Joker Poker
Joker Poker (or Joker Wild) is a simple variation of the Jacks or Better Video Poker machine. Unlike most other video poker machines this game is played with a 53-card deck instead of a standard 52-card deck. The extra card is called the Joker, a wild card that can be substituted with the value of any other card in order to create the highest possible poker hand.
The paytable begins with a Kings or Better hand since the Joker card gives the player an extra edge. The Joker also adds two extra winning hands to the paytable: Joker Royal Flush and Five-of-a-kind.
The key to having a perfect online video poker strategy is to secure winning hands and only in very rare cases drop a winning hand for a chance of a higher paying poker hand. It is also important to bet 5 coins per hand, since a Natural Royal Flush will pay considerably more this way. Always look for a Joker Poker machine that operates with a denomination you can afford by playing with 5 coin bets for every hand.
Here’s the standard paytable for Joker Poker:
| Hand combinations | Coin 1 | Coin 2 | Coin 3 | Coin 4 | Coin 5 |
| Natural royal flush | 750 | 1500 | 2250 | 3000 | 5000 |
| Five of a kind | 200 | 400 | 600 | 800 | 1000 |
| Joker royal flush | 100 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 500 |
| Straight flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Four of a kind | 17 | 34 | 51 | 68 | 85 |
| Full house | 7 | 14 | 21 | 28 | 35 |
| Flush | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Straight | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Three of a kind | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Two pairs | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Kings or better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Some Joker Poker machines have higher payouts for a Natural Royal Flush, in some cases up to 20,000. Bear in mind that there is a 0.000025% chance of hitting a Natural Royal Flush, that’s one chance out of 4,000,000. However, this should not discourage you as it does happen sometimes.
Joker Poker double-up feature
Most Joker Poker machines will have an option to double-up
(sometimes called Double or Nothing) on your winning hands. This
means you will get a chance to double your last win at a
completely random game. The machine will deal one face-up card
for itself and four cards face-down for you. You have to pick
one of the four cards hoping that it has a higher value than the
machine’s card; 2 being the lowest and an Ace or Joker being the
highest. If you get the higher card, you’ll double your winnings
for the last hand played and get another chance of doubling your
current total win. Please note that this is a risky gamble and
should only be done for low paying hands. If you get a Full
House or better hand, it is strongly recommended not to use the
double-up feature.
Joker Poker Strategy Tips
Always hold a low pair rather than keeping just one high card King or Ace
Never discard a winning pair unless you have four to a Straight Flush, or Poker/Natural Royal Flush
Hold the Joker and deal for 4 new cards if you have no paying pair and no three/four cards to flush, straight, straight flush or Royal Flush.
You can read more about this game here: Joker Poker Video Poker.
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