Jacks or Better Saloon is so unique to its class that it may well be better called Jacks are Better. Where Jacks or Better could succeed as a run of the mill Video Poker game, it really shines as an idea: well thought out, developed, and delivered. To say that Jacks or Better Saloon is not a standard game of video poker is truly an understatement. What is the idea that Jacks or Better Saloon executes so well? The idea that online casinos don't have to be tired, overdone, games without style or environment. The game plays on a theme familiar to anyone playing cards: aficionado or amateur--the Wild West. The game control buttons are embed into a sheriff's star. The cards are displayed as labels on bottles of alcohol. The corks of the bottles of held cards pop out with a realistic squeak. The player is notified of their holdings through the well placed shot of a revolver.

Nothing about the theme gets in the way of comfortable game play. The badge at the bottom shows contextualized buttons that allow players to control their bet by changing the bet value, while a button embed into the bar allows them to change their chip value. For ease of use and access, the bottom of the badge holds the easy click 'max bet', making it easy for a player to put in for the highest possible win. The center of the badge deals the cards. When the button is clicked, the bottles are turned around to show the cards, and winning cards are automatically held. The player can choose other cards to hold and then re-deal the remaining cards.

If the payer wins, the badge changes, giving them the option to double their earnings or collect. The option to double is enticing, and the double game so addicting that it is sure to attract the attention of the player. This mini-game gives the player the option to choose either the suit or the color of a single possible card. While this may seem standard, it is the way that the card is revealed that is truly unique, and worth multiple tries. The player then takes aim at a Cowboy hat by pointing a revolver, at which point they will take a breath and fire, revealing the card. After the mini-game, the player is taken back to the bar with the bottles and the cards.

It is worth mentioning the way that the sounds of Jacks or Better Saloon adds to the unique atmosphere. Throughout the game, old fashioned saloon music plays in the background, speeding up during the bonus game to mirror rising tensions. The whiskey bottles slosh when turned, the corks squeak when removed, and of course, the revolver sounds much the way it should. The music is just another example of the well developed theme of Jacks or Better Saloon, a game in which it must be said that Playborne has truly outdone itself, and a beautifully game that is sure to attract video poker players in any online casino that features it.