Jackpot – A cash prize paid out when certain conditions are met.
Many poker rooms offer
some type of poker jackpot 😊 to their players. The most common type of poker jackpot is
the bad beat jackpot. A bad beat jackpot is 😊 paid out when a player has a very strong
hand beaten, and certain other conditions are also met. The minimum 😊 hand needed to
trigger a jackpot will vary from casino to casino, but is typically either some type of
aces 😊 full or four of a kind hand, beaten by another four of a kind, or a straight
flush.
In order for 😊 a jackpot to be valid, several conditions must be met. The house
will typically require that both hole cards must 😊 play from both hands, and will also
require that enough players have been dealt in, and the pot is large 😊 enough to trigger
a jackpot drop. In order for a jackpot to paid out, a jackpot collection must have been
😊 taken on the hand. Depending upon the casino that you are playing in, there are likely
to be other conditions 😊 also. For instance, many casinos require that a player hold a
pocket pair if their hand is to be considered 😊 for a valid four of a kind jackpot
hand.
A poker jackpot is called a bad beat jackpot because it is 😊 triggered by a player
taking a very bad beat. When a valid bad beat jackpot is triggered, a percentage is
😊 paid out to the winning hand and a higher percentage is paid out to the losing hand.
Depending upon house 😊 rules, there may also be a payout to the other players at the
table who were dealt in on the 😊 hand. This is commonly referred to as a “table share,”
and it is typically a fraction of the amount paid 😊 out to the winning and losing hands.
Some casinos also make an even smaller payout to each player in the 😊 room who is playing
at the same stakes as the jackpot table. This is commonly referred to as a “room
😊 share.”
As a player, it is your responsibility to know the house rules regarding the
payout of jackpots. If you do 😊 not, you not only run the risk of mucking a jackpot hand,
in some casinos you also run the risk 😊 of counterfeiting the jackpot for everybody at
the table. This is particularly true in poker rooms where the qualifier for 😊 a jackpot
is some type of aces full, beaten by four of a kind or better. The reason that it 😊 is
possible to counterfeit a jackpot when the qualifier is aces full is because the rules
state that only the 😊 best two hands can be considered for the purpose of a jackpot, and
that a third place hand cannot be 😊 considered. Therefore, if there are two hands that
qualify for jackpot, and a third hand which does not qualify beats 😊 either one of these
hands, the jackpot will not be valid and will not be paid. If you hold this 😊 type of
hand and do not throw it away when the opportunity presents itself, you will invalidate
the jackpot for 😊 everybody.
The most frequent way that a jackpot is ruined is that a
player beats the weaker of the two jackpot 😊 hands, but does not play both hole cards, as
the rules for jackpot poker require. Imagine that you are playing 😊 in a poker room where
the requirement for a jackpot to be hit is aces full of jacks beaten by 😊 four of a kind
or better, and there is no requirement that both players use pocket pairs. One player
holds 😊 AK, and another holds JJ. The board reads A-A-A-Q-2. Assuming no other hands are
shown down, this would be a 😊 valid jackpot, because the house rules in this casino do
not require both hands to contain a pocket pair. However, 😊 if a third player calls down
with KQ, they will invalidate this jackpot. This is because they will make aces 😊 full of
queens, which beats the valid jackpot hand of aces full of jacks. Remember, the rules
state that in 😊 order for a jackpot to be valid, both hole cards must play from both
hands, and only the top two 😊 hands may be considered. In this scenario, the aces full of
queens becomes the second hand, but does not qualify, 😊 because both hole cards do not
play. It is your responsibility to ensure that you do not counterfeit a jackpot 😊 by
avoiding dangerous calls that could invalidate it when three aces come on board.
Remember, this scenario only applies in 😊 poker rooms which do not require a pocket pair
be played. If a pocket pair is required, it becomes impossible 😊 to hit a jackpot with
four aces when three of them are on the board. Incidentally, this little rule,
requiring 😊 the pair, will knock out roughly three quarters of eligible jackpots. This
will greatly reduce the number of jackpots hit, 😊 and will greatly increase the amount
typically paid out when one does hit.
Some casinos offer a jackpot to their poker
😊 players, and some do not. In many casinos, the smaller stakes games are eligible, while
the larger stakes games are 😊 not. In games where a jackpot is offered, there is
typically a jackpot collection taken which is separate from the 😊 house rake. The house
keeps this money separate and it is commonly referred to as the “jackpot fund,” or the
😊 “player promotion fund.” The house then uses these funds to fund poker jackpots as well
as other promotions and giveaways. 😊 In most cases, the law requires that the jackpot
fund be returned to the players in its entirety, minus a 😊 small administrative fee for
the house. Other promotions frequently funded by the player promotion fund include
freeroll tournaments, and the 😊 Monte Carlo Board.
Usage: Hit A Jackpot, Got The Bad Beat
Jackpot
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