Don’t be fooled by the minimum R5 bet size. It feels like a tap on the screen when you’re bored outside the chemist. Then you get dealt two tens, throw them away, and learn the first lesson of Tens or Better: even small bets require a solid understanding of the game.
The Tens or Better game made by Club 888 sounds like the friendliest type of video poker with smaller wins and higher payouts that land often, so you might think that this is the type of game you can play while relaxing after work. The trap sits in the rule itself.
What changes?
In Jacks or Better, a pair of tens doesn’t mean much, but in Tens or Better, that same pair of tens already wins. So if you ditch them because they feel low, then you’re just wasting a good chance to get a payout, that’s the key to this game.
It helps to just know that switching from one video poker game to another changes the right strategy. In Tens or Better, a pair of tens already pays, so the threshold is lower than in Jacks or Better. If you want to play online with Casinol in SA, check the game page before betting. The name tells you the rule that matters most.
Why it matters
Because the mistake is quiet. Nobody warns you. There is no big red sign showing that you’re wasting your money. You keep drawing, keep missing those small payouts, and then start blaming the game for being rigged or something.
The smartest way to approach your first couple of hands would be to use them as learning time. Casinol seems to aim it at players who want a more laid-back and consistent experience. This is only possible if you know the rules, in Tens or Better, a pair of tens is not a bad hand. It is the bare minimum. Miss that and you’re going to start losing money even in a short session. That one detail changes the whole pace of the session.