Tens or better is a popular video poker game resembling Jacks or Better. However, in Tens or Better, you will not receive a payout unless you make at least a pair of tens, which makes it incredibly easy to complete your video poker game several times richer than you were upon starting.
Although Tens or Better guarantees frequent small winnings, players who do not like the slower accumulation of solid winnings opt for the Jacks or Better where they have a chance to make a better hand and qualify for a better payout.
Tens or Better is a game in which you compete against the machine rather than against other players. It is a 1-hand game and player’s goal is to have at least a pair of 10’s among the cards dealt. The best paying combination is the Royal Flush.
In order to get started, you are supposed to place the desired bet. Then, you will be dealt five cards. You are free to keep all of them or discard as many as you want. When you click on the Draw button, the cards you have discarded are replaced and your payout is determined in accordance with the pay table. Although the rules below may vary from machine to machine, here are the details you have to pay attention to before you start playing Tens or Better.
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- The rank of all suits is equal (spades, clubs, hearts and diamonds)
- Tens or Better is played with one standard deck of cards
- The cards are shuffled before every new game
- You have to click on the “Deal” button in order to be dealt the first five cards. Some Tens or Better games have an Auto Hold option that automatically keeps the cards that might help you get an award. Of course, players can disable that function and “Hold” the cards manually.
- You can keep track of your betting history in real money mode
- If you get Royal Flush on a five-coin wager, you have to be prepared for a solid payout
- Many players spot the significant difference between the return for one-coin bet with a Royal Flush and the Straight Flush and define these two payouts as “top heavy”.
You can consider yourself lucky if you manage to get one of the following hands: a pair of Tens or Better, Two pairs, Three of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, Four of a Kind, Straight Flush and of course, Royal Flush. Although the paytable of Tens or Better may vary from machine to machine, here is the usual payout:
| Hand: | 1 Coin | 2 Coins | 3 Coins | 4 Coins | 5 Coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1000 | 4000 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 |
| Full House | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 |
| Flush | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Straight | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Pair (Jacks or Better) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Gamble Feature
If you have played high-roller slots, you are probably well-aware of the Gamble feature that allows you to double your winnings by pushing the Double button. If you do not want to put your winnings at risk, you can simply push the Collect button. However, if you decide to try your luck and double, 5 cards will be displayed but only the first card from left to right will be face up.
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Your objective is to pick up a card with a higher value of the one that is turned face up. If you succeed in picking such a card, your winnings are doubled. If you select a card with a lower value, you lose the winnings from that hand.
Tens or Better Winning Strategy
Having a proper strategy ensures your session will be both entertaining and profitable. If you do not have much experience, here are a few tips that might be useful:
- As you know, the lowest winning combination is a pair of 10’s. Therefore, the low pairs will not be useful and you should discard them.
- In case you are dealt cards that are not likely to create a winning combination, keep those that have a value higher than 10 and you can eventually make a pair of 10’s.
- Take a look at the table above and you will see that the payout for Royal Flush and a wager of 5 coins is really generous. In other words, the most sensible thing you can do is to always place the highest bet.
- You are not advised to break up a paying hand except for the cases when you get four or five cards that form Royal Flush.
