Video Poker Strategy

Being an electronic poker games, much like online slots, many players naturally assume there is no real Video Poker Strategy that will increase their odds of winning. The fact is, just about every casino game, online of offline, has some sort of strategy that can be applied to decrease the house edge. The same can be said of a Video Poker strategy.

Video Poker is actually a casino game where the player's decisions have a great effect on their odds of winning. In fact, certain Video Poker games - specifically those with a Full Pat Table and Progressive Jackpot - can actually turn the odds into the player's favor by using the right Video Poker strategy. How many casino games can that be said of? Not many...

Below, we will categorically discuss a number of proven Video Poker strategies that can effectively decrease the house edge and raise a players win percentage significantly.

Video Poker Strategy - Discarding

The player's discarding choices are the key element of a good Video Poker strategy. The correct decisions in discarding are based on the Video Poker machine's pay table. With a 5-card Video Poker game, there are 32 possible discarding options, but there is generally a specific Video Poker strategy that should be used depending on your exact starting hand.

The most popular Video Poker game is Jacks or Better. The most profitable Video Poker game, according to payout expectations, is the Full Pay game known as 9/6 Jacks or Better. You can find a 9/6 Jacks or Better Video Poker game by looking at the Pay Table. The game should pay 9:1 for a Full House and 6:1 for a Flush. If you find this Video Poker game, it offers the best odds of winning for the player. Stick with it!

Because 9/6 Jacks or Better video Poker is so beneficial to the player, we're going to detail exactly how a player should react in all betting situations, according to this game.

Video Poker Strategy - 9/6 Jacks or Better Discard Chart

This chart is fairly simple - if your hand matches the hand on the chart, discard the cards on the chart. This will give a player the best possible expectations for making a profit. Follow this chart down the list, and the first hand that matches your hand is the way you should play your hand.

Video Poker Strategy - Bankroll Management

More often than not, you will be dealt a losing hand. In order to survive these inevitable downswings, you must bring a large enough bankroll. Obviously, you should never bring more than you can afford to spend. But even if you bring only $25, can make this last long enough to achieve a positive outcome. The idea is to choose a Video Poker game that accepts small enough denominations.

Your bankroll should last you through a minimum of 100 plays - 400 is better. If you have $25, you should not choose a video Poker game that requires more than $0.25 per play. Your best bet would be to play the nickel ($0.05) Video Poker games, guaranteeing a long play period and the best chance for profitable results.

Video Poker Strategy - Progressive Jackpots

some Video Poker games come with Progressive Jackpots. These often have the best expectations for the player, since there is the possibility of hitting that massive jackpot. Again, your bankroll will need to last a very long time to hit the jackpot, so make sure you bring enough cash to the casino.

Progressive Jackpots always come with requirements. Be sure to read the pay table to make sure you are meeting these requirements each time you bet. The standard requirements would be to bet the maximum denomination and/or credits per play. Too often, players think they've hit the Progressive Jackpot only to find they didn't bet enough, missing out on a massive win.

In 9/6 Jacks or Better, a player is generally able to bet 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 coins per play. You must bet all 5 coins in order to release the Progressive Jackpot.