Top Video Poker Tips and Tricks

Choose the Right Pay Tables

Many players compare the regular slot machine with a video slot. However, there is one large underlying difference. When you're playing a slot machine, there's no way of knowing how much you can expect to lose with each passing hour of play. That's a direct result of not knowing the house edge. In other words, you don't have enough information to calculate the odds.

However, with video poker, the odds are clear, simply because the game is based on a deck of 52 playing cards. Because you already know the odds of receiving a certain card are 1 in 52, then calculating the theoretical probabilities of any particular outcome is easy.

At this point, all you need to do is look at the payouts for those hands. By combining this information, you will see the overall expected return. Depending on which variation of video poker you choose to play, the differences can be huge.

If you're playing Jacks or Better, the best pay table is called the 9/6 pay table. It's so named because a full house pays out at 9 to 1 and a flush pays out 6 to 1. Providing you play with perfect strategy, the house edge is limited to 0.46%. Unfortunately, this is a relatively rare pay table. The most common one will be an 8/5. Following on from the above formula, a full house will pay out at 8 to 1 and a flush at 5 to 1. In this latter version of the game, the house edge is 2.8%.

To illustrate the differences in these two pay tables, imagine you are playing a 9/6 game at $5 a hand. As such, you'll be losing $15 an hour. However, if you're playing as an 8/5 table, then your hourly losses would go up $84. That's a staggering 6 times as much money for playing an almost identical game. As you can see, the pay table you choose matters.

Join the Player’s Slots Club

With virtually all betting strategies, the purpose is to try to bring down the house edge, thereby giving you a better chance of winning. The house edge in video poker is extremely low. You can push this down further by between 0.3% or 0.4% simply by joining the player’s slots club. In fact, it's possible to turn this negative expectation game into a positive one.

Once you enter a casino, head over to the appropriate desk. If you're playing online, then look for the VIP and Loyalty Programs. In a land based casino, once you've given your details, you’ll receive a plastic card which looks like a credit card. Every video slot will have a card reader and you should insert the card before you start playing.

The casino will check exactly how much money are playing with. Depending on how much you’re spending, it’s possible to receive back rebates and other free stuff. You may hear some players claim that these rewards are paid out of your losses. However, this isn't actually true. In reality, the casino has a long-term edge. They're counting on the law of large numbers. When you're a member of the player’s club, you'll still receive comps and rebates even if you win.

Practise, Practise, Practise

Before you dive in head first, we suggest that you get a feel for the game. Each variation of video poker will have its own set of rules. Only by understanding the basics of the gameplay, will you avoid any costly mistakes.

It is very easy to practise video poker for free, you can do it right here at Regent Play. This is a great way to enjoy unlimited gameplay, but without the necessity of spending a single penny. As such, free play offers an ideal opportunity for you to practise strategies as well as increase your understanding of video poker odds. Only once you're feeling confident of your abilities should you start playing with real money from your bankroll.

Learn this Quick Strategy for Jacks or Better

The most common variation of poker you'll find is Jack's or Better. In fact, it forms the basis for virtually all video poker games. Once you understand the foundations of this game, you'll have a great platform from which you can branch out to other versions of this game. The strategy below will keep the house edge at under 1%.

• Always hold a Royal Flush, Full House, Straight Flush, 3 of a Kind, 4 of a Kind, or 2 Pair
• You’ll want to discard 2 cards if you have 3 of a kind. After all, you need to improve to a full house or a 4 of a kind. Whatever you do, never keep a kicker.
• With 2 pairs, in order to try to improve your hand to a full house, always discard the 5th card in your hand
• Straight draws: There are two types of straight draws; the outside straight draw and the inside straight draw. With a former, the draw can be completed with a high or low card. But the inside straight draw requires a card in the middle. Keep in mind that 8 cards will completely fill the outside straight draw. But the inside straight draw can only be filled with 4 cards.

In reality, most strategies will involve drawing a straight or a flush when the opportunity presents itself. It might be a good idea to learn Jacks or Better strategy in greater depth, but the quick strategy we've laid out above should be enough to get you started. Keep in mind that with this strategy, you're going to be playing a very low house edge game.

The table below shows the most basic video poker strategy to get you started.

Study the Strategies for Other Variants

You may wish to try different forms of video poker. If you're enough of an expert to play multiple games, with multiple strategies, then you'll be able to utilise the best odds. The most common video poker games variants are:

• Jacks or Better
• Bonus Poker
• Pick’em Poker
• Deuces Wild
• Joker Poker

If for example, if you compare Deuces Wild with Jacks or Better, than the major difference is that you'll need to account for the wild cards. Having said that, the number one strategy of Deuces Wild is that you would never discard the deuce.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, implementing the tips and tricks mentioned above is not going to turn you into an expert player overnight. However, it can put you on the path to becoming a competent one.

One of the reasons why video poker is so popular is that, whereas most slot machines have a house edge of at least 5%, you can easily find video poker games boasting one of less than 2%. In fact, it's perfectly feasible to find a video poker game with a house edge of less than 1%. Considering the difference between these percentages, we can see that at you'll be losing $15 an hour, $5 an hour, or $3 an hour respectively. That’s quite a difference!

Whatever you do, don't take these numbers as gospel. After all, they represent long-term mathematical expectations. This means that in the short run, the results may vary wildly. You may see losses that seem incredibly high. More often than not, this is due to the Royal Flush, as it enjoys a payout of 800 to 1.

Finally, remember that video poker is all about having a great time. At the end of the day, it's really a game of chance. Though the above strategies may help you to gain an advantage, we suggest that you enjoy the gameplay and see what happens.

Video Poker Playing Tips

• Have a budget and stick to it religiously.
• Know and understand the rules of the video poker variants you're playing.
• Learn some video poker strategy and the workings of the odds chart.