A Lucky Seven Facts About Video Poker You Didn’t Know

Video poker remains a popular pursuit in casinos, both in person and online, but far too many players should brush up on their knowledge about the game. Here are seven facts video poker players should always keep in mind.

Some Video Poker Machines Aren’t Really Video Poker

It’s not unusual to see games which appear to be traditional video poker which are, in reality, simulating bingo or the lottery. It’s important to determine whether the machine you’re about to play is truly video poker because the random number generator for video poker must simulate a deck of cards where as the other machines are truly random; thus lowering your odds of winning.

Math Skills Go a Long Way in Video Poker

You don’t need to be a mathematician to be a successful video poker player but solid math skills help increase your odds of winning tremendously. Much of the math is far easier than you think. If you already know why you shouldn’t draw to an inside straight but should draw to an outside straight, then you have some idea of how the math works already.

Video Poker is Proactive not Reactive

Unlike slot machines or the roulette wheel, players must think about each hand they play in video poker as opposed to passively staring at a screen. Video poker players stay sharper and are far more engaged in the gameplay, which is one of the reasons video poker is still quite popular. It does pale in comparison to online poker at sites sch as intertops poker bonus.

Video Poker is a Game of Skill

While there is still an amount of luck involved, an individual can learn the strategies of video poker to greatly increase the chances of winning. Online trainers are available where you’ll play hands normally and then receive notice of incorrect plays and feedback on strategies used. Strategy charts are also available but they can be a bit unwieldy to use while playing.

Play Longer with the Same Stakes

Not only does video poker offer some of the highest payback of any casino games, you’ll also risk far less of your session payroll in an hour. It’s not unusual to see a slot machine provide 600 spins in an hour whereas even the faster video poker players would be extremely hard pressed to make 600 bets in an hour. Regardless of the casino’s take, you’re still going to hold onto your stakes longer.

It’s Best to Learn One Game First

There are a variety of types of video poker available both in physical and online casinos so it’s best to learn how to play one particular game, master it, and then branch out. The variant I recommend is Jacks or Better, or possible known as a 9/6 JoB game (if it offers a 9 to 1 payout for a full house and a 6 to 1 payout for a flush), because you’ll find it’s easier to memorize these strategies. In fact, mastering a Jacks or Better game provides you with the basics you’ll need for hand probabilities.

Always Tell Me The Odds

If you’re playing a slot machine all you see is a pay table; a list of the possible symbol combinations along with how much those combinations pay. You have no way of knowing what the odds are of getting any of those combinations. With a video poker game, you always know what the odds of getting a particular card are: 1 in 52. Thus you can calculate the odds of getting each particular hand and determine the expected return for each hand as well as for every decision on the machine.