Here's The Low Down On How To Win At Video Poker
Friday, 18 December 2009 08:48 | 
Written by Dean Evert |
With the way our society is structured these days, with technology becoming our new best buddy; a lot of people prefer playing games singlehandedly against a machine that used to be played around a table with many players involved and lots of personal interaction. Video poker is one of those games; many folks prefer the one on one interaction with a video machine rather than the playing table; and learning how to win at video poker has become a priority with many players.
With the way our society is structured these days, with technology becoming our new best buddy; a lot of people prefer playing games singlehandedly against a machine that used to be played around a table with many players involved and lots of personal interaction. Video poker is one of those games; many folks prefer the one on one interaction with a video machine rather than the playing table; and learning how to win at video poker has become a priority with many players.
The first thing you must get under your belt and keep foremost in your mind when you are learning how to win at video poker are the rules and regulations that apply to the game. A video poker game is based on a simple 52 count deck of cards, with some games using the jokers as well as the other cards. 5 cards are dealt randomly to you and you decide which cards you want to hold, and discard the ones you don't. The machine then replaces your discarded cards with randomly chosen replacements and you are paid according to the poker value of the cards now remaining in your hand.
Next, in order to win effectively at video poker, you must have a strategy. Like any other game that requires a little thinking and conniving, you can't just plunk down in front of the machine, hit a few buttons, and expect to make a killing. You have to have a plan of attack and follow it. Always bet the maximum amount allowed in coins---all experienced video poker players and those who win big bucks are those who always bet the max allowed. Read up on and then follow how to hold the right cards as you play so you will always know what your next step is. Always use a player card so you leave a playing trail and can cash in on the comps and perks that the house allows; and that brings up another thought----know what the casino incentive program is and use it. After scoping out the action in the video poker machines, find a liberal pay table to play---you will fare much better in the long run.
Betting the max in coins allowed makes perfect sense when you apply the old adage: the more you wager, the more you win. The win for any given hand of cards is directly proportional to the amount bet; except for one example----when the payouts are tallied on various boards around town, you will notice that learning how to win at video poker depends on how to read the boards and bet accordingly; because in the case of Royal Flushes----you may be shortchanged on your payout of getting a Royal Flush if you don't bet the max. Most boards will list the payout of such as: you will win 1000 if you bet 4 coins, but you will win 4000 if you bet 5 coins (the max). What a difference a coin makes. This little burp in the board declarations is called "An Economy of Scale".
Here's something else you need to remember if you are going to be successful in learning how to win at video poker; and that is, as part of your strategy---always use a player card to track the amount of play you do every time you are on a machine. The reason for this is that the casino or the house has no way of knowing just how much you are playing if you don't use a player card and leave a play trail that they can calculate. This is how you get your perks and comps from the house; the amount of play you record on your player card is rewarded with points which then can be redeemed by you for all kinds of comps and free play. And don't listen to all those harpies playing on the floor telling you that if you use a player card, the machine will not pay out as well----BALONEY. There is no difference in the odds or the performance of the machine whatsoever whether you use a player card or not.
When you are perfecting your performance as a winning video poker player and you have learned your lessons well on how to win at video poker, there is a site online that you should check out that will help you interpret the payout tables found on the various machines, and what those tables mean. The site is vpfree2.com and it has loads of info above and beyond the payout tables that you may find very useful. As you become more familiar with the world of video poker, you will begin to see the relationships of the payout tables to the play and how you can make the most of the more liberal tables; for example, the payouts vary very little except when it comes to dealing with a flush or a full house----the middle hands seem to have more variance than the others.
Poker is a hands down, knock 'em dead, great card game----the most beloved in the world----and its spinoff-video poker---is just as much fun and just as challenging without the psychology of the other players messing up your thought processes. For outright fun and good times with just you and the machine going at it face to face, learning to win at video poker is a must to truly get the most out of the whole experience, not to mention some money as well.
With the way our society is structured these days, with technology becoming our new best buddy; a lot of people prefer playing games singlehandedly against a machine that used to be played around a table with many players involved and lots of personal interaction. Video poker is one of those games; many folks prefer the one on one interaction with a video machine rather than the playing table; and learning how to win at video poker has become a priority with many players.
The first thing you must get under your belt and keep foremost in your mind when you are learning how to win at video poker are the rules and regulations that apply to the game. A video poker game is based on a simple 52 count deck of cards, with some games using the jokers as well as the other cards. 5 cards are dealt randomly to you and you decide which cards you want to hold, and discard the ones you don't. The machine then replaces your discarded cards with randomly chosen replacements and you are paid according to the poker value of the cards now remaining in your hand.
Next, in order to win effectively at video poker, you must have a strategy. Like any other game that requires a little thinking and conniving, you can't just plunk down in front of the machine, hit a few buttons, and expect to make a killing. You have to have a plan of attack and follow it. Always bet the maximum amount allowed in coins---all experienced video poker players and those who win big bucks are those who always bet the max allowed. Read up on and then follow how to hold the right cards as you play so you will always know what your next step is. Always use a player card so you leave a playing trail and can cash in on the comps and perks that the house allows; and that brings up another thought----know what the casino incentive program is and use it. After scoping out the action in the video poker machines, find a liberal pay table to play---you will fare much better in the long run.
Betting the max in coins allowed makes perfect sense when you apply the old adage: the more you wager, the more you win. The win for any given hand of cards is directly proportional to the amount bet; except for one example----when the payouts are tallied on various boards around town, you will notice that learning how to win at video poker depends on how to read the boards and bet accordingly; because in the case of Royal Flushes----you may be shortchanged on your payout of getting a Royal Flush if you don't bet the max. Most boards will list the payout of such as: you will win 1000 if you bet 4 coins, but you will win 4000 if you bet 5 coins (the max). What a difference a coin makes. This little burp in the board declarations is called "An Economy of Scale".
Here's something else you need to remember if you are going to be successful in learning how to win at video poker; and that is, as part of your strategy---always use a player card to track the amount of play you do every time you are on a machine. The reason for this is that the casino or the house has no way of knowing just how much you are playing if you don't use a player card and leave a play trail that they can calculate. This is how you get your perks and comps from the house; the amount of play you record on your player card is rewarded with points which then can be redeemed by you for all kinds of comps and free play. And don't listen to all those harpies playing on the floor telling you that if you use a player card, the machine will not pay out as well----BALONEY. There is no difference in the odds or the performance of the machine whatsoever whether you use a player card or not.
When you are perfecting your performance as a winning video poker player and you have learned your lessons well on how to win at video poker, there is a site online that you should check out that will help you interpret the payout tables found on the various machines, and what those tables mean. The site is vpfree2.com and it has loads of info above and beyond the payout tables that you may find very useful. As you become more familiar with the world of video poker, you will begin to see the relationships of the payout tables to the play and how you can make the most of the more liberal tables; for example, the payouts vary very little except when it comes to dealing with a flush or a full house----the middle hands seem to have more variance than the others.
Poker is a hands down, knock 'em dead, great card game----the most beloved in the world----and its spinoff-video poker---is just as much fun and just as challenging without the psychology of the other players messing up your thought processes. For outright fun and good times with just you and the machine going at it face to face, learning to win at video poker is a must to truly get the most out of the whole experience, not to mention some money as well.
About the Author:
Dean Evert writes on topics such as Poker Tips Online. For more information on Poker Tips visit our site.