Win at Video Poker – Tips and Tricks

To win at video poker, whether you play online or in live casinos, you should not risk your money on any machine that does not offer the following minimum payouts. Perfect video poker strategy requires you to avoid games where the payout for any hand is lower than what’s shown here:

Jacks or Better (rated 99.54%payout)

Royal Flush	4000
Straight Flush	250
Four of a Kind	125
Full House	45
Flush	30
Straight	20
Three of a Kind	15
Two Pair	10
Jacks or Better	5

Here is a good Video poker strategy for Jacks or Better

Deuces Wild (rated 98.91%payout)

Royal Flush	4000
Four Deuces	1000
Wild Royal	125
Five of a Kind	75
Straight Flush	45
Four of a Kind	20*
Full House	20*
Flush	15
Straight	10
Three of a Kind	5
*If Four of a Kind pays 25 and Full House 15, you have found a “full-pay” machine, returning 100.7%. As a result of this anomaly, such pay tables are rare, even in Las Vegas.

Here is a good Video poker strategy for Deuces Wild

Jokers Wild (rated 99.07%)

Royal Flush	4000
Five of a Kind	1000
Royal with Joker	500
Straight Flush	250
Four of a Kind	100
Full House	30
Flush	30
Straight	25
Three of a Kind	10
Two Pair	5
Kings or Better	5

Here is a good Video poker strategy for Jokers Wild

If games with pay tables as good as the above are not available, but you still want to play anyway, I would firstly risk only a relatively small amount and hope to get a big payout in short order. More importantly, if you’re betting serious money to win at video poker, do not keep feeding coins into machines with bad pay tables for extended periods!

No guarantee on Paytable percentages

On average, a Royal Flush occurs about once every 40,000 hands. However, there is absolutely no guarantee. On the one hand you could go 100,000 hands and not hit one and yet on the other, you could hit two in a space of minutes. Some calculations to keep in mind if you aim to succeed at video poker: Let’s say you play maximum coins at a moderate speed of 400 hands per hour. Therefore it takes 100 hours to play 40,000 hands. Consequently, at five quarters, or $1.25 per hand, times 400 hands, that’s $500 going through the machine each hour!

At only a 2.5% long-term hold, the machine keeps an average of $12.50 per hour. In summary, play 100 hours, (40,000 hands) and your loss will total $1,250! Above all, even if you were lucky enough to hit a Royal Flush during that stretch, the pay-off would be 4,000 quarters or $1,000. You’re still down $250, or an average of $2.50 for each hour of play

How can you beat Video Poker?

So, how can you beat video poker, or at least break even in the long-run? Probably the easiest way is through casino bonuses. In online casinos the free video poker bonus cash can make the difference. As a result, you should exploit free cash to the maximum.

When playing in brick and mortar casinos where they give comps, keep a record of the estimated value of everything the casino gives you for free and include that sum in your win at video poker calculations. It seems like keeping accurate records is part of a winning video poker strategy doesn’t it?

If you received free accommodation, restaurant meals, show tickets and other gifts, you should thus add up the estimated dollar value. Almost certainly, the amount could be about equal to what you lost on the machines. Plus if you are lucky and hit more than your fair share of Royals, you will even show an overall net cash profit. It’s how you win at video poker over the long term.

Online casinos don’t have slot clubs, but you can easily end up on the plus side. Here the win at video poker strategy is toexploit the sign-on or welcome bonuses offered by practically all online casinos.

Good Luck, and I wish you many Royal Flushes in your win at video poker pursuit.