This video poker strategy page and the accompanying section have a single goal—to help you get the best odds when gambling at a casino. Video poker, unlike many casino games, offers you at least some degree of control over the odds. Games like roulette and slot machines have no strategy. The decisions you make are essentially meaningless.

Video poker, on the other hand, resembles blackjack. You can use strategic thinking to improve your chances of winning and decrease the house edge. This shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, as both games use a deck of cards to play. Of course, in the case of blackjack, you’re usually looking at a real deck of cards. In video poker, you’re using a virtual deck that’s actually being simulated using a random number generator.

In online casino video poker, just as in a game of 5 Card Draw, players aim to get the strongest hand by choosing whether to draw different cards or hold onto the ones that they already have. There are several different ways to develop a video poker playing strategy. It could be tailored to favor hitting royal flushes. A strategy developed in this way could be useful in video poker tournaments where the participant has a limited amount of time to get a high score in order to win.

Question 2: Does it matter which poker strategy we use? Although luck plays a big factor in short term results, poker strategy is NOT irrelevant (as it might be in some other casino games such as slots). Over the long run, poker is predominantly a game of skill, meaning that the best players can expect to earn consistent profits. Industry leading online gaming provider, Microgaming annouced new releases for July: Bonus Deuces Wild Video Poker and Joker Poker 100 Play Power Poker games is available at King Neptune's online casino today. You can play up to 100 hands at a time with five 100 play power poker MG games. New MG's Multihand 3 Card Poker Game. When playing the Ante bet option offered on the card game of 3 Card Poker then the best playing strategy calls for you to only raise your Ante bet when you have been dealt out a Queen, Six and a Four or any higher valued hand, and fold any hand combinations with a lower value.

But legitimate video poker games duplicate the odds you’d see if you were using a real deck of cards.

And that’s why you can use a strategy to improve your odds. We talk more about that in the next section.

Why Does Video Poker Have a Strategy?

When you’re playing a slot machine, you have no idea what the probability of a particular symbol coming up on a particular reel is. That probability is determined by the random number generator.

A random number generator is a computer program that constantly cycles through numbers at the rate of thousands of numbers per second. Each number corresponds to a different stop on the reel in a slot machine game. Or in the case of a video poker game, each number corresponds to a playing card.

But since you don’t know anything about the probability of getting a particular symbol on a slot machine game, it’s impossible to make any kind of strategic decision.

In fact, even if you DID know the probabilities of getting each symbol on the reel, you still wouldn’t be able to make a decision that would affect your outcome.

There are no decisions to be made. You put your money in, your spin the reels, and you accept the outcome.

Several, if not most, casino games are like this. You have no way of affecting the odds no matter how smart you are. The odds of winning a single number bet in roulette are 37 to 1, no matter what kind of strategy you use.

That’s why video poker (and blackjack) are different. You DO have the opportunity to make decisions which affect your outcome.

Understanding why requires looking into the math behind the game a little bit.

Expected Return, Payback Percentages & the House Edge

The expected return of a bet, video poker or otherwise, can be calculated if you know the probability of winning and losing. You also need to know how much you stand to win and how much you stand to lose.

You multiply the probability of winning by the amount you’re going to win. You multiply the probability of losing by the amount you’re going to lose. You add those two numbers together to get your overall expectation.

Suppose we set up a really simple gambling game where you’re going to flip a coin. If you guess the correct outcome, you win 25 cents. But if you’re wrong, you lose 50 cents.

In this example you have a 50% chance of winning and a 50% chance of losing. 50% of 25 cents is 12.5 cents, which is the first part of your equation. 50% of 50 cents is -25 cents. (It’s negative because that’s the amount you lose.)

Your expected loss on that bet is 12.5 cents.

You won’t lose 12.5 cents every time. That would be impossible.

But if you tallied all your net wins and losses over time, and if you played for a long time, your results would eventually start to conform to the mathematical expectation.

Return is usually measured as a percentage. In this case, 12.5 cents is 50% of the original bet, so your expected return is -50%.

That’s an awful bet. Most experienced gamblers wouldn’t take it.

But it’s an example of how the casino gets its edge in every game in the casino.

This same kind of math can be applied to video poker games and to slot machine games to determine a payback percentage. The payback percentage is just the amount of money you expect to win back from the casino for every $100 you wager over a long period of time.

Keep in mind that in the short run, anything can and often will happen. You can win a big jackpot early in your session, and your results won’t look anything like the mathematically expected payback percentage.

But the longer you play, the closer your results will get to the mathematically predicted results. Over an infinite number of trials, you would certainly have results which mirror the mathematical prediction.

The house edge, on the other hand, is the amount of each bet that the house mathematically expects to keep. It’s the opposite of the payback percentage.

In the case of a full pay Jacks or Better game, the payback percentage is 99.54%. So the house edge is 0.46%.

That means for every $100 you bet, the casino expects you to win $99.54. They expect to win 46 cents.

Those are long term expectations, though. In the short run, anything can happen.

All of that background is necessary for understanding why video poker strategy matters.

Since you know the odds of being dealt a particular hand, and you know the odds of improving a hand, you can compare your choices in a video poker game to go with the choice that has the better expected return.

You’re playing Jacks or Better, and you have 4 cards to a royal flush, but you also have a pair. You could play this hand in a number of ways.

You have a number of options in this example:

• You could throw all 5 cards away and start over. That’s obviously the play with the lowest expected value.
• You could throw away all the cards except the pair. In this case, you’re hoping to improve your hand to 2 pairs, 3 of a kind, or a full house.
• Or you could throw away the card that makes the pair and try to draw the royal flush.

Since you have a pair, you have a 100% chance of winning at least 1 unit. That’s an expected value of $1. But it’s actually a little better than that, because you also have the chance to improve the hand. Let’s just call it an expected value move of $1.50.

But a royal flush has a payout of 800 to 1. The odds of drawing the card you need for that hand are 1 in 47, but any time you get a 46 to 1 shot at an 800 to 1 payout, you should take it. The expected value of that play is huge.

You have a roughly 2% chance of winning $800. That’s $16. You also have a roughly 98% chance of losing $1. That’s -98 cents.

$16 – 98 cents = $15.02, which is a heck of a lot more than $1.50.

The correct choice is clear, even though you’re going to lose this bet more often than not. On the occasions when you do win, your winnings are going to be so large that they’ll make up for all the times you lost the bet and then some.

Not all situations in video poker are that clear. In fact, a human can’t just sit there and work out the correct play in every situation using a pencil and paper.

Luckily, we have computers for that.

You can find a video poker strategy chart for just about any variation available. In fact, you can even find websites which will generate the perfect strategy for you based on the game and the pay table that you input.

Here’s how such a strategy chart works:

• You get a list of hands.
• At the top of the list is the best possible hand.
• You work your way down the list until you find a hand that matches what you have.
• When you get to that hand, you stop and keep the cards that are listed.

Almost all video poker strategy charts start with a royal flush as the top listed hand. That makes sense. After all, you would never throw away the top paying hand in the game. That would just be silly.

In most games, 4 of a kind and a straight flush will also be at the top of the list—those are usually the top 3 hands with the best payouts.

But the next best hand after that?

You’ll always hold on to 4 cards to a royal flush.

That’s some strategy advice based on Jacks or Better, but the strategy for Deuces Wild is a little bit different.

For one thing, you’ll always look at lists of potential hands based on how many deuces you have. One of the fundamental tenets of Deuces Wild strategy is that you never discard a 2.

Then based on how many deuces you have in your hand, you have a list of potential hands to choose from. Start at the top and work your way down.

Another way of thinking about video poker strategy is to think about potentially conflicting hands.

You have 3 cards to a royal flush, but you also have a pair. Do you keep the pair, or do you go for the royal flush?

In this case, you keep the pair. Your odds of hitting the royal flush go down exponentially when you need 2 cards to complete your hand.

In probability, when you want to know the odds of event A happening AND event B happening at the same time, you multiple the probabilities by each other.

In the event of filling a royal flush, each card has a 1/47 chance of showing up. The odds of getting both cards are 1/47 X 1/47, which is about 1 in 2500. And 800 to 1 payout doesn’t warrant that kind of risk, especially if you’ve got a sure winning in your hand already.

The strategy varies from game to game because the payouts vary from game to game. In Bonus Poker, which is basically just Jacks or Better with a bonus payout for a 4 of a kind, you might be more likely to draw to your 4 of a kind in certain instances.

In Deuces Wild, the presence of the wild card makes a huge difference to how you play your hands. You need much stronger hands to win, but those wild cards make it easier to get those hands. One of the fundamental tenets of Deuces Wild strategy is to never discard a deuce.

The basics of Jacks or Better strategy are pretty simple.

First check to see if you have one of the following 3 paying hands:

If you have any of those, keep what you’ve got and collect your winnings.

If you don’t have any of those, check to see if you have 4 cards to a royal flush. If you do, keep those 4 cards and try to hit the royal.

4 cards to a royal flush trumps everything except those 3 hands we mentioned above.

If you don’t have 4 cards to a royal flush, then look to see if you have any of these other “made hands”:

• Full House
• Flush
• Straight
• 3 of a Kind

If you have any of those, keep it and collect your winnings.

If not, check to see if you have 4 cards to a straight flush. If you do, then draw to that straight flush.

Then check to see if you have one of the following 2 paying hands:

You’ll keep those over the other options below.

Once you get to that point, you’re looking at speculative hands. Your best speculative hand at this point is 3 cards to a royal flush. It’s a long shot, but if you don’t already have one of the other hands listed above, that’s what you should go for.

Then if you have 4 to a flush, try to fill your flush.

If you have a low pair, try to draw to 3 of a kind or better.

A full strategy chart will have several more hands for you to go through, but you get the idea.

Jacks or Better strategy just isn’t that hard. Even though this isn’t a complete strategy chart, you’re probably only giving up a few tenths of a percent of payback percentage following these guidelines.

Our guide to Jacks or Better video poker covers the correct strategy in more detail.

Content

If you have 4 deuces, you’ll keep them.

If you have 3 deuces, you’ll keep them. You’re hoping for a royal flush.

If you have 2 deuces, you’ll keep both of them. You’ll hope for a 4 of a kind or better, but if you don’t have that, try for a royal flush or a straight flush.

If you only have one deuce, strategy gets a little harder. But it’s still just a list to go down:

• 4 of a Kind or better
• 4 to a Royal Flush
• Full House
• 4 to a Straight Flush
• Flush, Straight, or 3 of a Kind
• 3 to a Royal Flush

And so on.

The payback percentages for Deuces Wild games are all over the place. Unlike Jacks or Better, which has an easy to understand system for adjusting the payback percentage, Deuces Wild pay tables can vary quite a bit from one another.

Your best bet, when choosing a Deuces Wild game, is to use some kind of online tool to determine the payback percentage for the game with the pay table you’re considering.

For a detailed discussion of Deuces Wild strategy, please see our page on Deuces Wild video poker.

The optimal strategy for Bonus Poker, which offers a bonus payout for 4 of a kind hands, is so similar to the optimal strategy for Jacks or Better as to be almost indistinguishable.

If you just used the same strategy, you’d probably be giving up less than 0.2%.

It is good to know how to play Bonus Poker, though, because in many of today’s casinos, it’s the video poker game with the highest payout percentage.

We have an entire page dedicated to Bonus Poker, and it includes detailed strategy advice.

Joker Poker has some similarities to Deuces Wild, but it’s not as complicated. You’ll only ever see a single joker in the deck, which changes the texture of the possible hands considerably.

You’ll basically be presented with 2 basic strategy charts—one to follow if your hand includes a joker, and one to follow if it doesn’t. The differences are subtle in some cases, but it’s not too complicated.

We offer a full page on Joker Poker, too, which also includes a detailed discussion of the correct strategy for playing that game.

Video poker strategy resembles basic strategy in blackjack in many ways. They both represent the optimal way of playing every possible hand you could get.

Of course, the differences are obvious, too. Your goals in video poker are quite different from your goals in blackjack.

Most video poker strategy is just presented as a list. You start at the top, work your way down, and stop when you get to the hand that matches what you’re holding in your hand. Then you keep the appropriate cards and move on.

We offer detailed strategies for almost all of the video poker games on our site on the appropriate pages. Please visit this page for a complete list of all the games we cover.

You may also be interested the following pages. These cover a range of subjects related to video poker strategy.

Video Poker Strategy Articles

• Video Poker Trainers
• Video Poker for Winner
• Video Poker Bankroll
• Video Poker Books
• Video Poker Cheat Sheets
• Video Poker Calculators
• Video Poker Comps
• Video Poker Double Up Feature
• Video Poker EV (Expected Value)
• Video Poker Hands and Hand Analyzers
• Video Poker House Edge
• Video Poker Lessons
• Video Poker Odds and Probability
• Video Poker Royal Flush Odds & Strategy
• Video Poker Risk of Ruin and Variance
• Video Poker Tutorial
• Bob Dancer: Video Poker Expert
• Jean Scott: The Frugal Gambler

Video poker is a popular pick for casino visitors who want the best chance of
winning. After all, some video poker games offer payback worth between 99.17%
and 100.76%.

The big catch, though, is that you need to use good strategy in order to
achieve these lofty payback percentages.

This is easier said than done because there are lots of different moves that
you can make on any one video poker hand. But the good news is that you can
gradually become a better player and make the right play again and again.

Let’s discuss how to use good video poker strategy below by looking at the
basics, strategy charts, training software, hand calculators, loyalty programs,
and bankroll considerations.

Strategy Basics – Bet Size & Picking Games

The best way to learn video poker strategy is from the ground up. Once you
understand the fundamentals, it becomes easier to learn the intermediate and
advanced techniques later on.

If you’re new to strategy, here are some basic concepts that are good to
start with.

Bet Size

Standard video poker machines give you the ability to bet between 1 and 5
coins per hand.

To many low rollers, the idea of betting just one coin per hand sounds
appealing. But the problem is that you won’t put yourself in line for maximum
payback.

The reason why is because you only stand to win the highest royal flush
payout when betting the 5 coin max. You can see this point illustrated below:

• 1 coin bet = 250 coin
  royal flush
• 2 coin bet = 500 coin
  royal flush
• 3 coin bet = 750 coin
  royal flush
• 4 coin bet = 1,000
  coin royal flush
• 5 coin bet = 4,000
  coin royal flush

The royal flush payout increases proportionately from 1 coins to 4 coins. But
there’s a large 3,000 coin increase when you move up to the fifth coin.

This is the sole reason why skilled players wager 5 coins on every hand.

Of course, you don’t have to bet the 5 coin max. After all, the royal flush
only makes up around 2% of the average video poker game’s payback.

But again, this is what you need to do in order to get the highest return
possible. Here’s an example using 9 / 6 Double Double Bonus:

• 9 / 6 Double Double
  Bonus w / 1 to 4 coins bet = 98.90% optimal payback
• 9 / 6 Double Double
  Bonus w / 5 coins bet = 100.07% optimal payback

Choosing Games

One of the simplest things that you can do to ensure your video poker success
involves picking the right games. After all, why put all the work into strategy
if you’re just going to play low paying machines?

When choosing a video poker variation, you should consider three main
factors:

1. Payback
2. Availability
3. Volatility

The biggest factor that most players focus on is the payback. Obviously you
want to get as close to 100% payback as possible, or even over.

The highest paying video poker games found in land based casinos include
Deuces Wild (100.76% payback) and 10 / 7 / 5 Double Bonus (100.17%). But the
problem here is that no casino outside of Nevada offers these games.

And this brings us to availability because you can’t play video poker
variations that you can’t find.

One game that most players have access to is 9 / 6 Jacks or Better, which
offers 99.54% payback. If you can’t find this, the next best choice is normally
8 / 5 Bonus Poker (99.17% payback).

These two games are also good with respect to volatility (a.k.a. variance),
or how predictable your short term results will be in relation to long term
payback.

If you don’t have a large bankroll, then you want to choose the least
volatile games. And the least volatile games are those that offer more small
payouts.

Bonus Poker is a good example because it offers the following small payouts:

Due to all of these smaller payouts, Bonus Poker will see you win more
frequently than most video poker games. And this is why it’s a good choice for
low rollers looking to preserve their bankrolls.

Choosing Pay Tables

Every video poker game offers different pay tables, and your goal should be
to pick the best available pay table for each variant.

Let’s look at examples of Double Double Bonus pay tables:

• 10 / 6 Double Double Bonus (DDB) = 100.07% payback
• 9 / 6 DDB = 98.98%
• 8 / 6 DDB = 97.89%
• 9 / 5 DDB = 99.87%

Here’s another example using Jacks or Better:

• 9 / 6 Jacks or Better
  (JoB) = 99.54% payback
• 9 / 5 JoB = 98.45%
• 8 / 6 JoB = 98.39%
• 8 / 5 JoB = 97.30%
• 7 / 5 JoB = 96.15%

The two numbers in front of both JoB and Double Double Bonus signify how much
they pay for a full house and flush.

In the case of 10 / 6 DDB, you’ll be paid 10 coins for a full house and 6 for
a flush. With 8 / 6 DDB, you’ll only get 8 coins for a full house and 6 for a
flush.

You gain no upside by choosing the worst pay tables. This is why it’s
important to look for the best table you can find for your favorite game.

One problem is that some land based casinos just don’t offer good pay tables.
In this case, you can either play online video poker or choose a lesser pay
table like the 9 / 5 or 8 / 6 version.

The key is that you know what to look for so you understand what kind of
payback you’re facing.

What Game Should You Start with?

The best video poker game to begin with is Jacks or Better, and here are the
reasons why:

1. The 9 / 6 pay table is available in many land based and online casinos.
2. The strategy is simpler than many other games.
3. JoB has low volatility.

The reason why JoB features simpler strategy than other variants is because
there aren’t as many payouts. With fewer payouts to consider, you’ll also have
fewer strategy aspects to worry about.

Let’s compare Jacks or Better to Double Double Bonus to illustrate this
point:

9 / 6 Jacks or Better Pay table

9 / 6 Double Double Pay Table

The JoB pay table has 9 payouts, while the DDB pay table has 13 payouts. As
you can see, this is a notable difference and one that makes DDB tougher to
play.

Now, this isn’t to say that the DDB playing process is any more difficult.
But if you’re looking to use optimal strategy, then you’ll have a much easier
time with JoB.

Another point worth making is that JoB is less volatile because it pays 2:1
for a two pair.

This doesn’t seem like a big difference, but consider that a two pair occurs
1 in 7.75 hands. Contrast this to the odds of a 4 of a kind occurring, which are
only 1 in 423.25 hands.

Video Poker Strategy Charts

Once you understand video poker games and what they pay, the next step is
learning strategy.

This is where things seemingly get difficult because you have multiple
options with every video poker hand. And each decision you make has an impact on
the long term house edge.

Let’s look at a sample 9 / 6 JoB hand to illustrate this point:

• You’re dealt: Kd 9h 7s 5c
  Jc
• Choice #1: Keeping Kd Jc
  results in 2.451 expected value (EV) on a 5 coin bet.
• Choice #2: Keeping only the
  Jc results in 2.324 EV.
• Choice #3: Keeping only the
  Kd results in 2.312 EV.

As you can see, there’s not a tremendous difference in the average expected
payout you’ll receive from each decision. But the difference becomes greater
over time as you continue playing hands.

This is why it pays to take every step possible towards improving your video
poker skills. And one of the best places to begin is with strategy charts.

What is a Video Poker Strategy Chart?

A strategy chart (a.k.a. card) ranks made and non made video poker hands in
terms of their importance. This becomes particularly helpful when you’re trying
to decide what to keep in a difficult hand.

Here’s an example:

• You’re playing Jacks or
  Better.
• You’re dealt: 8s 9s 10s Js
  8d
• You have both a two pair
  and 4 cards to a straight flush.

Keeping a made two pair is alluring because you’re guaranteed to win. But a
strategy chart will show you that 4 cards to a straight flush ranks just above a
two pair in this instance.

The great thing about strategy charts is that they provide a convenient
strategy reference while you’re playing. The downside is that you won’t find
strategy charts across the internet for every video poker game.

In fact, only the most popular video poker variations have charts. And this
is another thing that makes Jacks or Better a great game to start with because
you can easily find its strategy cards.

Simple and Advanced Strategy

Video poker strategy charts can be broken down into simple and advanced
versions. The reason for this is that simple cards often get you close to
optimal payback – just with fewer hands to remember.

Advanced strategy charts are meant to get you to optimal payback. But they
include more minor details that the average player won’t want to deal with.

You’ll also find intermediate charts that offer something in between
regarding both difficulty and payback. You can see simple, intermediate, and
advanced strategy charts in the following sections.

Simple Jacks or Better Strategy Chart (99.46% Payback)

1. Royal flush, straight flush, 4 of a kind
2. 4 cards to a royal
3. Full house, flush, straight, 3 of a kind
4. 4 cards to a straight flush
5. Two pair
6. High pair (As through Js)
7. 3 cards to a royal flush
8. 4 cards to a flush
9. Low pair (10s through 2s)
10. 4 cards to an outside straight
11. 2 suited high cards
12. 3 cards to a straight flush
13. 2 unsuited high cards
14. Suited K 10, Q 10, and J 10
15. One high card
16. Discard everything

Intermediate JoB Strategy Chart (99.52% Payback)

1. Royal flush, straight flush, 4 of a kind
2. 4 cards to a royal flush
3. Full house, flush, straight, 3 of a kind
4. 4 cards to a straight flush
5. Two pair
6. High pair
7. 3 cards to a royal flush
8. 4 cards to a flush
9. Low pair
10. 4 cards to an outside straight
11. A K Q J unsuited
12. 2 suited high cards
13. 4 cards to an inside straight w / 3 high cards
14. K Q J unsuited
15. Q J unsuited
16. J T suited
17. K Q, K J unsuited
18. Q T suited
19. A K, A Q, or A J unsuited
20. K T suited
21. One high card
22. 3 cards to a straight flush
23. Discard everything

Casino Poker Strategy

Advanced JoB Strategy Chart (99.54% Payback)

1. Royal flush, straight flush, 4 of a kind
2. 4 cards to a royal flush
3. Full house, flush, straight, 3 of a kind
4. 4 cards to a straight flush
5. Two pair
6. High pair (As to Js)
7. 3 cards to a royal flush
8. 4 cards to a flush
9. Unsuited K Q J T
10. Low pair (10s to 2s)
11. 4 cards to an outside straight w / 0 to 2 high cards
12. 3 cards to a straight flush
13. Suited Q J
14. 4 cards to an inside straight w / 4 high cards
15. Suited K Q or K J
16. Suited A K, A Q, or A J
17. 4 cards to an inside straight w / 3 high cards
18. 3 cards to a straight flush
19. Unsuited K Q J
20. Unsuited Q J
21. Suited J T
22. 2 unsuited high cards w / king high card
23. Suited Q T
24. 2 unsuited high cards w / ace high card
25. Jack only
26. Suited K T
27. Queen, king, or ace only
28. 3 cards to a straight flush

Video Poker Training – Practice Makes Perfect

While using a video poker strategy chart is helpful, we stress that you can’t
find charts for every game. Moreover, some players may find it difficult /
boring to constantly refer to the chart for every hand.

What else can you do to improve your game?

Video poker training is a great way to improve your skills while
simultaneously enjoying the game. Here’s an example of how it works:

1. You’re dealt: 9d Qh 4d 4c 2d
2. You only hold Qh
3. The trainer alerts you to the mistake, showing that you should’ve held 4d 4c

If you were playing video poker as normal, you’d never know that you made a
mistake in this situation. But thanks to the trainer, you’re alerted to the
mistake and can take note for future reference.

Russian Poker Casino Strategy

Another benefit to training programs is that they teach you through
repetition. As you continue making the correct / incorrect play over and over,
you’ll eventually learn what to do in each situation.

Let’s take a closer look at how video poker trainers work along with if free
training programs will meet your needs.

Choose Your Game & Pay Table

The first thing that you want to look for is the drop down fields that let
you choose the desired game and pay table. This ensures that you’re learning the
exact strategy you need for a specific game.

Below you can see some of the games and pay tables found on free trainers:

• All American – Pay tables
  include 35 / 8 / 8 / 8; and 34 / 8 / 8 / 8
• Bonus Poker – Pay tables
  include 50 / 80; 50 / 75; and 40 / 75
• Double Bonus Poker – Pay
  tables include 50 / 9 / 7; 45 / 10 / 7; and 40 / 10 / 7
• Jacks and Better – Pay
  tables include 9 / 6; 8 / 5; and 6 / 5

Select the Difficulty

Many training programs have various difficulty modes that you can choose.
Much like with strategy charts, the mode you pick has an impact on how close
you’ll get to optimal payback.

The simplest settings let you choose an easy or hard mode.

Easy is perfect for beginners who want to learn simplified strategy and still
get solid payback. Hard mode works for advanced players who want the best
possible payback.

The detailed (costly) training programs allow you to play a mode where you
only deal with hands that you previously missed.

Free Video Poker Trainers – Good for the Popular Games

The best way to
get started with video poker training is to do a google
search and use a free program. Once you find a program, you simply need to input
your game settings and begin playing.

The great thing about using free trainers is that you can get started within
seconds, and you don’t have to pay anything for the service. The downside is
that free programs don’t offer as many games or features as purchasable software

If you’re a casual video poker player, chances are that you won’t care about
the lack of games and features on free sites.

But if you’re a serious player who’s dealing with games outside the scope of
a free trainer, then you’ll need to upgrade.

Paying for Video Poker Training – Best Option for Serious Players

Free training programs don’t cover +EV machines and the higher paying online
video poker games. This is where software that you pay for comes into play.

These programs give you a larger variety of games to train with, and they
even allow you to customize pay tables.

If you’re playing a +EV game like Deuces Wild, Double Bonus, or Double Double
Bonus, buying a video poker trainer is a must.

The first reason why is because you need a program that actually covers your
desired game. Secondly, as you gain speed and repetition, you stand to make
larger hourly profits through +EV games.

Below you can see an example of a video poker trainer we found on Amazon:

• Optimum Video Poker,
  Advantage Play Trainer for Windows and Mac
• Price: $59.95
• Allows you to customize
  strategy charts.
• You can create new pay
  tables.
• Practice on a wide range of
  existing video poker games.
• Calculate the break even
  point of a progressive jackpot.
• Calculate volatility for
  games.

How Many Hours should You Spend with a Video Poker Trainer?

Once you start practicing, you may wonder how long you should continue with
video poker training. And the answer depends upon a variety of factors.

Here are some aspects to consider:

• What’s your current video
  poker experience?
• How much time do you have?
• How serious are you about
  becoming a great player?
• Are you training to conquer
  a +EV game, or close to it?

No two video poker players are the same, and there’s no concrete answer on
how long you should spend with video poker trainers. The more time you can
spend, the better.

It’s especially good if you can divvy up your training with real money
sessions. This helps you put into practice what you’ve learned through the
training sessions.

But if you’re totally new to video poker training, we recommend that you
spend at least a few hours training before betting real money.

Hand Calculators

One tool that you can use on the side of video poker trainers is a hand
calculator.

These are good to use in combination with training programs because they help
you figure out individual hands. Here’s how a video poker calculator works:

1. You pick a game and pay table.
2. You choose the 5 card hand you want to analyze.
3. Click the Process button.
4. The calculator shows you what the best
   play is, along with the EV that other players yield.

The advantage that hand calculators have is helping you figure out a single
hand. This isn’t possible with training programs, which randomly deal hands as
you play.

The one problem with hand calculators is that they’re slow to set up. It
takes several seconds to set up each hand, then you have to read the results
afterward.

This isn’t nearly as efficient as a training program, which generates all the
hands for you. It’s also not as handy as a strategy chart, which allows you to
quickly reference where a hand ranks in hierarchy.

Nevertheless, hand calculators do have their place in the video poker world.
And what’s nice is that some training programs come packaged with calculators.

How to Find the Best Video Poker Games – Online and Offline

In the Basics section, we covered how important it is to
find the right games and pay tables. But how do you go about accomplishing this?

Sometimes casinos do the work for you by advertising that a bank of machines
offer “Up to 99.80% Payback.” In this case, all you need to know is your games
and pay tables to spot the high paying variation.

But in most instances, you need to do some research to find good games in
online and land based casinos. Let’s discuss a few ways that you can go about
this.

Use vpFREE2 to Find Top Video Poker Games in Land based Casinos

The ultimate tool for finding the best video poker machines in brick and
mortar casinos is vpFREE2.com. This website features search filters for finding
video poker in Canada and different regions of the United States.

Here’s how you use the vpFREE2 site:

1. Visit the “Casinos” tab at the top.
2. Choose your desired filter (Canada, East, Gulf Coast, Las Vegas, Laughlin, Mid West, Nevada, Reno Tahoe, and West).
3. Every casino in the region with video poker will be shown.
4. Payback percentages are listed in descending order.

One key with using vpFREE is that you need to understand what the game
abbreviations mean. For instance, “FPDW” means full pay Deuces Wild.

If you come across abbreviations that you don’t know, visit the “Pay Tables”
tab to figure them out.

We performed a search for Las Vegas, and here’s an example of what turned up
at Aliante Casino:

• 100.76% FPDW: $0.05, $0.025
  denominations
• 100.17% DB: $0.05, $0.25,
  $0.50, $1.00
• 100.07% DDB: $0.05, $0.25,
  $0.50, $1.00
• 100.15% LDW: $0.05, $0.25,
  $0.50, $1.00
• 100.07% DDB: $0.05, $0.25,
  $0.50, $1.00
• 99.80% TB+: $0.25, $0.50,
  $1.00
• 99.73% NSUD: $0.25, $0.50,
  $1.00
• 99.69% SDB: $0.25, $0.50,
  $1.00
• 99.64% Bdlx: $0.25, $0.50,
  $1.00
• 99.54% JoB: $0.25, $0.50,
  $1.00

As evidenced by the fact that they have three +EV games, Aliante Casino is
one of Vegas’ best when it comes to video poker.

Unfortunately, most casino searches won’t turn up video poker this good. But
if you know where the top games are in your area, then you’ll have a much better
chance of winning.

Google Online Software Provider Reviews to Find the Best Online Video Poker

No comprehensive site like vpFREE2 exists for finding the top online video
poker games. But you can still find this information by googling reviews on
software providers.

If you find the right reviews, you’ll see what each provider offers in terms
of video poker payback.

We googled Realtime Gaming (RTG), scrolled down to the video poker portion,
and found that they offer the following payback:

1. Aces & Eights (8 5 4 3 2 1) = 99.78% payback
2. Double Jackpot (160 80 80 40 20 8 5 4 3 2 1) = 99.63%
3. All American (35 8 8 8 3 1 1) = 99.60%
4. Jacks or Better (9 6) = 99.54%
5. Bonus Deuces Wild (9 4 4 3 1 1) = 99.45%
6. Double Bonus (45 10 7 5 3 1 1) = 99.37%
7. Double Double Jackpot (160 160 160 80 50 9 6 5 3 1 1) = 99.36%
8. Sevens Wild (25 15 10 5 3 2 2 1) = 99.16%
9. Pick ‘Em Poker (239.8 100 18 15 11 5 3 2) = 99.11%
10. Loose Deuces (25 15 5 4 3 2 2 1) = 99.07%
11. Bonus Deuces Wild (8 4 4 3 1 1) = 99.06%
12. Double Jackpot (140 70 70 35 20 8 5 4 3 2 1) = 98.99%

This list doesn’t include all of RTG’s video poker games, but it gives you an
idea on what to expect from their best paying video poker variants.

You can do the same with any other software provider that you want to know
about. Of course, the key is that you need to know software companies before you
can google them.

This isn’t difficult information to find, though, and it should only take you
a couple minutes to find some good video poker games.

From here, you need to find out which casinos a software provider supplies.
Again, this is another easy matter that won’t require much research.

Casino Video Poker Strategy

Google Articles on the Best Land based and Online Video Poker

The first two methods that we discussed are by far the best with regard to
finding payback for both land based and online casinos. But if you’re looking
for one more, then you can also google / bing articles on the subject too.

You can search for phrases like the following:

• Best video poker payback
• Best online video poker payback
• Best video poker casinos

Whenever you search for these terms, you’ll find articles that discuss online
or land based casinos with good payback.

Again, this isn’t the most efficient way of finding quality video poker
games. But if you’re up for some reading, these articles make for interesting
subject matter.

Look for Progressive Video Poker that’s Offering +EV

One final way that you can search for good video poker is to scope out
progressive machines.

As you may know, a progressive video poker machine’s royal flush jackpot
grows with each bet. And if the jackpot reaches a certain point, then it begins
offering +EV to players.

The point at which a video poker machine reaches the +EV point varies based
on the game and pay table. Here are some examples based on a 5 coin bet:

• ($0.25 Coin Denomination)
• 9 / 6 Jacks or Better = $1,220 (4,880 coins)
• 9 / 5
  Jacks or Better = $1,696 (6,794 coins)
• 8 / 6 Jacks or Better = $1,705 (6,820
  coins)
• 9 / 6 Double Double Bonus = $1,461 (5,844 coins)
• 9 / 5 Double Double
  Bonus = $1,944 (7,776 coins)

The idea here is that these jackpots have become worth so much that you’re
theoretically earning +EV due to the larger royal flush.

Of course, the catch is that your chances of getting the royal flush are
still low. But if you can find these opportunities and continue to take
advantage, then you can earn long term profits.

Not surprisingly, the best place to scout progressive video poker machines is
Las Vegas. But other casino hubs like Atlantic City, Louisiana, Mississippi, and
Reno can also offer big progressive jackpots.

Video Poker Loyalty and Promotions

No video poker player should play without loyalty rewards. Sadly, some
players miss out on comps because they don’t know to seek them.

Let’s cover how you can get video poker comps so that this doesn’t happen to
you.

Sign Up for the Slots Club

The Reasonwhy some people miss out on video poker rewards is because they
don’t sign up for the slots club.

Be sure to sign up online or in the casino because you need a slots club card
to collect video poker rewards. And the more you play, the more comps & cashback
you’re going to earn.

The comp rate differs based on where you play and what game you choose. But
it’s common for casinos to offer video poker players a rate between 0.1% and
0.3%.

Here’s an example of how a comp rate works:

• You earn a 0.2% comp rate.
• You bet $1,000 on a video
  poker game.
• You’d earn $2 in comps
  (1,000 x 0.002).

This doesn’t sound like much money, but it adds up as you continue playing
video poker.

Just be aware that every land based casino has their own way of dealing with
comps.

We’ve seen some casinos that’ll only comp you 0.01% if you play games with
over 99% payback. Others don’t care and will still offer you the standard 0.1%
to 0.3% on any video poker machine.

Make Sure Your Online Casino Offers Video Poker Loyalty

All you need to do to pick up loyalty rewards at internet casinos is make a
deposit and start playing. The casino software will automatically keep track of
your loyalty and reward you accordingly.

One thing to watch out for, though, is online casinos that don’t reward video
poker players. This breaks down into a few categories:

• Casinos that offer loyalty
  rewards to slots, table games, and keno players – but not video poker players.
• Casinos that offer video
  poker loyalty – but don’t include video poker in meeting bonus wagering
  requirements.
• Online casinos that don’t
  offer a loyalty program period.

All internet casinos offer fewer rewards to video poker players when compared
to slots, keno, and scratch card players. After all, video poker has one of the
lowest house edges in the gaming world.

But you should at least get something for your online play. If not, then you
need to search for another casino.

Can You Become a Professional Video Poker Player?

Given that certain video poker games offer over 100% payback, many players
wonder if it’s possible to become a professional.

Yes, technically you can become a video poker pro. But you also have to
consider the many pitfalls that accompany such a profession:

• The pay is low ($10 to $12
  an hour on FPDW w / comps included).
• This is like real work and
  there’s nothing glamorous about video poker.
• You need a large bankroll
  to survive the volatility.
• You’ll go weeks without a
  profit.
• You have to spend hours and
  hours in the casino every week.
• You have to play near
  perfect video poker.
• You must live in Vegas.
• +EV machines are gradually
  reducing throughout Vegas.
• You have to play on
  holidays, when double and triple point promotions are offered.
• The best machines aren’t
  always open.

These are the main things that any prospective pro must consider before
embarking on this difficult career.

In the end, you’re better off getting a regular job over playing video poker.
The game isn’t as profitable as it once was due to fewer +EV machines and
lucrative promotions.

But if you’re willing to take on the risk and you really love video poker,
then the option to be a professional is there.

Conclusion

Becoming a strong video poker player all begins with learning the
fundamentals, including the proper bet size, how to choose games, and how to
read pay tables.

Once you pick up these basics, the next logical step is to check out a
strategy chart. This helps you develop a strategy anchor that you can apply to
the nuances of other video poker variations.

The ultimate step to becoming a successful player is using a training
program.

If you’re a casual player, free video poker trainers will serve your purposes
just fine. But when you want to take your game to another level, consider buying
a program so that you can practice +EV games.

Also don’t forget to take advantage of loyalty rewards. Sign up for the slots
club in a brick and mortar casino, and make sure that your online casino
delivers rewards to video poker players.

Improving your play takes time. But if you’re willing to put forth the
effort, then you’ll have a much better shot at beating video poker!