Tens or Better Poker Review
The video poker battle: which is best - Tens or Better or Jacks or Better? Impartial side-by-side analysis so you can play the top version with highest RTP
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Jacks or Better has been a favourite for many avid video poker players down the years but now there’s Tens or Better. Does the lower qualifying hand give this game the edge?
Find out in our comprehensive Tens or Better review below. Alternatively, you can explore the game for yourself by joining one of the recommended casinos we’ve listed.
Tens or Better Poker Review
The aim of a good casino game is to offer enough to players that it is worth their time to play it but also being profitable for the operator. Tens or Better Poker does just that. Out of all the video poker variants available at modern online casinos, this variant has the lowest hand rank for a minimum even-money payout. It combines this with a tasty RTP as well. Still, it’s fair to say that Tens or Better is kept in the shade by the original Jacks or Better format, but this variant has several very good aspects that make it worthwhile playing.
What is Tens or Better Poker
Whether it be Tens or Better, Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild or Aces and Faces, they are all variations of video poker which is a computer-generated game invented 5-card draw poker.
The secret to this game’s success is that you can more or less start playing it straight away. A basic knowledge of poker hands is all that’s required and to be honest, you learn these as you play from the game’s paytable.
Tens or Better uses a standard 52-card deck, and it follows the exact same method of play as all other video poker titles. Firstly, you choose your bet size and how many coins (these are essentially paylines like you find on a regular slot game).
After hitting ‘deal’, you get 5 cards. You can ‘hold’ any number of these cards (0 - 5) before hitting the ‘draw’ button. This swaps any unheld cards for new ones, and then the hand is compared against the paytable to see if it qualifies for a payout and if so, how much.
Tens or Better Poker Rules
Having established that Tens or Better is another video poker variant, what reasons are there to play this game over one of the others? While the Tens or Better Poker rules are standardised, the paytable is not. That is where you can decide on the value of this format. For our table, we’ve taken the payouts offered when playing the Microgaming version. These may vary slightly from other software developers with the same game.
| Royal Flush | 500 | 1000 | 2000 | 3000 | 4000 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| 4 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 |
| 3 of a Kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| 2 pair | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| No of coins | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
It is a fairly normal paytable, and all the hands, with the exception of paying out on a pair of tens, are the same as Jacks or Better. Where this game comes in to its own is in the Royal Flush payouts for 1, 2, 3 and 4 coins. These are far higher than most other variants, so you aren’t forced to play 5 coins every single hand. This makes Tens or Better Poker more accessible to all types of players - from high rollers to those on a budget.
With Tens or Better being similar to Jacks or Better, we decided to compare the two games next to one another to see which offers players the most value.
| Poker Hand | Double Bonus Poker | Bonus Poker | Double Double Bonus Poker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 800 | 800 | 800 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| 4 Aces (with any 2, 3 or 4) | 160 | 80 | 400 |
| 4 of a Kind (aces) | 160 | 80 | 160 |
| 4 2s, 3s or 4s (with any ace, 2, 3 or 4) | 80 | 40 | 160 |
| 4 of a Kind (2s, 3s and 4s) | 80 | 40 | 80 |
| 4 of a Kind (5s up to kings) | 50 | 25 | 50 |
| Full House | 9 | 8 | 9 |
| Flush | 7 | 5 | 6 |
| Straight | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 3 of a Kind | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 2 pair | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Theoretical RTP | 99.11% | 99.16% | 98.98% |
| House Edge | 0.91% | 0.84% | 1.02% |
The 800 Royal Flush payout is 4000 coins (jackpot) divided by 5. The other numbers are the payouts for 1 coin. You can see that Jacks or Better Poker has a 0.40% advantage, although both games boast a 99% plus RTP. The payout for a pair of tens is offset by the 9/6 Full House/Flush win compared against only 6/5 on the Tens or Better table. Everything else is the same. However, as highlighted above, you get better value paying this variant with fewer coins, so it’s swings and roundabouts.
Tens or Better Poker Bonus
Whilst it’s nice to play casino games with some free credits, there aren’t too many dedicated Tens or Better Poker bonus offers on the market. Put simply, the RTP is too high for the casino owner to be too generous.
However, don’t be downbeat, there are still a few avenues worth exploring. You can check the sign up offer. If this is a match deposit deal, you should be able to use this to play Tens or Better. The wagering requirement will be on the high side due to game weighting but it gets you a fighting chance - albeit a slim one - of banking some extra cash.
We also recommend checking out any VIP clubs and loyalty schemes that simply reward you with comp points for playing. Again, you will have to wager through quite a large amount playing video poker, but this is easily done with the low house edge. You won’t bank a fortune but it could line your account with a little extra.
Play Tens or Better Poker Online
We are sure you now know what Tens or Better is, and why it’s a game worthy of your attention. So, are you up for giving it a try? Take a look at our list of casinos. We’ve reviewed each site, so we know that they are fully licenced, offer good customer service and hassle-free banking. When you’ve pinpointed your favoured casino, sign up and play Tens or Better Poker online and perhaps you may just hit the jackpot.
