Updated on: February 9th, 2021
Video poker is one of the casino games that are simple to play. It also has a low house edge meaning that playing this game will be worthwhile. However, when you don’t know how to play video poker using the best video poker strategy, then it could be difficult to reap the benefits of the low house edge.Fortunately, for US players we have put together this how to play video poker guide to help with learning how to play this casino game. You can be able to use the information in this guide to learn to play video poker online or even at your local casino. That is because the gameplay is not different. We not only give a step by step how to play video poker games, but we also share with you the best video poker game to play, strategies for playing video poker and tips for playing video poker for real money or fun.
If you are interested in how to win playing video poker for real money, you will want to know how to beat video poker machines. Our guide will help you with that and we have listed the best video poker casinos for you to play for real money.
Top US Casinos to Play Video Poker for Real Money
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The General Principles of Video Poker Play
There are tons of different types of video poker out there, and mathematically correct strategies have been proven using computer analysis for many of them. However, not everyone has the time to sit around and memorize charts when they want to play video poker. Some people just enjoy playing and want to maximize their chances of having a good session while minimizing their chances of having to go through hours and hours of boring practice runs. By playing according to certain principles, you can boost your chances of winning without having to bore yourself to death with time spent studying.
The first principle that you have to understand is that you aren’t always trying to make the big hand. Instead, you’re trying to choose the discard combination that will maximize the amount of money you make on average. For example, suppose you are dealt ace-king-jack-seven-five in Jacks or Better video poker with no chances for a flush draw.
A lot of people would default to drawing to the ace and the king while discarding the jack, seven and five. However, the correct strategy is to keep the king and the jack while getting rid of the other three cards. While it seems anti-intuitive to ditch the ace, remember that a pair of aces is no better than a pair of jacks when it comes to the payout table. On top of that, a combo of king-jack makes more possible straights than the ace-king combination, so you make more money that way.
Another principle is that you don’t keep high kickers with low pairs in most games. If you were playing five-card draw poker against other people, it might be a good idea to keep an ace kicker with your pair of fours. However, when you’re playing against the house with a standard paytable, keeping that ace actually hurts your profitability. The key here is that any two pair will get you the same payout, so it doesn’t matter what your third card is.
Finally, you need to remember to always bet the maximum on each hand. If you aren’t comfortable betting that much, find a game with smaller coin values. The reason it’s so important to bet the most you can is that the royal flush payout is much higher. While you won’t hit the royal flush payout all that often, it’s important to get the maximum payout possible the few times you do.
How to Play Video Poker Like A Pro
Playing video poker requires skill and a good video poker strategy to come out as a winner. It does not matter which variation of the game you are playing. Slot machine players can consider trying video poker because with this game there are more chances that you can hit the big jackpot. Follow our guide below to find out how to win playing video poker.
1. Rules on How to Play Video Poker Machines
When you play video poker the first step is knowing and understanding the rules of video poker play. The game aims to end up with a winning poker hand.
Even though there are different variations of video poker, they all work on the basis of a five-card draw poker. A 52-card deck is used to play video poker. Before the game starts, you have to place a wager and then press the deal button to start the game. Five randomly selected cards will be revealed on the screen. You then have to choose which cards you want to keep and which ones to discard. To choose the cards you want to keep, click on them.
You then hit the draw button, and the cards you want to discard will be replaced. Your hand will win if you have a straight, royal flush and others. We cover the hands below. How much your hand will payout is dependent on the paytable of the type of video poker game you are playing which we explain further below.
2. Choose the Best Video Poker to Play
As we have mentioned above, choose to play a video poker game that has a good paytable because then you get good returns. Hence, this step should be considered as very important because choosing randomly may decrease your chances of winning.
Another factor that you must take into consideration when looking for a video poker to play is the variance of a game. By variance, we mean the volatility of the game. If a video poker game has a higher variance, it means it will take time for you to hit a paying combination that is on the paytable and will pay big. A video poker game with a low variance will often hit with lower payouts and less frequent big payouts. So, as a result, it is better to choose to play a video poker game that best suits your bankroll.To answer the question “What’s the best video poker game to play?”, choose to play a video poker game that has the best odds and that would be Jacks or Better.
3. Understanding the Paytable When Playing Video Poker
A paytable gives you an indication of how much you will get back should you win when you play video poker. However, each variation of video poker has its paytable. Hence, it is important to do your research on which game has a good paytable. Unlike other casino games, with video poker, you can see this paytable before playing the video poker game.
As a player, you have to know that the paytable is the basis for the return to the player percentage. For example, most casinos have a house edge of 3% on every video poker play. This is also considered as the casino’s profit. This means that there is 97% left from 100% which then becomes the return to the player. However, this can also differ depending on the video poker game paytable.
4. Play the Best Video Poker Hands
In this game of video poker, there are hands that payout. The different hands are as per below:
Royal Flush – This hand will have the highest paying cards which are the 10, J, Q, K and A. They don’t have to be in any particular order for you to win.
Full House – This hand is made up of a pair and three of a kind. For example, you could have 3, 3, 3, 6 and 6. They also don’t have to be in any particular order for you to win.
Straight – This hand will have cards that are of consecutive ranks. For example, you could have 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. You could also have face cards ranked from the lowest to the highest J, Q, K, A.
Flush – This hand will have cards of the suit. For example, you could be holding a hand that has 3, 6, 9, 10, 4 of the diamond suit.
Straight Flush – This hand will have cards in their consecutive ranks from the same suit. For example, you will have 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 of the spade suit.
5. Play using knowledge
This first gameplay mode requires you to play video poker by sassing out the perfect video poker game at the best casino. Firstly, you will need to find a casino that offers video poker machines with a good payout rate. Secondly, choose a game that gives you the best chance of winning. Thirdly, make a bet and play. Remember that the various games will have different payout rates. For instance, the jacks or better video poker game will have a different payout rate to the tens or better game.
6. Use a strategy
Playing using basic video poker knowledge that you learn from rules is a good start, but it won’t guarantee a win each time. However, when you use video poker strategies, you can improve your odds drastically.
Furthermore, before you play a video poker variation, make sure that you do some research on that game’s strategy. Each video poker game will have a unique strategy. In order to get the most out of that game, it will work to your advantage to play using that game strategy.
7. Understand the winning combinations
So, video poker winning hands are determined used combinations. This means that in order to win, you need to know the basic winning combinations by heart. This will help spot winning combinations and make it easier for you to decide if you should call, fold or discard cards.
Here are a few combinations that you should keep in mind
- Look out for cards that may form a Straight
- Try to get a Flush
- Keep an eye on cards that lead to a full house
- Work on getting a straight
- Make sure that you know what a royal flush consists of
How to Win at Video Poker – Video Poker Strategies
The best way to play video poker online, it’s to find sites that will allow you to play video poker for free. In this way, you will be able to practice the game and test out video poker strategies and improve your gaming skills. Once you are ready to play video poker online for real money, you can sign up for a real money account from any of the listed casinos here on our site. Choose the best video poker to play and enjoy your online video poker gaming.
The best way to play video poker is not by guessing how to play it. You will risk losing a lot of money and lower your chances of winning big. As a result, it is best to employ the best strategies. You can also use the bonuses that the casino awards to play video poker for real money.
Tips on How to Play Video Poker to Win
Each variation of video poker has different strategies that you can use to improve your winning chances. For example, how to play video poker jacks or better will be different from how to play video poker deuces wild using their respective strategies. Learn the video poker strategies and have more enjoyable gaming experience.
Below we have some tips to help you better win at playing video poker online:
- Choose the best paytable – This will help you give your hand more profit.
- Bet maximum coins – you will get the best payout when you hit a royal flush. However, it is not a requirement. Always bet within your bankroll.
- Try progressive video poker games – a progressive jackpot means that there is a chance of winning big jackpots. However, choose a progressive video poker game that has a good paytable.
- Check the promotions page – casinos are constantly running promotions and sometimes promotions for some video poker variations. You can maximize your bankroll with the bonuses on offer.
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