Video Poker

Quick Overview

Video Poker focuses a bit more on the graphic aspect than on the actual Poker. Although the player needs to know the poker hand rankings for a regular five-card draw, the strategy needed to play the game differs greatly from that used to play Poker, and it resembles a slot machine more than anything. One of Video Poker's biggest appeals is the relatively low house edge. The reason why a casino can offer such a low, and sometimes even unfavorable, house edge is because most players don't use the ideal strategy.

Strategy

There are multiple variations of Video Poker and each has its own slightly distinct strategy. One important thing to realize is that Video Poker can be played for a long time before a significant payout is achieved. For Jacks or Better the perfect strategy is quite simple. Follow the chart below from top to down and when you find your hand just keep the specified cards.

• Royal Flush, straight flush, or four of a kind
• Four cards to a royal flush
• Full house, flush, straight, three of a kind
• Open ended straight flush draw
• Two pair
• High pair (jacks or better)
• Three cards to a royal flush
• Four cards to a flush
• K-Q-J-T
• Low pair (Ts or below)
• J-T-9-8 or Q-J-T-9
• J-T-9s or Q-J-9s
• Open ended straight draw
• A-Q-Js
• Three to a flush draw (open ended)
• Q-T-9s, J-T-8s, J-9-8s, K-Q-9s, K-J-9s
• Q-Js
• A-K-Q-J
• K-Qs, K-Js, A-Ks, A-Qs, A-Js
• Four to a straight (one gapper) with three high cards
• Three to a straight flush with two gaps and one high card
• Three to a straight flush with one gap and no high cards
• K-Q-J
li>Q-J
• J-T
• K-Q, K-J
• Q-Ts
• A-K, A-Q, A-J
• K-Ts
• One high card
• Three to a straight flush with two gaps and no high cards
• Discard all five cards.

Low House Edge

Video Poker is one of the games with the lowest house edge. Although the correct strategy for Video Pokeri s complex and difficult to learn, those who master it are able to reduce house advantage to nearly zero. The player can choose the machine of his preference and, depending on the machine, the house edge varies between 0.75% to 2.5%. The problem is that most players don't familiarize themselves enough with the ideal strategy for the game or just aren't able to emply it due to its complexity. Casinos bank on the fact that a majority of players don't know the perfect strategy and are therefore able to provide such a low house edge.

Words of Warning

Even with the perfect strategy, it is extremely rare to hit a huge payout or even more so, to crack the progressive jackpot. Most people do not play according to the ideal strategy, which is why the jackpots tend to grow quickly. Video Poker is thus not the best game in terms of profit, but following our strategy guide, you can at least make sure you will not lose much. It is a fun game with the ever-present chance of getting lucky and hitting an enormous payout.