Video Poker is what you get if you cross Stud Poker with
a slot machine and throw in a few wild cards. It's fast,
almost like playing Stud, and you've got a huge range of
options. You can choose Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, All
American, Joker Poker or a number of other variations. Each
game has its own personality and rewards a particular kind
of play.
Also, the Videopoker machines let you play anything from
1 through 5 coins, with the payoffs improving at the high
end of the scale. So if you know your Video Poker hands
and take the time to learn your game, Video Poker can be
fast, fun, and rewarding.
Old Poker fans should keep in mind that each game has its
own strategy. All American Video Poker, for example, pays
better than the others on straights and flushes, so that
will effect your approach to card selection.
When we first started playing Video Poker, I thought it
would be a lonely hearts version of the real thing. Not
so. The games do indeed have their own individual winning
strategies, and taking the time to learn your Video poker
games means better payoffs.
Objective of Video Poker
As with all forms of Poker, the player aims to get the best
hand possible. The payoffs are marked right on the face
of the Video Poker machine so it's a fast lesson in what
the hand ranks are. All Video Poker variations rank hands
the same, though a given variation may add an extra rank
or two.
Betting on Video Poker
As you would expect from a slots version of Poker, betting
is pretty straightforward in Video Poker. On any given machine
you can typically choose $0.25, $0.50, $1, or $5 games.
And the bets are 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x (Max Bet) whichever
game you're playing. So if you're playing a $1 game, you
can place bets of $1, $2, $3, $4, or $5.
Payoff
The first thing to note in Video Poker is that the game
face shows you the payoff for each betting level. Invariably
playing Max Bet pays off better, overall, than any of the
lower multiples. Smart players pick the betting level they
are comfortable with and choose their game accordingly.
In other words, if you're comfortable with a $5 bet, then
pick a $1 machine and play at Max Bet for $5. If $25 bets
are more your speed, pick a $5 game because Max Bet (5x)
puts you at the $25 level. In either case, you're getting
the best payoff odds you can for that game. This is similar
to Slots strategy.
Also of key importance is the fact that the payoff ratios
on Video poker vary from game to game. Where Jacks or Better
may pay 25:1 for Four Of A Kind, All American typically
pays 30:1 and Joker Poker only pays 20:1. These ratios do
not necessarily reflect the true odds, so again, knowing
your game helps you play smarter.
Video Poker Strategy
The odds
In Video Poker, the odds on a given hand vary from game
to game, of course, but generally speaking the house edge
on Video Poker games is pretty small, even 0% in some cases.
Where the Video Poker games get an edge is with players
who do not follow an optimum strategy. In other words, winging
any given game based on a loose understanding of Poker is
going to lose you money.
Each Video Poker variation has its own quirks when it comes
to the odds and optimum player strategy. In the next section
we'll give you a rough guide to the most popular games,
but detailed strategy guides would take pages. Smart players
can do pretty well at Video Poker.
Jacks or better
Jacks Or Better strategy can get a little complicated. For
a full analysis check our references below, or follow this
rough strategy guide:
Keep any hand that already pays. Possible exceptions, by
potential value, are:
Hold four card Royal Flushes to make Straights or Flushes.
Four card straight flushes, inside or outside.
High card Pairs rank here.
Three card Royal Flushes.
Four card Flushes.
Low Pairs rank here, trying to build Three Of A Kind.
Four card Flushes.
Four card Straights. Hold inside Straights only if you've
got three or more high cards (J, Q, K, A).
If you've got nothing worth money, here's a general strategy,
in order of preference:
Keep any two suited high cards. Discard unsuited high cards.
Four mixed-suit high cards:
- keep any three suited, toss the unsuited.
- otherwise, keep them all.
Three unsuited high cards:
- keep all three of K-Q-J.
- with A-K-J or A-Q-J, discard the A.
Keep any two unsuited high cards.
Keep any single high card.
Tens or better
Same strategy as Jacks Or Better where 10 is now a high
card.
Deuces wild
General strategy includes, best options first:
Hold any 5 Of A Kind or Royal Flush.
Else, if you've got four 2's: keep 'em!.
Else, if you've got three 2's:
-hold any made 5 Of A Kind or Royal Flush
-otherwise, keep the 2's and discard the rest.
Else, if you've got two 2's:
-hold any made Straight, Five Of A Kind or Royal Flush.
-hold any 4 of a Kind.
-hold any 4 of a Royal Flush.
-otherwise, keep the 2's and discard the rest.
Else, if you've got a single 2, keep any made hand EXCEPT:
-hold four card Royal Flushes over made Straights, Flushes
and Straight Flushes.
-keep four card Straight Flushes of all types.
-hold three card Royal Flushes .
-pairs: with two pair, keep one, but not both.
-hold four card Flushes.
-hold four card Straights.
-hold three card Straight Flushes, including gaps.
-hold four card inside Straights.
-hang on to two card Q or J high Straight Flushes .
-discard two card Royal Flushes.
-if you've come this low in the list, discard everything
and try again.
Jokers wild
Remember that only K and A are high cards: this is a Kings
or Better game.
General strategy:
Keep a Joker if you get it. You'll only see in once in
ten hands, on average.
Don't keep an inside Straight.
Straight Flushes are a good payer and they occur considerably
more frequently than in a game like Jacks or Better
All American
Straights and Flushes pay well here so it tips the usual
strategy in their favour:
Prefer inside Straights over one or two high cards.
Prefer 4 card outside Straights and 4 card flushes over
pairs, even high ones.
Hold any three cards to a Flush.
