The odds of winning video poker differ from hand to hand and from game to game. For the experienced player the house edge on video poker games is fairly small, and in some cases the odds are even. The house edge increases when the player does not follow a strategy – so if your beginner don't look to win big. In other words, if you are playing on a fundamental understanding of poker you can expect to lose your money rather quickly.
Each particular variant of video poker will have its own optimized strategies, though each may follow a standard of playing. Below we have shown basic strategies for two of the more popular games: deuces wild and jacks or better. If your serious about video poker you should make an effort to learn as much as possible about game strategies so that you can substantially increase your odds of winning.
General Tips
Play Carefully - Take your time and make wise decisions. It's you against the machine and there is no need to rush things.
Know the Paytables - This is one of, if not the most important keys to success in video poker. You need to understand the paytables for each machine - understanding these will potentially allow you to maximize your winnings.
Play each hand like a new game - Since you are playing a machine try and forget about the last hand played. The machine has no memory of the last hand - the random number generator assures this, so don't fret over what happened last hand - focus on the next.
Practice makes perfect - the more you play the better you will be. Learning which cards to keep and which cards to discard is very important if you are to take full advantage of the payout tables. If you use your knowledge consistently i.e. utilize a strategy, it will help assure that you will meet the payout percentages of a particular machine.
General Strategies
- Never keep a kicker with any pair. Holding a kicker to any pair reduces your return by 5%.
- Never draw four cards if you can draw three to a royal flush.
- Always keep five-card winning pat hands with on exception: if you can, draw one card to a royal.
- Don't break a flush even if you can draw one to a straight flush, but always break a flush to draw to a royal.
- Never break a straight to draw to a straight flush.
- Never draw five if you have a jack or better.
- Don't keep a ten for a four card draw.
Deuces Wild Strategies
- It should go without saying you should always hold any 5 of a kind or royal flush.
- If you are dealt four 2's: hold them.
- If you've got three 2's keep them.
- If you are dealt 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.
- If you've only been dealt a single 2, keep any made hand as follows ...
- hold four card royal flushes over made straights, and straight flushes 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.
Jacks or Better Strategies
Hold all initially dealt hands that pay - potential exemptions may include...
- Hold four card royal flushes to make flushes or straights .
- Four card straight flushes, inside or outside.
- High card pairs rank here.
- Three card royal flushes.
- Four card flushes.
- Low pairs, trying to build three of a kind.
- Four card flushes.
- Four card straights. Hold inside straights only if you have three or more high cards.
If you were not dealt a paying hand here's a general strategy ...
- 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.
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