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Best Joker Poker Video Poker AU

Craig Barret | December 12, 2023 | Updated on: December 21st, 2023

Joker Poker, also known as “Joker Wild,” is a variation of the video poker game inspired by Jacks or Better. In this version, a wild card or joker is added to the deck, making it a 53-card deck instead of the standard 52 cards. The joker can substitute for any card in the game to create a winning combination.

The paytable in Joker Poker differs slightly, and the minimum paying hands start with a pair of Kings. If you’re interested in learning how to play Joker Poker, stay on this guide to understand the game better.

Joker-Poker

Play Joker Poker at Australia’s Top Online Casinos

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How to Play Joker Poker

When you are ready to start playing Joker Poker, just follow these easy online gambling steps to begin your exciting video poker adventure.

Sign up at the Casino

The first step is to create an account at our best online casinos and make your first deposit on the casino site. Before creating your online casino account, make sure to check the available payment options offered by the casino. This ensures a smooth and convenient process for funding your gaming activities.

Adjust the Bet and Number of Coins

After your first deposit, you can select the number of coins you want to play Joker Poker online. The casino game provides the option to play with 1 to 5 coins. Generally, in various video poker versions, including Joker Poker, the potential for the highest winnings is realized when playing with a maximum of five coins. Consider this when making your choice to increase your chances of winning.

Choose the Deal Button

To receive the first five cards from the dealer, simply press the deal button. This marks the beginning of the first betting round, and you’ll be dealt five random cards from the 53-card deck. Examine the cards you receive and decide on whether to keep them or not.

If you have a strong card combination, it’s advisable to keep your current cards. However, if your hand doesn’t look promising, you can choose to discard some or all the cards in the hope of improving your hand in the next draw.

Select the Draw Button

To obtain replacements for the cards you’ve chosen to discard, press the draw button. This action will provide you with new cards, forming your final hand. Keep in mind that once you’ve pressed the draw button, there’s no further opportunity to make changes to your hand. Your final set of cards will determine the outcome of the round.

Receive Winnings

If your cards meet the criteria for a winning hand, you’ll receive a payout based on the paytable. However, if your hand doesn’t qualify, you won’t receive any winnings.

Joker Poker Winning Hands

In Joker Poker, you need at least a pair of kings to win. There are eleven different winning hands, and it’s important to know them well before you start planning your winning strategy. Here they are, ranked from the weakest to the strongest.

Here are the different winning hands in Joker Poker, explained in simple terms:

Kings or Better: A pair of kings or aces, with the other three cards not contributing.
Two Pair: Having two pairs, like two 4s and two Jacks.
Three of a Kind: Three cards that match, like three 8s, with the other two cards not contributing.
Straight: Five sequential cards, for example, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. The suit doesn’t matter, and an Ace can be used at the start or end.
Flush: All cards from the same suit, for instance, 2, 6, 8, J, Q of hearts.
Full House: Combining a pair with three of a kind, like two 5s and three 7s. The suits don’t have to match.
Four of a Kind: Four matching cards, such as four Qs.
Straight Flush: Combining a straight and a flush, with five sequential cards from the same suit, like 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 of spades.
Royal Flush: The highest-value straight flush, containing 10, J, Q, K, A of hearts.
Five of a Kind: Possible only in games with wild cards, it’s a hand of five matching cards, like five Jacks.

The Pay Table of Joker Poker

I’ll assume you’re going to place the maximum 5-coin bet in any game, and I’ll display the hand payouts on an X-for-Y basis. It’s important to note that when playing table games, the odds of a bet paying off are expressed as X to Y.

Here’s an example: On a roulette table, a single-number bet pays off at 35 to 1. This implies that if you bet AU$1, you receive your initial Australian dollar back, plus an additional AU$35 in winnings.

However, it’s crucial to note that gambling machines operate differently. They don’t return the original bet before spinning the reels or dealing cards. Instead, any winnings you receive are in exchange for the bet you just placed.

At the blackjack table, an even-money payout leads to a profit. On the other hand, in a video poker game, an even-money payout results in breaking even.

Now, let’s explore the optimal Joker Poker pay table, often referred to as a “full pay” Joker Poker game:

natural royal flush payout of 800 to 1
five of a kind payout of 200 to 1
wild royal flush payout of 100 to 1
straight flush payout of 50 to 1
four of a kind payout of 20 to 1
full house payout of 7 to 1
flush pays payout of 5 to 1
straight payout of 3 to 1
three of a kind payout of 2 to 1
two pair payout of 1 to 1
pair of kings or higher payout of 1 to 1

With optimal strategy, the game’s payback percentage is figured to be 100.64%, presenting an unusual situation where you have a 0.64% advantage over the house.

This calculation employs a computer algorithm to evaluate the likelihood of attaining each payout. The probability of each outcome, multiplied by its associated payout, yields the expected return for that specific bet. By summing up the expected returns for all potential outcomes, the overall expected return for the game is determined.

The chance of ending up with no winnings is approximately 55%, contributing zero percent to the payback percentage when multiplied by AU$0.

However, scoring a pair of kings or aces with a probability of 14.2% results in a 1-for-1 payout, adding 14.2% to the total payback percentage.

Achieving two pairs occurs slightly less frequently at 11.1%, contributing an additional 11.1% to make up 25.3% of the overall total payback percentage.

Three of a kind occurs more frequently at 13.4%, thanks to the wild card. With a 2-for-1 payout, this adds 26.8% to the payback percentage.

These three hands collectively contribute to over half of the game’s statistical winnings because they occur more frequently than other hands. By continuing these calculations and summing them all up, the result is a total payback percentage of 100.64%.

There are various versions of these pay tables, and a more typical Joker Poker pay table maintains the same payouts as mentioned earlier, except with slightly reduced payouts for five of a kind (150 instead of 200) and a wild royal flush (80 instead of 100). These alterations result in a payback percentage of 99.98%.

It’s worth noting that you may encounter Joker Poker games with a theoretical payback percentage as low as 94%, which, although better than most slot machines, is still lower. Therefore, it’s advisable to stick with video poker games offering a payback percentage of 98% or higher.

Many Joker Poker video poker games provide a payback percentage at least as high as that, if not higher. Only the least generous casinos offer a pay table worse than that.

Basic Strategy of Joker Poker

All video poker strategies are based on the same idea. You just look at the cards you have and check them against a list that tells you what to do for each type of hand.

The most important rule is to never throw away a Joker. But there are two lists to follow, depending on whether you have a Joker or not. When you read the lists, you’ll often see “x to a,” which just means you have x number of cards for that type of hand.

If you have a Joker, here’s what to do:

  1. Save a Royal Flush if you’re dealt one right away.
  2. Save 5 of a Kind, which includes the Joker.
  3. Save 4 of a kind and discard the 5th card.
  4. Save 4 cards for a Wild Royal Flush with a king as the high card.
  5. Save a Full House.
  6. Save 4 cards for a Wild Royal Flush with an ace as the high card.
  7. Save 4 cards for an Outside Straight Flush, except for 2-3-4 or A-2-3.
  8. Save a Flush.
  9. Save 4 cards for a Straight Flush with x2 gaps, including 2-3-4 and A-2-3.
  10. Save 3 of a kind.
  11. Save a Straight.
  12. Save 4 cards for a Flush with x1 or x2 kings or better.
  13. Save 4 cards for a Straight Flush with 0 gaps or x1 or x2 kings or better.
  14. Save 3 cards for a Wild Flush with 0 gaps or x1 or x2 kings or better.
  15. Save 3 cards for a Straight Flush with x1 gap.
  16. Save the Joker and any unsuited 10-J-K or J-Q-K or 10-Q-K.
  17. Save Jokers and either K or A.
  18. Save 3 cards for a Straight Flush with x2 gaps.
  19. Save 4 cards for an Outside Straight.
  20. Save 4 cards for a flush with 0 high cards.
  21. Save the Joker.

If you don’t have a Joker here’s what to do:

  1. Save a Royal Flush if you’re dealt one right away.
  2. Save 4 cards for a Natural Royal Flush.
  3. Save 4 of a Kind.
  4. Save a Full House.
  5. Save a Flush.
  6. Save 4 cards for a Straight Flush.
  7. Save 3 of a Kind.
  8. Save a Straight.
  9. Save 3 cards for a Natural Royal Flush with a queen or king.
  10. Save 2 Pair.
  11. Save 3 cards for a Natural Royal Flush with an ace as the high card.
  12. Save K-K or A-A.
  13. Save 4 cards for a Flush.
  14. Save 4 cards for a Straight Flush with 0 gaps.
  15. Save any Pair.
  16. Save unsuited 10, J, Q, K.
  17. Save 3 cards for a Straight Flush with a high card and x2 gaps.
  18. Save suited K-A.
  19. Save 4 cards for an Outside Straight.
  20. Save 3 cards for a Straight Flush with x2 gaps.
  21. Save suited J-K or Q-K or 10-K.
  22. Save suited J-A or Q-A or 10-A.
  23. Save king or ace.
  24. Save suited J-Q or 10-Q or 10-J.
  25. Discard all.

Let’s go through examples to help you understand:

Example 1:

You are dealt a King of Spades, Ace of Spades, 5 of Spades, 7 of Spades, Joker.

Since you have a Joker, you’ll be using the Joker list. This hand can match different categories: you have 3 cards for a Straight, 3 cards for a Royal Flush, and a flush. By checking the list, you’ll notice that the highest-ranked hand is a Flush (number 8). Therefore, you should keep all five cards to secure the guaranteed Flush payout.

Example 2:

You are dealt a King of Hearts, 4 of Spades, 5 of Spades, 6 of Spades, Joker

Since you have a Joker, you’ll be using the Joker list. You already have a winning hand because of the Joker (Pair of Kings). However, you also have Four to a Straight, which is at number 13 on the list. Therefore, you play to this hand and discard the King of Hearts.

Example 3:

You are dealt an Ace of Spades, 8 of Clubs, 6 of Hearts, 5 of Hearts, Ace of Diamonds.

Since you don’t have a Joker, you’ll be using the No Joker list. As you go down the list, the first instruction you come across is number 12, which says to keep A-A or K-K. So, that’s exactly what you do. You’re guaranteed a payout for the pair of Aces, and if luck is on your side, you might form a stronger hand when you replace the other three cards.

Example 4:

You are dealt a Queen of Hearts, 8 of Spades, 3 of Hearts, 10 of Spades, 6 of Spades.

Since you have no Joker, you’ll refer to the No Joker list. The top hand on this list is number 17, which is three to a Straight Flush with a high card and up to two gaps. In your hand, you have the 6, 8, and 10 of Spades, with exactly two gaps (the 7 and 9). This means you should keep these cards and hope to improve your hand with the draw.

Best Tips for Joker Poker

Here are the best tips for new Joker Poker players:

Understand the Odds

Knowing the odds is crucial in poker, influencing your chances of winning or losing and requiring basic math skills.

Know the Hand Rankings

Often overlooked, understanding the ranking of hands is essential. For instance, a Full House beats a straight or a flush but not a straight flush.

Practice Patience

Patience is a key virtue in poker. Taking your time allows you to carefully consider all possible moves.

Think Like Your Opponent

Try to understand your fellow players and play with a solid knowledge of the game rather than being swayed by their ego.

Play Within Your Means

Avoid participating in poker games or hands that exceed your budget. This is a smart money-saving strategy.

Be Aware of Table Dynamics

The number of players at the table affects the game. Whether it’s a ten-person ring or a heads-up match, the dynamics change accordingly.

Vary Your Playing Style

Change your playing style regularly to keep opponents guessing. Altering patterns and habits helps conceal your cards from other players.

Play Confidently

Confidence is key. Hesitation can reveal a weak hand to fellow players. Understand that you won’t win every hand.

Practice Regularly

Frequent practice allows you to pick up essential poker skills and strategies.

Joker Poker Pros & Cons

While video poker games are generally visually appealing and enjoyable, there are still some aspects that could be adjusted. In this scenario, we’ve outlined a few pros and cons below.

Pros Cons
·         Enjoy the option to play Joker Poker without any cost.

·         Benefit from an additional joker card, enhancing the likelihood of winning.

·         Accessible for mobile gaming.

·         Experience a range of progressive bonuses.

·         Features a progressive jackpot.

·         Choose a coin size ranging from 1 to 10 coins.

 ·         Lack of wilds, scatters, or free spins.

·         Limited number of game rounds.

Alternatives to Joker Poker Video Poker

Conclusion

In conclusion, Joker Poker presents a captivating blend of skill and chance that keeps players engaged and strategizing. With the wild card factor introduced by the joker, the game offers unique opportunities for creating winning hands. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player, the tips and strategies tailored for Joker Poker can enhance your overall gaming experience. The combination of calculated decision-making during card selection and the unpredictability of draws adds an element of excitement to each round. 

Joker Poker Video Poker FAQs