Strategy

Three Video Poker Strategies that Payoff

Video poker games offer high payout rates, which means that the house edge on these games is small. On basic games, it ranges from 0.5% to -0.8%. That means that if you play these games correctly, you can make money. But these are not slot machines, which overall are games of chance.

Although there is a certain amount of chance in all types of gambling, video poker, like the card game it is based on, takes a certain amount of skill and that means that using a video poker strategy can be very useful.  Here are three different strategies that you can utilize.

Video Poker Strategy—Money Management

Too many players mismanage their bankroll by betting more or less than they should at a given time. Additionally, bettors often expect too much from their bankroll, thinking that they can turn $100 into $1,000 almost instantly. A good gain in any given session is 10% and anything over 20% is really quite an achievement.

Here is a video poker strategy for money management.

• Break your bankroll into units. Since video poker machines take 1 through 5 credits, 1 unit should equal one credit. If you are playing a machine where $0.25 is the lowest bet, then a quarter is equal to one unit.
• If your bankroll is $100 and the minimum wager is $0.25, then you have 400 units with which to play.
• With that in mind set your losing and winning limits. We’ll set our losing limit at 200 units. That’s the most we’re willing to lose in one session. The winning limit is when you will walk away with a profit. It is the minimum amount of profit that will get you to retire from the current session.  Let’s be moderate in out goals and say 20%. That means you’ll stop playing once you’ve won 40 units.
• Start by wagering 1 unit.
• If you win double the next wager and if you lose stay with 1 unit.
• Double up each time you win and go back to 1 unit once you lose.
• If you are on a winning streak and get to 5 units and lose, then wager 5 more units. If you lose that go back to 1 unit. (Only do this with 5 unit bets.)
• If you show a 40-unit profit, you do not need to quit. However, if you exceed your profit goal and then start to lose, you must quit to preserve the profit.
• If you lose a total of 200 units, then it is time to quit. Walk away.

This money management strategy gives you a plan of action that will ensure that you stay within spending limits and it will help preserve any profit that you make. As you play, be sure to keep track of your bets, profits, and loses.

Video Poker Strategy—Basic Playing

This playing strategy demands that you play the highest possible hand at all times. Here are the hands that you may be dealt.

1. If you have the chance for four of a kind, straight flush, royal flush discard accordingly favoring first to last:

• Royal flush
• Straight flush
• Four of a kind

1. If you’re holding 4 cards for a royal flush discard unsuited card.
2. If you may pull three of a kind, straight, flush, or full house discard accordingly favoring from first to last:

• Full house
• Flush
• Straight
• Three of a kind

1. If you have 4 cards towards a straight flush, then discard unsuited card.
2. With 2 pair discard the unpaired card, going for the full house.
3. When holding 1 high pair discard the 3 other cards trying for another pair, three of a kind, a full house or four of a kind.
4. If you have 3 cards of a royal flush discard the 2 unsuited cards.
5. If you’re holding 4 cards to a flush discard the 1 unsuited card.
6. When holding 1 low pair discard all other cards and try for three of a kind, a full house or four of a kind.

10.  With 4 cards to an outside straight (a straight that may be completed by a card being put at either end) discard the unneeded card and go for the straight.

11.  Holding 2 suited high cards (a Jack and higher) discard the 3 other cards.

12.  With 3 cards towards a straight flush, discard 2 unsuited cards.

13.  With 2 unsuited high cards discard other 3.

14.  Keep suited 10 and Jack, 10 and Queen or 10 and King and discard other three.

15.  Hold 1 high card (Jack or higher) and discard others.

16.  If you have none of the above, then discard all 5.

This video poker strategy will result in a payout percentage of 99.54.  Always go with the best payout. As an example, if you’re dealt the following hand:

With this hand, you’ve already been dealt a winner. You’re holding a straight, which pays 4-1. But our strategy dictates that we go for the flush, which pays 6-1 and the straight flush, which pays 50-1. Using our strategy, we discard the 9 of Spades and go for some version of a flush.

Video Poker Strategy—Pushing Limits

This is a very aggressive strategy that should be tried with smaller amounts of cash and when you are showing a profit. Don’t use it as a desperation measure as the odds are against you overall. Still, if you hit you do win big.

With this strategy you are always betting the limit and looking for the biggest return. The chart below shows what you can expect if you win a 5 coin wager.

Thus, according to the chart, 5 coins on a royal flush rewards you with 4,000 coins. (5 x 800 = 4,000) while the same amount with a straight gets you 20 units (5 x 4 =20).

With this strategy, you’ll be betting the maximum each time and you will be looking to score on the top four hands only. Those are royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind and full house. You are not concerned with making any of the other five hands. Here’s the way it works.

Only hold the following in this order:

1. 3 or 4 of the following suited: 10, J, Q, K, A.
2. 3 or 4 cards of the same suit towards a straight flush.
3. Three of a kind.
4. Two pair.
5. 2, 3 or 4 highest cards of the same suit.
6. Hold a single Ace, King, Queen, Jack or 10.
7. Otherwise discard all 5.

Always go for the highest hand possible and always wager the limit. Once you’ve made a 20% profit or higher quit or quit when you’ve spent your predetermined limit.

Strategies Vary for Video Poker Games

There are various versions of video poker and that means that each type of game has its own strategy. The techniques and systems in this article are primarily for 9/6 Jacks or Better, although the money management video poker strategy does work for all games. As you play and start to understand each game, gaining in-depth knowledge, you’ll be able to develop your own winning video poker strategy. Use this article as a solid foundation for your own system.

Latest News

Shaun Deeb Takes Down Two Tournaments on Full Tilt

Shaun “tedsfishfry” Deeb has been the biggest beneficiary so far of “Double Guarantees Week” on Full Tilt Poker, taking down two 1,400+ entrant events over the past 48 hours. Full Tilt video poker is running “Double Guarantees Week” to bring awareness to their new “Multi Entry Tournaments”. All of the ...
read more

Vidoe Poker Strategy

There are many poker books that are devoted to this subject. And it definitely helps to read such books. But to put it out right now to anticipate, absolute video poker strategy is not THE, otherwise it would be pretty easy to win big tournaments. For example, there is a huge difference between being a table of ten of No Limit Texas Hold’em...
read more

Like to know more about video Poker Strategy

1. Read hands If you know the poker, what opponents of the card has, it would be very easy to win. Therefore, art is the fact the opponent ...
read more