Casino Video Poker Strategy
Video Poker is the only game in the casino that actually shows you the information you need to determine the house edge and develop the proper playing strategy to attain the highest return possible. Most video poker players are totally unaware of how to use the information available to their advantage. Knowing some video poker strategy tips will get you playing your best possible game and help your skills and bankroll to go further online. Our experts have listed four essential tips that have. Try out our video poker strategy for free, or play video poker for real money. Played with the right strategy, video poker can become quite rewarding. While discussing all of the tiny nuances of video poker could take a lifetime we can go over some of the main ideas to get you on to the right track towards video poker. Play Double Double Bonus Poker at the 888 Casino! Double Double Bonus Video Poker Strategy. Because of the high-value payouts offered for four-of-a-kind with kickers in Double Double Bonus video poker your variance will be slightly higher than when playing standard video poker.
Video poker is undeniably one of the best games in the casino for the player. So, I can’t wrap my mind around why so few players actually embrace the game.
The video poker machines are often staged in a forgotten corner or against a wall among the thousands of slot machines. Never leave the casino a loser again.
Use a video poker strategy that works.
Video Poker Gambling 101
When I say that real money video poker is the best casino game for the player, I mean it’s not even that close.
Hordes of casino patrons will pack into the slot machines which offer some of the worst RTP (Return to Player) numbers in the casino.
Even if you’re playing on a $1 machine, you’re looking at a house edge of 5%. That’s the best-case scenario, too — the penny slots that account for a significant portion of the sea of slot machines have house edges as high as 14% or more.
Some video poker games have a house edge of under 0.05%, and when you find a game with friendly rules, you can actually gain a slight edge over the casino. To be clear, when you have the mathematical edge over the casino, you’re guaranteed to make a profit in the long run.
In fact, you may make a rather substantial amount of money.
You’ll have to use your best strategy on every single play, though.
Video poker itself is played much like a hand of 5-card draw. That means almost every player in a casino is at least somewhat familiar with how the game is played.
You’re dealt 5 cards and then allowed to discard for a second draw. There are a few significant differences between video poker and table poker.
The first is that you’re not playing against other players. You aren’t even going heads up against the dealer.
In video poker, you’re simply trying to build the best hand possible. This makes the game much easier because you’ve got a clear objective.
At the same time, it makes the game somewhat complicated due to the fact that you aren’t simply trying to beat the other players.
You’re paid out based on the hand you build, and you’ll find the pay table right on the machine. So, there won’t be much guessing what you’re trying to accomplish.
Craft A Reliable Bankroll Strategy
One of the most important aspects to becoming successful playing video poker is casino bankroll management. While there is definitely skill involved in becoming a profitable video poker player, the game is still random.
You’ll need to manage your bankroll in a manner that will tolerate a cold run. Conversely, you’ll want to have enough money in play to maximize your profits.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a player sit down with far too small of a bankroll. When this happens they almost assuredly aren’t aware that with proper strategy you can make money on the game.
Usually, they’ll lose their bankroll in a few hours. I can only hope that they had more cash in their room or on the last day of their trip.
It was a hard lesson to learn, but I’m glad I learned it early in my gambling career.
The bankroll you carry into the casino is going to dictate what denomination you’re going to be able to play. These machines range from $0.25 all the way up to $100 per credit.
Needless to say, you wouldn’t be doing yourself any favors to walk into the casino and put your entire $100 bankroll into a game that’s $100 per credit.
It would be a short lived adventure to say the least. However, that same $100 could have you on a quarter machine gambling for days.
Match the machine to your bankroll. If you’re playing for 1-2% of your bankroll per hand, you’re in great shape.
Play The Right Video Poker Games
Most casino games come in different configurations. Video poker is not unique. Just like roulette and blackjack, some video poker games are vastly more friendly to the player.
The main differences between video poker machines boils down to variance. Variance will have a tremendous impact on your short term success in video poker.
Games with an extremely low variance — Jacks or Better, for example — will reward the player with smaller incremental wins. These wins keep your bankroll about even for the most part.
You’ll rarely get a huge win on these games, but you’re also less likely to quickly drain your bankroll.
If you are playing a game with a high variance, you won’t see as many steady wins. So, it’s entirely possible to watch your bankroll dwindle to almost nothing.
Thanks to the amazing RTP this is when you may get a significant win that fills your bankroll back up to almost level.
It breaks down to this; a lower variance game is going to give you smaller more frequent wins and a high variance game will award fewer large pots.
I prefer to play Jacks or Better. By staying in the game as long as possible, I’m giving myself the best possible shot at a huge win.
If you are fortunate enough to get a substantial win, I recommend cashing out immediately and buying back in for your original buy-in.
Match Your Strategy to the Video Poker Game
Video poker strategies vary as much as the games themselves. What’s of paramount importance is that you employ the correct strategy for the game you’re playing.
The element of strategy is one of my favorite aspects of video poker. The element of choice is what largely separates the games from their cousins the slot machine.
If you play much blackjack, you’re no doubt familiar with the basic blackjack strategy. This strategy chart breaks down the best play on every possible hand.
The strategy will vary depending on the variation of video poker you play. So, pay close attention to the types of video poker offered at the casino you’re visiting.
The strategy charts aren’t as common as their blackjack counterparts. You’ll be better off printing some off at home and taking them with you.
Whatever game you find yourself on, play the strategy chart on every single hand. Any variation at all will slide the edge back in the casino’s favor.
Remember, listening to your gut costs you money on the casino floor.
Go Full Throttle
If you only take one piece of advice from me, let it be the following. Only bet max every single hand.
The casinos hedge against the player by offering players the option to play for one credit up to five. The pay scale for video poker is based on how many credits you play and appears to steadily rise in corresponding increments.
However, this is far from the truth. Yes, for between one and four credits you’ll have the same payout relative to your bet.
That 5th credit is a game changer. When you play five credits on a standard video poker game, you automatically cut the house edge to 0.46%.
You’ll have a tough task finding better odds with other casino games. Conversely, playing only four credits increases the house advantage to a whopping 1.63%.
That’s an increase of over 300%. Still, I constantly see players sit down and play for less than max.
You’re burning money at this point. I don’t care if you have to move to a machine with a lower denomination, you always bet max credits in video poker.
Besides, you’re never going to fully enjoy the massive payout from a Royal Flush without maximizing the added bonus of that 5th credit.
Get Those Casino Freebies
The casino’s loyalty program is one of the simplest ways to make your gambling dollar work for you. If nothing else, it helps to mitigate a small portion of your losses.
Loyalty programs are particularly advantageous to the video poker player because of the extremely low house edge.
It also makes racking up huge loyalty rewards pretty easy. Take the time to sign up for the Player’s Card before you ever put a single coin in any machine.
The added perks and casino comps will not only make your trip more pleasant, but help extend your bankroll as far as possible.
Conclusion
You have a legitimate chance to never leave a loser again. Use video poker strategy that works to take your casino gambling career from busted to banging.
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About video poker
Video poker is a game that’s based on five-card draw poker. It’s a single player game, where the player tries to create as valuable a poker hand as possible. If they create a hand above a certain value (usually a pair of jacks) they win cash. If they don’t, they lose their stake.
For each round, the player is dealt five cards face up via a video screen. They must then choose whether to hold any of their cards for the ‘draw’. They can hold any number from zero to five. All cards that are not held are then re-dealt, and the final hand evaluated.
Winning hands can often be gambled via a ‘higher or lower’ game. UK players will be familiar with this concept as it was used in the popular 70s/80s quiz show ‘Play Your Cards Right’. A single card is dealt and the player must guess if the next card in sequence will be higher or lower. If they choose correctly, their prize is doubled. Choose incorrectly, and all winnings for that hand are lost. Players can usually gamble in this way up to five times in succession.
The history of video poker
The first video poker games arrived at the same time as ‘Pong’ and early, primitive personal computers. Video monitors were hooked up to integrated circuits in which the game was programmed. Early video poker consoles were dismissed as a passing fad.
All this changed in the early 1980s when SIRCOMA, the company that would eventually become International Game Technology, decided to concentrate on perfecting the video poker console. This turned out to be a Vegas-shattering success, as it gave poker players who felt intimidated while playing on casino tables the chance to play their favourite pastime against a faceless ‘opponent’.
The popularity of video poker has yet to wane. While not too popular with Las Vegas visitors, the locals tend to enjoy playing video poker machines off the main Vegas strip. Nearly all real-world casinos will house a few video poker terminals under their roof.
Despite massive strides in computer technology and in particular video graphics, contemporary video poker machines are little different from their primitive forebears. Video poker fans are keen that their game is kept as ‘traditional’ as possible, and video poker has not developed in the same way that online slots games have evolved to be feature-rich monsters.
Video poker at online casinos
Nearly every single online casino will offer at least one variety of video poker, and most will offer several. While not as popular as slots, blackjack or roulette, video poker is a rarity as with correct play and taking in all factors, the house edge can be swung ever-so-slightly in favour of the player.
There are four main varieties of video poker:
- JACKS OR BETTER – This is the main version of the game. To secure a win, a player must end up with a hand that contains at least a pair of jacks. All other hands lose. Payouts start at x1 for any qualifying pair, up to x800 for a Royal Flush.
- ALL AMERICAN – Similar to Jacks or Better and with the same basic rules, but with a better payout structure. There are increased payouts for flushes, straights and straight flushes, but reduced payouts for full houses and two pairs.
- DEUCES WILD – The lowest winning hand in this game is a set, but as the name suggests, all deuces (twos) are wild. There are additional winning hands, such as Five of a Kind, Wild Royal Flush and Four Deuces. The five-credit version of this game with the correct pay table actually has a negative house edge when played with perfect strategy.
- JOKER POKER – Also know as ‘Joker’s Wild’, is played with a deck containing 53 cards in which one of them is a joker and can be used as any card when drawn. The lowest possible winning hand is a pair of kings, and Five of a Kind and a Wild Royal Flush are added to the the mix just as with Deuces Wild. Again, if the pay table is set correctly, the player actually has a 0.64 percent edge over the house with perfect strategy. There are also self-explanatory sub-variations of Joker Poker known as Kings or Better, or Two Pairs or Better.
Multi-hand video poker games have become popular at online casinos in recent years. This allows you to play up to 100 hands at one from the draw. If, for example, you hold two aces before the draw and play 100 hands, you can play all 100 hands with two aces and three newly drawn cards. This is very beneficial if you are dealt a winning hand before the draw.
Other less common varieties of video poker are as follows:
- ACES AND FACES – A standard game with increased payouts for four of a kind of any face card or an ace. Payouts for other hands such as a full house are reduced.
- ALL ACES or BONUS POKER – Same as Jacks or Better but with increased payouts for four aces, deuces, threes or fours, and reduced payouts for other hands.
- BONUS FLUSH – Jacks or Better but with increased payouts for flushes.
- DEUCES AND JOKER – A combination of Deuces Wild and Joker Poker or Joker’s Wild.
- DOUBLE BONUS – Same as Bonus Poker but with a different payout structure.
- DOUBLE DOUBLE BONUS – As above, but with other bonus hands such as four aces with a two, three or four kicker.
- DOUBLE JOKER – Same as Joker Poker or Joker’s Wild but with two jokers instead of one.
- PICK’EM POKER – Players are dealt four cards. They must keep the first two, and MUST discard either (not both) of the next two. After the decision has been made, the final two cards are dealt to complete the hand.
- TENS OR BETTER – A pair of tens is the lowest winning hand. There are reduced payouts for flushes and full houses.
Learn how to play video poker
Learn how to play online video poker with RightCasino’s online guide.
Online video poker was introduced to casinos in the 1970s as a single-player equivalent to table poker. At the time, it was a bit of a technological marvel and quickly became popular. Today, the game is still played widely for its simple rules, low house edge and the possibility of big wins. Our step-by-step guide will steer you through the rules and variants of video poker so you can get the most out of this exciting casino game.
How to play
The rules of video poker are extremely straightforward…
Pick your coins
In most versions of video poker, you will use an electronic interface to bet on a virtually-generated straight poker hand. You begin by making a wager of up to five ‘coins’ (the value of which depend on the game and chosen settings). The more money you are happy to wager, the more you can win. Usually, your winnings are simply multiplied by the amount of cash you gamble, although you may receive a bonus lift if you go the whole hog with five coins.
Generating your hand
Once your stake has been set, the game will generate a hand of five cards based on a digital, 52-card deck (up to 53 in ‘Joker Wild’ games). This is your starting hand. In some games you can play 5, 10, 25 or even 100 hundred hands all at the same time. Each hand will begin with your ‘main’ hand as the base.
Choosing discards
Once your starting hand has been generated, you can choose which of your cards to discard. The discards are then replaced with new cards from the remaining deck.
Collect your winnings!
You are then paid on the value of your hand according to a paytable. Usually for a qualifying pair, you receive back the same amount of money you gambled. Payouts go up as far as a royal flush, for which you typically receive back 250x your stake.
Darest you gamble?
You can usually gamble your winnings when you hit a successful hand at video poker. If you do decide to gamble, you’ll be presented with a card, and you have to guess whether the next card drawn will be higher or lower. If you pick right, your prize is doubled. If you choose unwisely, then you lose everything. Depending on the game, you should be able to go ‘double or quits’ up to five times in succession.
Video poker variations
Find the best house edge with our list of popular video poker variations.
There are several different versions of video poker, all of which come with extremely favourable odds for the player (even positive expectation by some estimates). See which variants present the best edge with our overview of video poker variants (along with pay-tables). All pay-outs are calculated according to betting five credits and assume ‘optimal’ play.
Jacks or Better
Also known as 9/6 Jacks or Better. This is the most common form of video poker and payoffs begin at a pair of Jacks.
| Hand | 1 Credit | 2 Credits | 3 Credits | 4 Credits | 5 Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1000 | 4000 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 |
| Full House | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
| Flush | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 |
| Straight | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Two pair | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
House edge: 0.54%
Deuces Wild
In this game, all 2s (‘deuces’) are wild, changing their rank and suit to form better hands. This variant returns a higher return for ‘natural’ hands that contain no wild cards.
| Hand | Pay-out (multiple of bet) |
|---|---|
| Natural Royal Flush | 800 |
| Four deuces | 200 |
| Deuces Royal Flush | 25 |
| Five of a Kind | 16 |
| Straight Flush | 13 |
| Four of a Kind | 4 |
| Full House | 3 |
| Flush | 2 |
| Straight | 2 |
| Three of a kind | 1 |
House edge: 1.1%
All American
This variant features higher pay-outs on flushes and straights and lower returns on full houses and pairs.
| Hand | Pay-out (multiple of bet) |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 800 |
| Straight Flush | 200 |
| Four of a Kind | 34 |
| Full House | 8 |
| Flush | 8 |
| Straight | 8 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 |
| Two Pair | 1 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 |
House edge: 1.5%
Tens or Better
As you would expect, pay-outs start at a pair of 10s.
| Hand | Pay-out (multiple of bet) |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 800 |
| Straight Flush | 50 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 |
| Full House | 6 |
| Flush | 5 |
| Straight | 4 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 |
| Two Pair | 2 |
| Tens or Better | 1 |
House edge: 0.9%
Joker Wild
This variant includes one Joker as a wild card. The lowest qualifying hand is a pair of Kings and, as with Deuces Wild, natural hands offer a better return.
| Hand | Pay-out (multiple of bet) |
|---|---|
| Natural Royal Flush | 1000 |
| Five of a Kind | 200 |
| Joker Royal Flush | 100 |
| Straight Flush | 50 |
| Four of a Kind | 17 |
| Full House | 7 |
| Flush | 5 |
| Straight | 3 |
| Three of a Kind | 2 |
| Two Pair | 2 |
| Kings or Better | 1 |
House edge: 1.4%
Aces and Faces
This variant offers different pay-outs for four of a kind, depending on rank, with aces giving the best return.
| Hand | Pay-out (multiple of bet) |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 800 |
| Straight Flush | 70 |
| Four of a Kind (Aces & 8s) | 80 |
| Four of a Kind (Sevens) | 50 |
| Four of a Kind (Other) | 20 |
| Full House | 8 |
| Flush | 5 |
| Straight | 4 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 |
| Two Pair | 2 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 |
House edge: 0.74%
Full and low pay video poker
Most online casinos offer full pay machines only, meaning that pay-outs are nine times your wager for a full house and six times for a flush. Low pay machines offer a lower return (8/5, where full houses and flushes return eight and five times your bet respectively are most common). This results in a higher house edge.
If possible, you should always aim for full paying machines with a better return. Any game with a lower return than those in the tables above would be considered ‘low-pay’. Be sure to check the pay-outs before hazarding any cash.
Video poker strategy
Beat the house edge with our guide to basic video poker strategy.
Video poker is one of the few casino games where it is possible to beat the house edge. This page will introduce you to basic strategy for full-pay video poker variants (with and without wilds) via a series of hand charts, helping you get an edge over the casino with mathematically ‘perfect’ play. Credit to Michael Shackleford (AKA ‘The Wizard of Odds’) for these systems. If you need some help with the terminology, check out our poker glossary here.
Without wilds (e.g. Jacks or Better)
The following are the best plays, in order of absolute best to absolute worst (‘high’ card indicates a pair of Jacks or better).
| 1 | Dealt Royal Flush |
| 2 | Dealt Straight Flush |
| 3 | Dealt Four of a Kind |
| 4 | Four to Royal Flush |
| 5 | Dealt Full House |
| 6 | Dealt Flush |
| 7 | Three of a Kind |
| 8 | Dealt Straight |
| 9 | Four to Straight Flush |
| 10 | Two Pair |
| 11 | High Pair |
| 12 | Three to Royal Flush |
| 13 | Four to a Flush |
| 14 | Unsuited K/Q/J/10 |
| 15 | Low Pair |
| 16 | Four to an outside straight with 0-2 high cards |
| 17 | Three to a Straight Flush |
| 18 | Suited Q/J |
| 19 | Four to an inside straight, four high cards |
| 20 | Suited K/Q or K/J |
| 21 | Suited A/K, A/Q, Q/J |
| 22 | Four to an inside straight, three high cards |
| 23 | Three to a straight flush |
| 24 | Unsuited K/Q/J |
| 25 | Unsuited Q/J |
| 26 | Suited J/10 |
| 27 | Two unsuited high cards, kings highest |
| 28 | Suited Q/10 |
| 29 | Two unsuited high cards, ace highest |
| 30 | J only |
| 31 | Suited K/10 |
| 32 | Q Only |
| 33 | K Only |
| 34 | A Only |
| 35 | Discard anything else |
Pay-out: 99.54%
With wilds (e.g. Deuces Wild)
In the list below, a natural denotes a hand that uses no wild cards.
| 1 | Natural Royal Flush |
| 2 | Four to a Royal Flush |
| 3 | Straight Flush |
| 4 | Four of a kind |
| 5 | Full House |
| 6 | Three of a Kind |
| 7 | Straight/Flush |
| 8 | Four to an outside straight flush |
| 9 | Suited Q/J/10 |
| 10 | Four to an inside straight flush |
| 11 | Three to a royal flush, except Q/J/10 |
| 12 | Pair |
| 13 | Two Pair |
| 14 | Four to a Flush |
| 15 | Four to an outside straight |
| 16 | Three to a straight flush, spread 3-4, suited |
| 17 | Two to a royal flush, jack highest |
| 18 | Three to a straight flush, spread five and suited |
| 19 | Four to an inside straight, except missing deuce |
| 20 | Two to a royal flush, queen highest |
| 21 | Two to a royal flush, king highest, no penalty cards |
| 22 | Discard anything else |
Pay-out: 100.76%
Mobile video poker
Play virtual video poker anytime, anywhere on a variety of compatible devices.
Advancements in technology have made it possible for online gambling to be enjoyed from the convenience of a mobile phone. Video poker is an extremely popular game that is enjoyed across the globe by millions of players, many of whom choose to play via a smart device.
What is mobile video poker?
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By recent estimates, around $10 billion is wagered through mobile platforms every singly year, and mobile revenues are increasing all the time.
Video poker on mobile devices is identical to the game you would expect on desktops: the interface is the same, as are the rules of play. The only difference is that you can gamble literally anywhere, as long as you have a compatible device and a robust internet connection.
Video poker on mobile devices
As video poker is a relatively simple game to port to mobile platforms, it’s genuinely surprising that more software providers do not provide versions of video poker for mobile devices. The reason for this could be due to the ban on US-based players from the mobile casino arena, and that video poker is still seen as an activity suited to US casinos.
There are a few mobile casinos that do offer a version of video poker on mobile devices – 32Red, for example.
Most casinos that offer video poker requires a download in order for players to be able to play the game. These downloads are only typically available for Android and iOS based systems. As more and more mobile software providers begin to embrace HTML5 as the mobile-coding ‘option of choice’, more games will be available for Windows Phone and BlackBerry users.
How to player video poker on a mobile device
Playing video poker on a mobile devices is as simple an affair as playing video poker at any online casino.
Unfortunately, only the most basic version of video poker – Jacks or Better – seems to be available for mobile platforms.
You begin the game by selecting the size of your bet, using from one to five coins. Once you’re happy hit the ‘Deal’ button to be dealt your poker hand consisting of five cards.
Tap any cards that you want to keep. You will see some indication that the card you have selected has been held. When you’re satisfied with your selection, hit the ‘draw’ button to receive your final poker hand. If you’ve managed to land a poker hand with at a least the value of a pair of jacks, then you will be paid according to the pay table as presented with the game.
Video Poker Wild Multihand
Jacks or Better
Play Your Cards Right