Video Poker Strategy – How to win at Video Poker Games?
The video poker strategy is your ultimate guide to learning the ropes when it comes to choosing the right game and winning at a video poker game. In this strategy guide, you will learn how to win at a video poker game using the video poker strategy. You will learn how to play smart, play slowly, choose the best games, avoid stupid mistakes, and reduce house edge.
Why is Video Poker a Special Game?
Video poker first made its grand entrance into the world of casino sometimes in the 1970s. Since inception, the game has wax stronger with numerous players preferring it to other casino games. No doubt, this game has become of the most famous gambling games of all times.
The reason for this is not so farfetched. It is simply because video poker game is one of the very few casino games that offer the biggest odds in the casino gambling world. Not only that, it is also one of the few casino games that offer you the opportunity to use your skills to influence the outcome of your game. In other words, over and beyond luck, your level of skills in the game has a lot to do with the outcome of the game. In addition to this, it is also very popular due to the fact that it does not only favours the player by giving him a great chance to win big in jackpots but it also favours the casino platforms offering the game because it brings profits to them.
Another reason why video poker is very popular is because it offers you the highest level of anonymity that you so much wanted in the sense that you can take on the game alone without bothering about the psychological pressure that comes with live poker game. This means with a video poker game, there is no need to deal with dealers, pit bosses, or other players who can make you nervous and the game very annoying with their comments and game dissecting. Although there are numerous benefits that come with playing video poker games but the game can be very dicey especially when it comes to the issue of the strategy to employ during the gaming activity.
A common saying in the world of casino gaming is that the house is always at an advantage. This might be the case with many casino games but there is an exception to the rule when it comes to video poker. If you have the right strategy, skills, knowledge and a stroke of luck, you can easily win at a video poker game. It does not matter whether you are playing Deuces Wild, Jack or Better, or any video poker variation for that matter, you can still have an edge in the game if you have the right strategy. It is interesting; isn’t it? Let us go straight into exploring the various strategies that will help you develop the skills you need to make a big win at a video poker game.
First Strategy: Learn the Rules
Well, before you go ahead to start playing video poker games, it is important to understand the strategy. The first step is to learn the rules that apply to playing the game. Interestingly, playing the game is quite simple. Although there are many variations of the game, there is something they all have in common; all video poker games are based on basic technicalities of Five Card Draw Poker. Video poker games make use of standard 52 card deck. When you make your wager and you click on the ‘Deal’ button, the poker machine will arbitrarily give you 5 cards.
At this juncture, you will need to select the specific cards you will keep and the ones you will discard or throw away. To keep cards, click on the pictures of the selected cards on the machine screen. As soon as you have done your selection, the next step is to click on the ‘Draw’ button to enable the machine randomly change the unwanted cards. It is important to note that in this game, your winning is dependent on finishing with a poker hand like straight, two pairs, flush, or a royal flush. It is also essential to bear in mind that your winning per hands is dependent on the value of the poker in your hands as well as the posted pay table on the machine where you are playing your game.
One very important thing you need to know when it comes to winning at video poker game is that you need to make a sound decision on which of the 5 cards you are going to keep and the ones you will throw away. You need to know that the decision you make will have a great bearing on the outcome of the game. In other words, your sound decision right from the beginning of the game will increase your chances of winning a possible jackpot and it can also increase your chances of losing at the game. You therefore need to be careful and think twice before making a decision.
Second Strategy: The Basic Strategy of Video Poker
One of the biggest mistakes that a poker player can make in the quest to win at a video poker game is to play the game through guessing method. When you attempt to do this, you can be sure that you will lose a great deal of money on simple games that should ordinarily give you a big chance of winning.
It is important to remember that using the finest video poker strategy coupled with the right skills will not only increase your chances of winning a big jackpots running into millions, but it will also give you the opportunity to enjoy other advantages that come with winning a game. Before you start playing for real money therefore, it is crucial that you first take time to practice playing video poker at your computer system on a demo version. This will help you minimize the risk of losing a lot of money while playing on a real video poker game machine.
Strategy Three: Select the Right Pay Table
It is practically impossible to compare video poker to any other game, simply because unlike a good number of new slots, video poker is the only game that reveals to you the expected return on your investment on the pay table. In other words, right before you start playing the game, the machine will show you the expected return that you can have at the end of your game. This is very interesting and it is important that you take advantage of the information on each pay table available to you.
You need to carry out your own research so that you can identify the best machine that will offer great pay tables. To aid your research on finding the video poker machine that offers the highest pay table, you need to understand that the expected return of a specific video poker machine is dependent on the exact pay table on the machine. For example, the ideal average profit of casinos is about 3% per play on video poker game.
This ideal average profit is referred to as house edge in casino games. What this means is that if the casino house gets 3%, then the player can expect a return of 97% on his investment. This can vary from pay table to pay table. The implication of this is that you have the potential to earn a profit of up to 97% when you play at a pay table but the actual money you win is dependent on the specific pay table your choose. It is therefore very crucial that you do your research on the various video poker machines as well as their pay table before you decide on the particular one to play at. This will help you make the right decision to play at a pay table with the biggest returns.
- Sample Scenarios:
If you choose a video poker machine with a pay table offering 99.55% return, your chance of beating the video poker machine is highly increased more than if you choose to play at a machine offering 97.25% returns. What this means is that at 99.55% pay table, the house edge is only at 0.45% but at 97.25%, the house edge is at 2.75%. In this scenario, when you decide to go with the 99.55% pay table, you have a better edge over the machine because you can enjoy almost the full pay during your game.
However, if you decide to play at machine with 97.25% pay table, you will lose money up to six times faster than at the other table. Looking at these two scenarios, you will understand that taking time to search for the best machine will go a long way to increase your chances of winning and making more money. It is very critical that you take your time to do your research very well to avoid making the mistake of using a lousy machine or a machine that offers poor pay table.
Strategy Four: How to win at Jacks or Better Video Poker
First, you have to understand that each video poker game is designed with their specific strategy and in most cases, the strategy cannot be interchanged. For example, the strategy that will be helpful for Deuce Wild game is quite different from the one that will help you to win Jacks or Better. There are a lot of different poker games on the table and learning all the different strategies in the book is practically impossible. It is therefore better to learn strategies on specific games.
For the purpose of this section, we will delve into how to win at Jacks or Better video poker game. Although the game of Jacks or Better provides one of the smallest returns in video poker games, especially in comparison to Double Bonus Poker, Deuces Wild, and other variants of video poker games, the game remains the best rewarding and engrossing video poker game. As a matter of fact, it is the favourite of the majority of players of video poker games. Based on this insight, we will explore the video poker strategy that will help you increase your chances of winning big and beating the video poker machine during the game of Jacks or Better.
Jacks or Better Video Poker Strategy
- Play the Max; Always
It is very important to always play maximum coins during a game of Jacks or Better. This is simply because Jacks or Better machines provide the highest payout for royal flush which is the jackpot. By playing at maximum coins, you have a high chance of getting a bonus win in the case that you hit a royal flush.
Although you can bet between 1 to 5 coins per game hand, you will only get a chance at a bonus win on royal flush when you bet with 5 coins per card hand. You can also consider dropping to a lower level of coins if you are not very comfortable with playing the 5-coin bet. If this is the situation, you will not be able to play for jackpot.
- Find the perfect Pay Table
This point has been extensively explained above. It is very important that you find the best and the perfect pay table if you really want to win big at a video poker machine. When it comes to Jacks or Better, you need to know that there are a countless number of pay charts that are available. Even though each of the pay charts provides different house edge based on the chart, it is also important to always think of attempting a 9-6 or more pay chart when it comes to playing the Jacks or Better video poker.
The reason for this is because 9-6 is a relatively fair return that provides full house payment on 9 coins, and flush payment on 6 coins. When you play at a pay chart that provides lower than the 9-6 pay chart, know that you are taking a risky movement and it is a clear indication that you are playing the game with a larger house edge. In this scenario, what you are doing is giving more money to the casino per hand while you are losing money at a faster pace than you can ever imagine.
- Pause and Slow Down
Just like most casino games, it is essential to remember that all video poker machines are made for a single main purpose which is to make profit for the casino. Casino games are not primarily about you; it is about giving a house edge to the casino. What this means is that the more you play at the game, the more you will lose. Stark reality; isn’t it? Well, this is the true reality. This is why it is highly advised that you apply the ‘pause and slow down strategy’ when you are playing Jacks or Better.
Remember, you don’t have to impress anyone and get into trouble with your finances. There is no one chasing you neither is anyone calling the clock on you if you decide to take a moment and think over the cards to keep. As a matter of fact, you can play and pause to take a break at any time in the course of the game, and then come back to the game. You should never rush over a game and never play a game for volume.
Unlike online poker, the video poker game is a gambling gaming activity where the bigger the number of the hands is, the bigger the chances of losing money. It is important to note that in video poker, it is not about playing fewer hands; it is about playing slower hands. By playing slowly, you will reduce the number of losses you make and increase the chance to play for a longer period and also the chances to hit a big royal flush, or at least, make a significant win.
Although this principle is simply based on common sense, a lot of players still ignore it which makes them lose a large amount of money within a short time. It is crucial that you take total control of your game as it relates to hand per hour so that you can increase the chance to extend the playing time and reduce losses while at it.
- Play Progressive Jackpot Video Poker
One major reason why the majority of casino platforms offer progressive jackpots is to provide gamblers an extra opportunity to earn big on relatively small bets. Jack or Better is popularly known for providing some of the biggest progressive jackpots. However, you can only increase your chances of making a big win if you utilize the best of strategies. It is essential to know that the majority of progressive Jacks or Better machines utilize very poor pay tables.
You should therefore be very careful when choosing a table so that you can choose to play progressive jackpot on video poker machine that provides a reasonably great pay table. On the other hand, progressive jackpots are some of the best games that offer gamblers the opportunity to win astoundingly big at a video poker table. Note however that if you choose a video poker game that offers you no opportunity to win, there is no single chance that you will win in the game.
- Be conscious of the Bonuses
There are usually a lot of bonuses, offers, and promotions available in casino games and Jacks or Better video poker is not an exception. You need to keep your eyes open and on the right promotions. By focusing on the right promotions, you will increase your chance of winning at a video poker table. Remember, you are getting free money to enjoy more games and enhance your chances of winning big.
Never ignore bonuses to play a video poker game and never be afraid to use the live chat features offered at a casino platform to get more information about the bonuses and promotions available at the time you are playing. Sometimes, if you are not watchful and don’t ask questions, you might not be privy to the available bonuses available. Some sites are very good at hiding bonuses that it is almost impossible for a regular poker player to find it. If you visit a site and you can’t find a bonus, ask for the bonus and you might be surprised that you will get it.
What to avoid when playing video poker game?
Having a good understanding of the strategy is not enough, you also have to learn about some possible mistakes you can make so that you can avoid them. By avoiding these mistakes, you are able to increase your chances of winning at video poker.
The Flush/Straight: Never try to keep 3 cards in your bid to chase a flush or a straight. Holding on to 3 cards with the expectation to get a flush or a straight will only keep you in a losing situation. You should only keep all the 3 cards when you know that you can pull off the best valuable straight flush while going for the big payout. One important strategy to always keep in mind is to never give up a particular winning hand in an effort to get a bigger hand.
The Kicker: When playing Jack or Better video poker, try to always avoid the common error of holding on to a kicker. Many video poker players erroneously believe that by keeping a kicker, they have a better opportunity to win a bigger payout. This is very far from the truth.
Final Thoughts
Video poker games are some of the best options of games you can enjoy at a casino platform. The game comes with a lot of features and options that make them a great alternative to the traditional slot games as well as give gamblers a great opportunity to win big. Learning the strategy to play the game will definitely increase your chances of winning a big jackpot.