Video Poker Strategy

Other Poker Rules & Strategy: Texas Hold 'Em | Online Poker

Playing good, basic video poker strategy can make you a long-term winner. You need to make the correct decision for every hand you play. To do that you need to know optimum strategy for the video poker game you play. You will do much better if you concentrate on only one or two games.

Video poker strategy for various games is not the same. For example, there is a huge difference in playing methods for the two of the most popular video poker games: Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild. Even if you're a veteran player, some hands might stump you. Say you're playing jacks-or-better and the machine deals you: JH QH 4S 5S 6S. What would be your video poker strategy for this hand?

Keeping the three spades could result in a straight flush, a flush, a straight, three-of-a-kind or two pair. Or you could go for the royal flush by holding the suited J Q? A video poker software program that analyzes the video poker strategy for this hand will show that holding the three sequential low cards is marginally better, but it wouldn't be a serious mistake if you kept J Q.

Here's another tough one. This time we're dealt: 9C 10C JC QC KC. Do you keep the straight flush or discard the 9 and go for the royal? BVS video poker strategy says stick with the straight flush if you're on a jacks-or better machine, but go for the royal if you're playing deuces wild. The reason? Jacks or better pays as many as 250 coins for a straight flush whereas deuces wild only pays about 45 coins for the same hand.

The combination of expert video poker strategy and machines offering 99.5% long-term payback can make you a lifetime winner at video poker. But playing games offering 99.5% payback does not mean that for every 100 coins you feed into a machine you'll get 99½ coins back! The key word is "long-term" which means thousands of hands. Plus, the 99.5% payback calculation includes the Royal Flush bonus pay-off! You have an additional 2% disadvantage if you don't get to collect your fair share of 4,000-coin Royal Flushes.

If you decide to play video poker, the key is to find an online casino that gives the best returns on video poker games. Many of the casinos listed on our site give great returns on poker games, which will give you the best chance of winning.

After you find an online casino that you like, the actual results you will achieve will be based on your personal video poker strategy skill level. The better you play, the better your chances of becoming a long-term winner.

GOOD LUCK!