How to Play Better Video Poker
Many video poker games are rated at 99.5 to 101 percent payback, and some
even higher, but unlike the "no brainer" reel slots where no
meaningful decisions are possible, the video poker player must always choose the
correct cards to hold in order to achieve the maximum payback. It is just this
challenge that makes video poker attractive to so many avid devotees. It is this
same requirement, however, that results in a casino win rate averaging about two
percent more than it would get if everyone played perfect strategy.
The vast majority of players pay little or no attention to the payoff
schedule. Many of their plays are correct simply because they are so obvious,
such as holding a high pair when none of the other cards bear any relation to
each other, but when there is a choice between two or more possible draws they
play mostly by guesses and hunches. It is their errors that give the casino that
extra two percent. Here are a few of the most common errors:
Playing a short pay machine.
This is clearly the most common error since the majority of games offer much
less than 100% payback, yet they get plenty of action even where better games
are available. I often see someone playing a short pay game when a nearby
machine is full pay yet sits idle. I even see people playing on one bank of
machines with a progressive jackpot when another identical bank of machines has
a higher jackpot. Learn to recognize the best payoff schedules, and avoid the
low payback games. Of course many casinos have no full pay games, in which case
the only logical answer is to go elsewhere. If more people would vote with their
legs, the casinos would have to offer more attractive games to be competitive.
Playing fewer than maximum coins.
Most games allow playing one to five coins or credits, but the maximum
jackpot is paid only if you play five coins. Typically, the royal flush pays
only 250-for-1 with short coin play, but a five-coin royal pays 4,000 coins
which is 800-for-1. On regular 9/6 Jacks-or-Better, short coin play reduces your
payback by about 1.4%, although this can be reduced to "only" a 1.2%
loss with certain strategy adjustments. But why give up even one percent? If you
can't afford to play five coins then look for a lower denomination machine with
the same payoff schedule. (But even so it's usually better to play one coin than
to switch to a lower denomination machine with a worse payoff schedule.)
Always holding something.
This is probably the most common and costliest playing error, especially in
wild card games. It may seem like a waste throwing away all five cards, but if
none of the available card combinations is listed in the strategy chart then
your best play is a five-card redraw. Just do it.
Holding a "kicker."
In live draw poker it's sometimes correct to hold an ace or other high card
when drawing to a pair or to three of a kind, but in video poker it's a very
costly error. Two pair pays the same no matter what the card ranks, and holding
that kicker just reduces the chances of improving the hand. In Deuces Wild,
remember that each card held means one less chance of drawing a wild card.
Drawing to a three-card flush or an inside straight.
This is tempting when dealt a garbage hand with no high cards, but it's
better to draw five cards. (Surprisingly, however, it's sometimes correct to
draw to an inside straight in Deuces Wild and Double Bonus Poker, and drawing to
a little three-card flush is sometimes correct in Double Bonus Poker and 9/7
Jacks-of-Better.) The point is that no one strategy is correct for all games.
You need to learn a strategy that is specific for the game you want to play.
Breaking a made pay to draw to a three-card royal.
Granted this is very tempting, and it will occasionally yield an extra royal,
but in the long run it's a costly error except when there is a high progressive
jackpot on the royal. (The necessary jackpot to make this correct depends upon
the game and the pay that is being broken.)
Overlooking some viable draws.
Perhaps the most often missed is a double inside straight flush draw. Learn a
complete strategy, and avoid the hunch plays.
Playing too fast.
It's easy to overlook some playable draws when playing over your optimum
speed. Also, some machines have sticky or dirty buttons. Be sure the
"hold" shows on the screen for the cards you want to hold.
Playing too slow.
If you are playing a game with over 100% return you obviously can increase
your expected win rate by playing faster, but don't play so fast that you make
strategy errors. Find your optimum speed.
Not joining the slot club.
Most casinos have a slot club, and membership is free. In some cases the cash
rebate may be very small or even nonexistent, but you often get additional comps
and/or special offers in the mail that make your play much more profitable.
You can be a long term winner at video poker simply by understanding and
avoiding these errors. It's not hard to recognize the good games and learn the
correct strategy for your games of choice. The moral is to play only the games
that offer high payback, follow an optimum strategy, and always use your slot
card. My Precision Play method make it easy to learn a winning strategy for some
of the most attractive games. You can cut your loss rate to almost nothing, or
even turn it into an expected win.
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