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Step 1
Bet only when you have Jacks or better. That's the name of the game, but sometimes people see 4 cards to a flush and get too excited. If another member of the table opens, remember that he has at least a pair of Jacks or higher. Think twice before entering the game with a weak hand. If you're allowed to draw 4 or 5 cards and feel you must, fold instead.
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Step 2
Remember that in most Jacks or Better Five Card Draw games, each time someone can't open, the pot gets bigger since the ante for the next hand goes into it. You may play several hands before anyone can open. If you're down to just enough for one more pot and someone opens, it may be worth the risk to play. Judge your cards to see if you have any possibilities.
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Step 3
Watch how the other players are betting. If someone opens, then you know that she has Jacks or better. See if she's raising aggressively before you enter the game.
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Step 4
Throw away only 2 cards if you opened. If you keep 3, it's a signal to other players that you have 3 of a kind. Learn other poker strategies that bluff the other players into dropping, giving you the automatic win.
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Step 5
Judge the size of the pot. A weak pair might be worth staying if there has been no opener for many rounds. Judge how much of your money is in the pot. If you have a pair of 2s and someone opens, others raise and it's the first round with no previous games, then the pot is too small for you to risk it on your small pair.
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Step 6
Watch your tell, which is something in your body language or voice that indicates you are lying, have a good hand or have a poor hand. Of course, the most important part of poker is not letting the other person know what you have. Bet small at first, especially if you have a great hand. It pulls the others into the game and leads them to believe that they can beat you.
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Step 7
Track the other players' game and their body language. After a few hands of playing, you should be able to see a tell.
