (Possible Straight combos + Number of High Cards) exactly equals 1.
33Garbage Hand: Absolutely none of the above rules apply to your hand. (Discard all 5 cards and draw 5 new ones).