Tens or Better Video Poker in Online Casinos
Among all video poker variations, Tens or Better is probably the simplest one and the one that provides increased winning odds. Based on five-card draw poker, it is played online in both land-based casinos – on computerized consoles akin to slot machines. With a clear win condition of collecting a hand of tens or a better combination, Tens or Better is extremely popular with online casinos and new players.
Speaking of the latter, on our website, you can find a collection of top-notch Tens or Better video poker casinos and tips on maximizing your winning potential in this type of poker, paytables, and lots of other helpful info. Not only have our gambling experts researched the market to unite the best video poker casinos in one place, but they have also verified the strategies given in this guide themselves.
Last but not least, remember that you don’t have to play for real money at once – instead, you can choose any type of poker you’re willing to learn and play it for free for as long as you want. Just click on the ‘Free Play’ button on the game you like and enjoy it with no strings attached!
Top Casinos Offering Tens or Better Video Poker in 2024
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Everything You Need to Know About Tens or Better
Tens or Better is a simple game, yet there are a few basic things to know:
- RTP & Paytable. Like any electronic game, Tens or Better poker has odds in favor of the casino. At the same time, different casinos may offer different paytables and RPTs for the same game, so it’s only wise to find the casino with the highest RTP and the most generous paytable. As for the RPT, the average value for Tens or Better is about 97.78%, which equals the house edge of 2.22%.
- Strategy. Ideally, you should know how many cards you should hold and draw in every situation. There are ready-made tables for that, or you can stick with your own strategy.
- Wagering requirements. If you play with bonus money, you have to complete the wagering requirements before you can withdraw your winnings. For this, visit the bonus terms & conditions page of your casino.
What Exactly Is Tens or Better?
If you have ever played Jacks or Better video poker, then you don’t even need to dig any deeper to understand Tens or Better: the game is exactly the same except for the win condition is simpler – you have to get a minimum paying hand of a pair of tens rather than a pair of Jacks. And… that’s it! The rest of the rules copy the rules of Jacks or Better to a T. This is all about Tens or Better 10 hand poker compilation.
However, even though the game is super-straightforward, it demands your skills and attention. First of all, you have to find the most profitable paytable – you can do that either on your own or by taking advantage of our Tens or Better casinos collection. Secondly, you have to execute a solid strategy in every particular situation – for this, you can just follow the ready-made action plans (the one awaits you in one of the paragraphs below) or come up with something unique that works for you. Finally, you have to manage your bankroll: in Tens or Better, you can wager with up to five coins, each of which can be of a different value but within the established limit.
How to Play Tens or Better
- Choose the casino and the game. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we want to emphasize the importance of choosing a reliable casino and the most generous paytable you can find, as these will determine your winning potential.
- Start the game and place a bet. You can wager up to 5 coins per game and choose the value of each coin within the established limits. The minimum and maximum bet limits may depend on your status: VIP players and high-rollers may get extended betting limits.
- Select which cards to hold and which to discard from the 5-card hand you get. At this most important stage of the game, you have to act according to your strategy. You can even keep all your cards or change them all if you think that will lead you to a pair of tens or a better combination.
- Contemplate your final hand and get paid if you’ve won. The game allows only one change of cards, and after that is done, you have your final hand. According to the paytable, any hand with a pair of tens or better will bring you money.
- Double up if you feel lucky. Last but not least, you can try to double down your winnings after each Tens or Better poker round. You’ll be handed five face-down cards with the leftmost one revealed and offered to choose one of the remaining four cards with a higher value. If you succeed, you’ll get your money doubled; otherwise, your winnings for the round will be forfeited.
Tens or Better Video Poker Play Rules: Combinations and Paytable
As you know, in any poker game, the hierarchy of cards takes place. In Tens Or Better poker, it all starts from a pair of tens and goes up to Royal Flush the way it goes up in all popular poker games:
- Tens or Better (1:1) – a pair of tens or a better pair, which is the minimum hand to qualify for a payout of 1:1.
- Two Pair (2:1) – a hand that includes two pairs of cards (for example, a pair of deuces and a pair of Queens) and a fifth random card.
- Three of a Kind (3:1) – a hand made up of three identical cards and two random cards.
- Straight (4:1) – a hand of five cards arranged in a successive sequence from the lower to the highest (for example, 2-3-4-5-6, 7-8-9-10-J, etc.).
- Flush (5:1) – a hand of any five cards of the same suit.
- Full House (6:1) – a Pair and a Three of a Kind combined in one hand (for example, 3-3-J-J-J).
- Four of a Kind (25:1) – a hand of four cards of the same value and a random card.
- Straight Flush (50:1) – a Straight formed with the cards of the same suit.
- Royal Flush (250:1) – a Straight Flush from 10 to Ace. There are four possible combinations of Royal Flush.
Note that the specified payout rate may be different depending on the casino.
Tens or Better Video Poker Strategy
As you already know, your winning odds largely depend on the quality of your decision-making. The good news is, though, that there are some tailor-made tables for new players willing to step up their game. Here’s what you should do to maximize your chances:
- Do not change any cards if you’ve got Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, and Straight.
- Change one card if you’ve got four cards of a Royal Flush/Straight Flush/Flush/Straight or Two Pair.
- Change two cards if you’ve got Three of a Kind or three cards of a Royal Flush/Straight Flush.
- Change three cards if you’ve got High Pair, Low Pair, two cards of a Royal Flush, or Two High Cards.
- Change four cards if you’ve got One High Card.
- Change all five cards if you’ve got all low cards with no connection.
Note that the sequence of actions above is just a generalization, and therefore it may not always work better than even a random shuffling of cards. On the other hand, the more games you play, the greater the influence of science, so it’s only wise to back up your actions with numbers.
Tens or Better Poker FAQ
What is the Main Goal in Tens or Better?
The main goal in Tens or Better is to collect a combination of a pair of tens – the minimum win condition – or any better combo. The winning combinations are Tens or Better, Two Pair, Three of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, Four of a Kind, Straight Flush, and Royal Flush, each of which with different odds and payouts.
Speaking of the odds and payouts, these are the two main factors to consider when selecting the casino and the version of the game. Since different casinos may offer different payouts for the same winning combinations, it only makes sense to choose the platform with the biggest payouts.
What is the Best Strategy for Tens or Better?
Since Tens or Better is an electronic game played against the machine, there’s no way to get an advantage over the casino in the long run. A typical house edge in Tens or Better is 2.22%, which leaves you with a winning chance of 97.78%. That said, there is a standard scientifically proven set of actions that you should take depending on the hand of cards you get:
- Royal Flush/Straight Flush/Four of a Kind/Full House/Flush/Straight – do not change cards.
- Royal Flush/Straight Flush/Flush/Straight/Two Pair – change one card.
- Three of a Kind/3 cards to Royal Flush/Straight Flush – change two cards.
- High Pair/Low Pair/Two High Cards/two cards to Royal Flush – change three cards.
- One High Card – change four cards.
- Five Low cards with no potential of forming a winning combo – change all five cards.
What are the Odds in Tens or Better?
Here are the odds for different combinations of cards you can get in Tens or Better Poker:
- No winning combo – 50.5%.
- Tens or Better – 25.4%.
- Two Pair – 12.9%.
- Three of a Kind – 7.4%.
- Straight – 1.2%.
- Flush – 1%.
- Full House – 1.1%.
- Four of a Kind – 0.2%.
- Straight Flush – 0.01%.
- Royal Flush – 0.0026%.
You can always play free Tens or Better at your online casino to perfect your style or try out different strategies.
How Old One Should Be to Play Tens or Better?
In most countries (states), you must be 18 or 21 to play poker games. However, in some cases, the minimum age requirement may be different, which is why we would recommend you to check it out on the general terms & conditions page of your casino.