Learning how to win at video poker is something of a game-changer in terms of moving from slot machines to video poker machines because there is a big difference between the two. Video poker has been around in some form or another since the 1970s when personal computers led to games being invented that suited every game-playing purpose of potential customers. But since then, Video Poker has become one of the world’s favorite machines to play at, and in Las Vegas, Video Poker is a huge industry leader. Below, we will talk about a proper video poker strategy that will help you win.
Video Poker stars by you placing a bet of one or more credits and pressing the ‘deal’ button. You’ll then receive five cards and can choose to discard one or more of them for new ones from the deck. You are allowed to discard all five cards if you like. After that draw, your hand is either paid out on or not, based on the paytable. These vary in both difficulty and set-up depending on the game operator and the game variant. The usual paytable will start at a pair of jacks, and go up through flush, straight and full house just as normal poker would do. Check our article on how to play video poker for more details about the gameplay.
Basic Video Poker Strategy
The gravest mistake that you can do in your quest to beat a video poker machine is to attempt playing by just…guessing. You will lose a lot of money on a simple game that gives you a real shot at winning.
Remember, having the right skills and using an optimum video poker strategy will not only give you a higher chance of winning millions, but you will also enjoy the benefits that come with winning, such as comps that are set aside for casino’s best players. Keep in mind that you should also thoroughly practice on your computer before risking real money on a real video poker machine.
Pick the Best Paytable
Unlike slots and other games that don’t really explain the payouts to the players before they start the game, with video poker that’s not the problem. You will notice that almost every game will have the paytable right above the play screen. You can watch it all the time and learn how much a possible payout can be even before it happens.
Every video poker strategy will suggest to try and find the best game that offers the best pay table. Let’s imagine that the casino always takes 3%, it would mean that 97% should go to the player. However, that’s not the case because every poker game or machine has it’s own paytable. For instance,
you increase your chances of beating a video Poker machine if you choose a game with a paytable that offers a 99.54 percent return rather than a video Poker with a paytable that provides a 97.29 percent return.
Always Play the Max
This is an important part of every video poker strategy; however, not everyone has the means to follow it. Still, betting at the max bet drastically increases your chances of winning on the long run. On top of that, many video poker games offer bonuses and even progressive jackpots for playing on the max bet.
Advanced Video Poker Strategy
There are two more things that you have to watch out for before playing video poker. These are advanced tips that many players tend to avoid even though they can change their game completely.
Slow Down
Video poker tends to be a game with a very fast gameplay. A great video poker strategy will always tell you to slow down. Game developers love a player who will come in and lose his whole bankroll within minutes. If you play it as slow as possible, even if you have a bad day, you reduce the long term losses.
Join a Player’s Club
More often than not, the player’s clubs are created and designed to get you and other players to play more and longer to get comps. While this may seem like a negative, it shouldn’t be your ground of not joining them. The Player’s clubs are your best chance to earn special bonuses that casinos give only to their most valuable players.
This works to your advantage in the sense that it helps you reduce the house edge in the long run. I strongly recommend you to browse through the best casinos online and choose the one that has the best advantages when it comes to long-term video Poker playing
Video Poker Strategy – Things to Avoid
The Kicker. When you play Jacks or Better video poker, you should always avoid the widespread blunder of retaining a kicker. Many players mistakenly think that keeping a kicker gives them a higher chance to win with a higher payout.
The Straight/Flush. You should also never attempt to keep three cards in your quest of chasing a straight or a flush. Keeping three cards with the hope to grab a straight or a flush only leaves you in a losing position.
The only time that you can keep all the three cards is when you can pull off the highly valuable straight flush in your attempt at going after a big payout. Keep in mind this basic strategy on how to beat video poker machines: never give up a winning hand in an attempt at getting an even bigger hand.
How to Beat the Jacks or Better Video Poker?
Each video poker game has its own strategies. For instance, the strategy that will help you win on Jacks or Better is different from that which will help you succeed on Deuces Wild. And because learning all the strategies on the book might be tiresome if not impossible, let’s look at how to beat video poker Jacks or Better.
Even though Jacks or Better offers one of the lowest returns, especially when compared to games such as Deuces Wild, Double Bonus Poker, and other variations, it remains one of the most enthralling and rewarding video pokers games, at least according to the majority of video poker players. Therefore, here are some crucial tips that will possibly help you win big and beat the video Poker machine while playing Jacks or Better.
