Video Poker Strategy – How to Win at These Machines?

If you have ever gambled in your life, it's likely that you have a favorite gambling game that you personally enjoy.

However, have you ever really stopped and thought about what game is the best to play from a perspective of odds and math?

Most people don't really know the odds of winning in various games and often think that casinos are cheating when they lose when there is no need for them to cheat whatsoever.

The harsh truth is that every casino game gives the house an edge, and in most cases, that edge is fairly small. If you are a roulette player, you can expect to lose about 2.7% of all the bets you make a lifetime, while slots players will usually lose at least twice that.

If there is one game that stands out from the rest, it is video poker. Video poker machines were some of the first electronic games to appear on casino floors, and the edge casinos keep in them is extremely small.

If you play the popular Jacks or Better variation of video poker at real money video poker sites, you stand to get 99.54% of all your bets back, provided you play the optimal strategy.

In this guide, I will teach you how to play video poker, what mistakes to avoid, and what to expect while playing these machines, which are losing in popularity by the day.

What Is Video Poker and How Does It Work?

If you have ever been inside a live casino, you have certainly seen video poker machines. They are the old-looking ones with cards on the screen and a button under each virtual card.

Video poker mimics the game of Five Card Draw and is a very simple variation of the poker game. Over the years, various types of video poker games have emerged.

Once your draw is done, you are paid according to a preset paytable, which may differ between different Jacks or Better versions, and certainly differs between this and other video poker games such as Deuces Wild or Joker Poker.

While I am going to discuss mainly the strategy of how to beat the Jacks or Better machines, let’s briefly mention the other types of video poker games as well.

Types of Video Poker

Originally, video poker was a single game, and today's Jacks or Better comes the closest to the old-fashioned poker machines.

Many other versions of the game have been developed over the years and can be found in casinos around the world. Some of these include:

• Tens or Better: Similar to Jacks or Better, with the main difference being the fact that a pair of tens also pays out a win.
• Deuces Wild: In Deuces Wild, any deuce dealt to you is wild, which means it replaces all other cards in the card deck.
• Joker Poker: A single joker card is introduced into the standard deck of playing cards. Joker substitutes for all other cards. You need at least a pair of kings to win anything.
• Aces and Faces: In this version of video poker, additional payouts are available for making four-of-a-kind Jacks, Queens, Kings, and Aces. Four aces pay more than a straight flush.
• Bonus Poker: Similar to Aces and Faces, Bonus Poker offers additional payouts for making four of a kind of a certain hand. Lower overall payouts decrease the RTP rate of the game.

As you can see, many different games fall into the category of video poker. However, don't be fooled by all the jokers and special payouts. All these games have a lower payout rate than Jacks or Better.

Some casinos have been known to offer a version of Deuces Wild, which actually gives the player an advantage over the casinos, but these games are very hard to come by.

If you can find such a machine, good for you! For the rest of us mortals, let's get straight into the best video poker strategy for Jacks or Better.

Jacks or Better Video Poker Strategy

When thinking about how to win at video poker, you need to first understand the way it actually works. Video poker, like any other gambling game, is all about odds and math.

The casinos know they are going to win in the long run exactly because the games are based on probability. If they were not, the casinos would be gambling and would not know who would win in the end.

The first thing you will want to do when you approach a video poker machine is look up its paytable.

Keep in mind that there are Jacks or Better machines that pay only 8 coins for a full house. You should steer clear of such machines, as this will significantly increase your losses.

Once you know the paytable, you will want to start playing your first hand. Press the deal button, and you will get dealt five cards. From this point on, you will want to decide which cards to keep and which ones to replace.

Players like to experiment and make on-the-spot decisions about this, but that’s the worst thing you can do. If you want to actually get the best possible results, simply follow the table below.

Final Words on Video Poker Strategy

You now hold the full guide to start your video poker career and start printing money by playing a casino game. How you choose to use it is completely up to you!

Remember that you will only come close to making a profit if you keep a cool head at all times, apply the optimal video poker strategy, and make use of any promotions and bonuses you can get your hands on.