Video poker is an enjoyable casino game with a low house edge and the chance to win a progressive jackpot, but if you do not know how to play correctly you could risk losing big sums of money.
Not unlike slots, where odds can often remain a mystery, video poker machines can be defeated through skill and knowledge alone. Learn to play and use a strategy chart to maximize your odds of winning!
Basic rules
No one-size-fits-all strategy exists for video poker, but there are certain steps you can take to increase your odds of success. First and foremost, learn the basic rules of the game and its components before beginning to speculate; guesswork costs money over time!
Once your bet has been placed, the machine dispenses five cards that you may choose from to keep by pressing buttons on the console. Any others that you do not select for keeping are discarded and replaced randomly; should a winning hand emerge, this payout table indicates how much the machine should pay out; for Jacks or Better games this minimum winning combination would include two Jacks (or three Deuces Wild equivalents of this sort).
Avoid making common errors such as keeping a kicker, which could prove costly in the long run. Also avoid trying to chase straights or flushes as this will only end in financial disaster.
Variations
Video poker machines are built to make a profit for casinos by keeping back a portion of each bet placed, and paying winning hands according to their pay tables.
Play video poker correctly and the house edge will be very minimal; however, different casinos may offer different pay tables that alter your chances of getting a good hand.
An essential aspect of video poker is betting with maximum coins per hand; doing so will reduce house edge while increasing chances of a big win.
Players should understand that each video poker game possesses its own specific strategy for beating the machine, in addition to knowing and understanding its rules and hand rankings. Furthermore, it is vitally important that they check pay tables and payouts regularly.
Payouts
Video poker allows you to form winning poker hands by selecting five cards and creating two pairs, straights, flushs or royal flushs from them. The machine then pays out an amount based on your hand; the higher your hand ranks on its paytable means bigger your payout will be.
Before playing for real money, it’s essential to learn the game and develop your strategy. Practice online using fake money first to familiarise yourself with its rules and hand rankings; use a video poker strategy chart as a resource when determining what cards to keep and discard.
Avoid machines with unfavorable pay tables as these will bring lower returns on your investment. Instead, look for games offering full payouts of at least 99% and ensure maximum coins per hand are played – this increases payouts for royal flushes and increases your odds of hitting top prizes!
Strategies
Use of an effective strategy can increase your winning chances on video poker machines, with most strategies focused on Jacks or Better designed to maximize payouts and risk more money – seemingly counterintuitive when dealing with numbers and odds, yet this approach can significantly increase the possibility of making significant amounts of cash!
Start off right by searching out machines that pay out at least four coins for a full house and two for a flush, to maximize profitability for you and reduce bankroll depletion. Furthermore, avoid making common errors such as keeping more than three cards (known as kickers). Retaining one kicker could cost hundreds of dollars and should always be avoided!