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Video Poker Strategy
How to play Video Poker:
Video Poker is played at machines similar to slot machines. The game is
played from a regular 52 card deck. The player inserts 1 to 5 coins then
the machine deals 5 cards, the player choose what cards to hold if any
and then the cards discarded get replaced with new ones. Then the games
is over and the player gets paid off according to the value of his hand.
The payoff table will show the value for each winning hand these tables
can vary from one machine to another.
There are numerous variations of the game, the most common ones being
Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild. Some of these game variations include
wild cards like Deuces Wild where all deuces are wild and Jokers Wild
where wild jokers are included in the deck. Some games use multiple decks
such a Microgaming Power poker where you play 4 hands at a time. You can
also find games where the paytables have progressive jackpots to make
it more attractive and fun to play. And the best part is that most casinos
offer video poker that have generous payback close to 100% or even player
advantage is not uncommon.
Doubling your bet after a winning hand
Some machines will offer you a chance to double your winnings after you
have won a hand. If you decide to do this, the machine will deal five
additional cards with the first one face up and the last four face down.
The player then picks one of the face down cards. If it is higher in value
you double you winnings, if it is of lower value, you lose your winnings.
In most cases a tie is a push, but in some cases a tie loses. If you win
the double, you are usually allowed to keep doubling.
What is full pay ?
Full pay is term that tells you the value of the paytable. A machine with
full pay Jacks or Better would have a 99.54% payback with optimal strategy
and a paytable like this.
| Jacks or Better Full pay ( 9/6 ) | |||||
| Player Hand | Payout Table | ||||
| Coins Played | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Royal Flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1000 | 4000 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 |
| Full House | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
| Flush | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 |
| Straight | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Jacks or Better hands explained
Royal Flush: Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10 of the same suit.
Straight Flush: 5 cards making straight of the same suit, for example
3,4,5,6,7 all hearts.
Four of a Kind: Four card of the same value, for example all 4
Kings + another card.
Full House: Three cards of the same value + a pair, for example
3 kings and a pair of ace.
Flush: All 5 cards has the same suit, for example any 5 hearts.
Straight: Any 5 cards making a straight, for example 3,4,5,6,7.
Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same value + any 2 cards, for
example 3,3,3,4,8.
Two Pair: Two pair in the same hand, for example 4,4,7,7,9
Jacks or Better: A pair no lower rank than jacks, for example k,k,4,8,6
Jacks or Better Strategy Card
| To use the strategy at to the right, start
at the top of the list and look up the cards that describe your initial
hand. Try to Keep a hand that is as high as possible on the list. And then discard the cards that are not in the description. Outside Straight: The straight consists of four consecutive cards with no gaps. For example 4,5,6,7 + another card. Inside straight: An example of an inside straight would be 4,5,7,8 + another card. High Pair: Pair of jacks or better. Low Pair: Pair of tens and lower. High card: Jack or higher. |
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