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Video Poker Strategy: How to Tip The Odds in Your Favor

In video poker games, you are not just relying purely on luck. You can improve your odds of winning if you apply the correct video poker strategy. From studying the game’s pay-table to choosing which cards to draw and discard, this video poker strategy article will provide you with a good insight into the specific video poker game on offer in popular online casinos.

Video poker games got introduced in the casinos in the 1970s, and over time they became one of the most widespread gambling games you can find. One of the main reasons for the high popularity of video poker machines is that they offer some of the highest percentages of winning. Your skills can make a significant difference in this online gambling game, and you do influence the game’s outcome.

We will try answering the general question that many online gamblers ask: how can you beat video poker machines?

Learning the Video Poker Rules

Video poker games have relatively simple rules that are easy to follow. All variants follow the same basic concept of the five-card draw poker.

Video poker uses a 52-card deck. After making your wager, you need to press the “Deal” button, and the machine will give you five random cards. Then, you have to decide which cards are worth keeping and which ones you will discard.

To keep cards, tap the pictures on the screen. After that, you press “Draw,” so the machine will provide you with new cards to replace the ones you discarded.

To win in this game and get a good payout, you need to hold a strong poker hand such as a straight, a flush, a full house, or a royal flush. Remember that the winning amount depends on your wager’s value, how strong your poker hand is, and the specific pay-table of the video poker variant you are playing.

Your skills in video poker come into the picture when you have to make an intelligent decision about which of the cards to hold and which ones to throw away. Based on that, video poker players are increasing or lowering their chances for success.

Play Video Poker Games in the Right Online Casinos

Experienced video poker players are playing these games only in good casinos that meet the essential requirements for fair play. The following are some things you need to consider when choosing places to play online video poker machines.

High Payouts

The payout percentage is one of the top factors as this will tell you the average amount that the online casino pays out in a specific video poker game. Always make sure you check the house edge in the game, as video poker machines offer different payout percentages. For example, if the game has a 96% payout percentage, that means on every $100 wagered – $96 is paid out. That is only an overall average, and you should not expect to get 96% on your bets.

Take Advantage of Welcome Bonus Offers

Casino welcome bonuses are desirable because they can turn your minimum deposit into a double amount which you can spend on playing online video poker and perfecting your skills.

However, not all bonuses are made equal. Some are better than others, so a good thing to do is to explore and compare a few different offers. Also, check the terms and conditions of each bonus, as that will help you decide whether it’s worth taking or not.

Also, each deposit bonus comes with specific wagering requirements, which are essential to look into. Some bonuses come with pretty high requirements that not all players can meet. Finding an online casino with realistic wagering requirements is significant if you want a better video poker experience.

Casino Safety Features

Of course, players’ safety should be a top priority before you choose a gambling platform to play any casino game. Make sure the online casino you are interested in playing in has all the latest security upgrades and follows robust security protocols. All video poker machines in the game lobby must be regularly audited for randomness and fairness. Furthermore, quality and the safe online casino must offer secure payment methods, implement robust SSL protocols, and perform frequent security checks.

Video Poker Strategy – How To Win More?

The biggest video poker mistake is playing the game variant by just guessing. That way, you are bound to lose your money, so good preparation and studying the game before is the key to success.

A combination of good skills and an optimal video poker strategy when playing will give you a higher chance of making profits. Besides that, you will also experience and enjoy all the benefits of winning. First, we recommend you play responsibly and practice free play before you choose to invest your hard-earned money in real video poker machines.

Video Poker Tips For Winning

Once you have practiced video poker for free and improved your skills, it’s time for you to put your video poker skills to the test with a real-money play. The following tips should help you win more, so keep them close and refer to them before starting your game sessions.

Practice by playing Free Video Poker Online

Playing free video poker games may not win you real money, but it will provide you with lots of fun and will help you polish your skills. That way, you will learn the game faster and know what to expect when you choose to play for real money.

Use a Cheatsheet for Video Poker

Learning all video poker variants and poker hands can be challenging. It is not practical and may take off some enjoyment from the game. You can make things a lot easier for you if you download a video poker cheat sheet. Online, there are many excellent video poker websites to find valuable charts for free that will point you to how to act in specific situations. When to keep or discard the cards, and how to proceed. Many of today’s best video poker players have started following cheatsheets before becoming great players.

Learn Which Cards are Worth Keeping/Discarding

Learning which cards to hold on to is essential to know when playing any video poker variant. Once you receive your initial cards, you need to act quickly. You have to decide which cards to keep and which to replace with new cards coming from the random number generator. The result of that will make you a winner or loser in the game. That is why all dedicated players study the options and remember them for future reference.

Master a Specific Video Poker Variant

Learning strategies for lots of game variants is a daunting task. That is why many players focus on learning the perfect strategy on one full pay machine they play the most. This video poker strategy can help you with any casino game, not just video poker. That way, you can also maximize the odds of winning. As you play more and more video poker games, you will no longer rely as much on cheatsheets. You will start to notice better situations, handle specific strategies better, and enjoy playing more.

Consider Playing Multi-Hand Video Poker Game

Single-hand and multi-hand video pokers have the entirely same gameplay and pay-tables. The difference is – the variance is higher in multi-hand games because there are more wagers and combinations to make. However, that can go in your favour. If you get an excellent first hand, you can win some reasonable amounts of cash.

Choose Games with Highest Paytables

Always inspect the pay tables of different games, so find a machine with a higher RTP percentage depending on your bankroll. Today, some of the most attractive and popular video poker casino games include Deuces Wild, Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker, and Double Bonus.

Video Poker Games to Play

Deuces Wild and Jokers Wild

As the name of the games suggests – Deuces and Jokers in this variant make all deuces and jokers in the deck wild cards. You can substitute any of those wild cards with any card in the deck to help you create a winning hand. The rules of Deuces Wild and Jokers Wild slightly differ from the original video poker in the following ways:

• Hand rankings are identical to those in standard table poker
• Players can discard as many cards as they wish
• Payout levels are lower in both of these variants, so its easy to create a winning hand
• These online variants give players a chance to double their money won through bonus games.

Jacks or Better

Jacks or Better is a variant of video poker that you will find in almost all online casinos. It has a bit different rules from the above two variants in the way that, to win in the game, you need to hold at least two jacks in your hand. Here are a few other guidelines to follow when playing video poker online:

• There are a total of 9 winning poker hands in this variant, and you must hold at least one pair of Jacks to win. Pairs lower than jacks, as well as five-of-a-kind hands, do not receive a payout.
• Players only receive a payout for their top value hand.
• A pre-determined pay table points to the amount that players receive for specific winning hands. The royal flush is the unbeatable best hand, paying out 250x. The straight flush comes next.

Bonus Poker, Double Bonus Poker, and Double Double Bonus Poker

These three distinct game variations have almost similar rules to Jacks or Better. You will also find them in many reputable online casinos, and the following are some things you need to know:

• Hands have various bonus payouts
• Players can easily make more winning hands
• The payout percentages in all of these video poker variants are lower
• The pay-tables have much higher payouts for premium poker hands.

Where to Play Video Poker Games

The following are some quality online casinos where you can sharpen your poker skills and try some of the popular video poker variants:

• Rizk Casino
• Crazy Fox Casino
• Wheelz Casino
• Spin Samurai
• BetItAll Casino
• PlayOjo
• Vulkan Vegas
• GGBet
• Da Vinci’s Casino
• CasinoJefe
• Mr.Bet
• Olympus Play Casino

Strategy for Video Poker Games

Deuces Wild

1. The best hand in this particular video poker machine is four deuces.
2. If your initial hand contains three deuces, hold the hand to improve it to possible royal flush or five-of-a-kind.
3. If you do not hold deuces, keep those hands that payout.
4. Hold to your cards if you have three cards leading to a royal flush.
5. If you do not own anything of the mentioned, but you do have any pair – hold that pair.

Joker Poker/Jokers Wild

1. Always play with the max bet.
2. Hold to all four cards if you receive three cards that give a high payout plus one joker.
3. Hold them all if you get four cards that lead to a higher payout.
4. If you are holding three-of-a-kind, keep them and don’t break the hand.
5. If you get more than three-of-a-kind, always hold on to those cards.

Tens or Better

1. Always use the max bet option.
2. Study the pay tables and learn which hands pay the highest.
3. Hold on to any pair, even if it pays the lowest.
4. If you receive a hand that pays, keep it unless you can improve to a straight flush.
5. If you have nothing of value in your starting hand, do not hesitate to discard all five cards.

Jacks od Better

1. Hold and draw three cards if you get a value pair.
2. If you receive three cards leading to a straight flush, keep them.
3. If you receive three cards leading to a royal flush, keep them.
4. Hold all four if you have four cards leading to a straight, flush, or straight flush.
5. If you do not have non of the mentioned, keep the jacks or cards with a value above a jack.

Double Bonus Video Poker

1. If you get just one high card, keep it.
2. When holding a pair, keep it even if it pays low.
3. If there are no pairs or high cards in your starting hand, discard all cards.
4. Keep any three cards leading to a flush.
5. Keep any four cards leading to a flush.

Aces and Faces

1. Always use the max bet option.
2. If you receive a pair, keep both cards regardless of their value.
3. Hold four cards leading to a flush.
4. If you are close to making a royal flush, discard other cards you need to and chase that royal or straight flush.
5. Always hold on to your winning hand unless you are close to getting a straight flush or royal flush.

Conclusion – Follow Basic Strategy when Playing Video Poker Games

There are plenty of casino games to entertain yourself in online casinos. Progressive jackpot slots and other online slots are always attractive to play. However, playing Jacks or Better or other video poker games will give you the ultimate thrill because such games require a certain level of skill.

This guide provided good info about video poker variants and playing specific video poker hands. Now it’s up to you to start practicing and become better over time. You can make decent profits if you play video poker games wisely, so consider the information here and start playing online video poker.

All video poker games come with several features and options, making them an excellent alternative to traditional casino games and slot machines. Practice for free before you become a better video poker player, and then put your skills to good use and start winning these exciting casino games.

Video Poker Strategy FAQs