Video Poker Basic Strategy: 7 Tips to Stay Ahead of the Game

Hot Tips for the Best Odds

Video poker is a combination of traditional five-card draw and slot machine action, and therefore the most strategic game in a casino. An understanding of video poker basic strategy is essential for players wishing to minimize the house edge and play intelligently.

Read the Rules and Paytables

Prior to implementing strategy, the players must know the rules of the specific variation of video poker they are playing. Jacks or Better is the most popular one, but others exist like Deuces Wild, Double Bonus, and Bonus Poker with varying rules and payout tables.

Always examine the paytable. A full-pay Jacks or Better machine (also known as 9/6) pays 9 coins for a full house and 6 for a flush. The highest returns—up to 99.54% with optimal play—are paid by these machines. Understanding and playing machines having good paytables is a simple component of basic strategy video poker.

Always Play Max Coins

Most video poker games give a considerable bonus for receiving a royal flush when betting max coins—usually five. An example is where a five-coin royal flush wins 4,000 coins, while single-coin play wins only 250. Though betting max boosts variance, it’s an important aspect of optimal play. In case your bankroll can’t handle five-coin bets, move down to a lower denomination.

Know Which Hands to Hold

Having the right cards in your hand is video poker basic strategy. In slots, where everything is random, video poker offers you a chance to guide events in a preferred way with good choices. The following are some basic rules:

• Always release a made royal flush, straight flush, or four of a kind.
• Hold four cards towards a royal flush rather than settling for lower sure paybacks.
• Hold a high pair (Jacks or better) over low pairs or suited connectors.
• If given three cards to a royal flush, hold them only if there is no better alternative such as a made pair.

Each game has its own nuances. For instance, in Deuces Wild, holding two deuces is usually better than holding a straight.

Use a Strategy Chart

Strategy charts provide optimum plays for every possible hand combination. The charts are built out of probability and expected value calculations, and thus they are excellent tools for players who want to apply video poker for beginners concepts in an official manner.

For Jacks or Better, the chart will present first:

• Royal Flush
• Straight Flush
• Four of a Kind
• Full House
• Flush
• Straight
• Three of a Kind
• Two Pair
• One High Pair

When in doubt, the chart provides the mathematically best move. There are printable charts available for most versions or you can use apps that simulate good play.

Manage Your Bankroll

Even with the best plan, variance will suck your bankroll dry in an instant. Have a session budget and stick to it. For Jacks or Better, the standard recommendation is a minimum of 200–300 times your average bet to ride out variance. If you’re playing five coins per hand on a $0.25 machine, that’s $1.25 a hand. A $375–$500 bankroll is a good minimum.

The lowest house edge casino games to play games with hold your money in place for longer. Video poker, specifically full-pay Jacks or Better, is one of the most player-friendly games to play if played optimally.

Don’t Chase Losses

Loss runs are inevitable in video poker despite best strategy. Avoid increasing the size of your bets to recoup losses—a rookie error. Stay consistent instead and trust the mathematics. Over time, video poker guide strategies reduce the house edge to nearly even.

Practice Before Playing for Real Money

Most free online video poker simulators allow you to practice without risking money. Strategy advice that tells you when you have made an error is usually part of these simulators. Practicing with these programs guarantees you reach muscle memory for correct plays before you need to transition to actual stakes.

Learning basic strategy at video poker is the secret to anyone who wishes to optimize their chances at the machine. Reading paytables, using strategy charts, bankroll management, and optimal decision training allow players to reduce the house edge and optimize their payouts. Compared to the majority of casino games, video poker rewards astute decisions—making it a number one among strategic players.

FAQ

1. Is Video Poker Skill or Luck?

Video poker is a mixture of luck and skill. The deal is at random, the same as for any other game in the casino, but following the deal one has to exercise knowledge and decision-making skills about which cards are to be thrown away and kept. Well-equipped players can consistently reduce the edge of the house to less than 1%.

2. What Is Video Poker Basic Strategy?

Basic strategy video poker includes choosing games with favorable paytables, playing maximum coins, using a strategy chart, and knowing which hands to hold. The goal is to make mathematically accurate decisions on each hand in order to maximize expected returns.

3. How to Play Video Poker for Beginners?

Start with a simple version like Jacks or Better. Enter your bankroll, select how many coins to bet (five is best), and get five cards. Decide which cards to hold and which to discard and receive new ones. Payouts are paid based on the last hand and paytable displayed on the machine. Practice using free simulators to know the correct plays.