The game of poker is one of the most popular card games out there, and something that makes it even more in favor with the general populace, is the ability now to play video poker through the miracle of today’s technology. Knowing how to play and how to win at video poker is a factor that will provide many hours of fun and pleasure; not only because you are playing against the machine and the house rather than a table of live opponents; but also you can win a lot of money if you know what you are doing.
As with any other kind of game or card game, there are rules and regulations to be followed to play the game properly, and video poker is no exception. To learn how to win at video poker, you must start with the basics and build your knowledge of the game and the quirks that lurk therein. The game of video poker is based on a deck of 52 playing cards with some forms of the game using the jokers in the play. Once the play starts, the machine deals 5 random cards to you; you decide which ones you want to keep and which you want to discard; and then the machine randomly deals replacement cards for the ones you discarded, if any. You are now paid according to the poker value of the cards you are left holding 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”.
Remember this also, that for every penny spent on the video poker machines, points are rewarded and these points can be redeemed for comps of all kinds, and free play. But, the deal is, if you don’t use a player card, the casino or house has no way of knowing how much or how long you are playing and therefore no way to assign points or comps—-you must use a player card to leave a play trail. And don’t be fooled by the wise old fools out there that pontificate to you when you are learning how to win at video poker; because they will try to pass on incorrect info about the player cards—-and that is, that if you use one, the machine will not pay out as well—-WRONG. The use of a player card is strictly for tallying amount played and has no bearing on the odds or performance of the machine whatsoever.
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.
Dean Evert writes on topics such as Poker Tips Online. For more information on Poker Tips visit our site.