Video Poker Tips

Video Poker is a fast paced game enjoyed by many at land-based and online casinos. It has many variants and of them, the most widely played is Jacks or Better. When a player gets a pair of Jacks or better, he gets a large payout. This is contingent on two factors – the number of cards on which he has bet and the quality of his hand.

The payouts can change with the machines or games you play. The payout scales are determined by the ratio between the Full House payouts and Flush Hand payouts. The probability of winning can be improved the use of strategies that inform the player about which hands to hold and which to discard. Here are some of them:

Starting hands

Knowing the potential of your starting hands is a crucial video poker strategy. This will indicate whether your hand has the chance of making the most rewarding combination after a redraw. There are six types of starting hands in video poker:

Two pair or higher

A hand with a two pair or higher immediately qualifies for a payout. If you have a hand with a Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind or Two Pair, hold this part of your starting hand prior to re-drawing. You can even retain the entire hand if it is strong. This is only if you don’t have a hand with Four-to-a-Royal-Flush.

Pay Pair

The next best hand is a pay pair that also qualifies for payout. These comprise of two Aces, Queens, Kings or Jacks. If your hand also has another pair, the game will proceed as it would if you had a two pair or higher. Pay pairs have the potential to improve and bring a better payout post re-draw. An important Video Poker Strategy is that if the pay pair is accompanied by four royal or straight flush cards, retain the draws but not the pay pair.

Non-Paying Pair

The third best hand in the game is one that contains a non-paying pair. This hand can have pairs from 2 through 10. The pairs however, do not qualify for a payout as their rankings are less than that of a pair of Jacks. A hand qualifies if the player draws a better hand with a three of a kind or a two pair. Discard the pair if you have a flush draw or three to a royal flush.

Two Pay Cards – Lowest and Suited

Ace, Jack, King and Queen are pay cards that can bring a payout if you pair or improve them. Hold two unpaired pay cards if they are in a combination such as K-J-7-6-4. Here, the King and Jack are your pay cards. Suited pairs are preferred to unsuited pairs. In this video poker strategy, if your hand has more than two pay cards, retain the lowest two of them. Four draws to retain over these cards are – three to a straight or royal flush, open-ended-straight draw or any flush draw card.

One that Pays or None that Pay

In Video Poker, the probability of being dealt a hand with one or no pay card is present. A hand with one pay card is a preferred option only if a draw comprising ten-paint (suited), three to a straight flush, open-ended-straight or any four to a flush is not available. When you don’t have pay cards, discard all your cards and redraw newly. An exception is if you have a draw with three to a straight flush, open-ended straight-draw or any four-to-a-flush – then, retain the draws.