How to Win at Video Poker – Winning Video Poker Tips 2024
In this guide, you will discover how to win at video poker and improve your chances of making a profit.… Continue reading How to Win at Video Poker – Winning Video Poker Tips 2024
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In this guide, you will discover how to win at video poker and improve your chances of making a profit. Video poker is one of the most popular games at casinos because of its combination of skill and luck. It also has one of the lowest house edges of all games, and by following a few simple video poker tips, you can further reduce the house edge.
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How to Play Video Poker and Win
Video poker is somewhat of a hybrid between online slots and poker. You get the engaging visual elements and factors of luck as you do in slots, but there is also skill involved like in poker.
Several variations of video poker games can be played online and in brick-and-mortar casinos. In most popular versions, but not all, players are dealt five cards and select which to keep. Any cards they choose not to keep are discarded and replaced. The remaining cards make up the player’s final hand.
Despite there being several variations at video poker casinos, how to play video poker and win remains very similar for whichever variant you are playing. The aim in all the versions is to make the best standard poker hand from five cards. You can view the standard poker hands below.
- Pair: Two cards of the same rank (most versions need to be at least a pair of Jacks or higher).
- Two Pair: Two sets of pairs.
- Three-of-a-Kind: Three cards of the same rank.
- Straight: Five consecutive cards of different suits.
- Flush: Five cards of the same suit, not in sequence.
- Full House: A pair and a three-of-a-kind.
- Four-of-a-Kind: Four cards of the same rank
- Straight Flush: Five consecutive cards of the same suit.
- Royal Flush: Ten, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of the same suit.
Some versions payout for certain pairs, but others, like Deuces Wild, have the lowest-paying hand as a three-of-a-kind. Some variants also have other paying non-standard hands, such as Five-of-a-Kind in Jokers Wild.
Learn How to Beat Video Poker Machines
As already mentioned, while winning at video poker involves luck, there are steps players can take both before and while playing to increase their odds of success. In this section, we provide five essential tips on how to beat video poker machines.
Joe Yarnold
What to Avoid When Trying to Win at Video Poker
Now that you know our tips for playing video poker and the actions you need to take, it’s time to learn what not to do if you want to increase your video poker wins.
Chasing a Straight/Flush
It’s important to know what cards to hold in video poker. A common mistake beginners make is opting for a high-paying hand like a straight or a flush when they shouldn’t.
If you have three to a flush/straight and a pair (low or high), you should always keep the pair and not chase the higher-paying flush/straight.
If you have four to a flush/straight and a high pair, you should keep the pair (unless it’s four to a royal flush). If it’s a low pair, discarding it is the right move.
Keeping Kickers
Unlike standard PVP poker games like Texas Hold’em or certain live dealer games, kickers are not a thing in the majority of video poker games, and there is no need to keep one as it will not increase your chances of getting a higher payout.
For example, if you have 8, 8, King, and Ace, you should keep the three 8s and withdraw the King and Ace. Your payout doesn’t increase just because they are high cards, but it does go up if you hit another 8 and get four-of-a-kind.
Not Using the Five Credits/Coins
Most in-person and online casino video poker games use a coin/credit system, and players can bet with 1 to 5 credits. A game may set credits at $0.50, which means a 1-credit bet is $0.50, a 3-credit bet is $1.50, and 5 credits is $2.50.
Always play with five credits whenever you play because the payouts are different. For example, in Jacks or Better, a royal flush pays out at 250 to 1 for a one-credit bet but at 800 to 1 for a five-credit bet.
If betting with five coins isn’t within your means, change machines or games to one with a lower credit amount rather than playing with fewer credits.
Comparing Video Poker RTPs & House Edge
As we previously discussed, checking out the RTP and house edge is essential when trying to find out how to win at video poker. These tell you how much money, on average, is returned to players. The higher the RTP and the lower the house edge, the better your prospect of winning is.
Below are the RTP and house edge of five of the most popular video poker games. This table displays the machines’ maximum and minimum house edge if using a basic video poker strategy.
| Video Poker Game | RTP | House Edge |
| Jacks or Better | 99.54% | 0.46% |
| Deuces Wild | 100.76% | -0.76% |
| Jokers Wild | 99.65% | 0.35% |
| Bonus Poker | 99.17% | 0.83% |
| Double Bonus Poker | 98.98% | 1.02% |
Video Poker Jackpots
Many online casinos provide jackpot games, and these variants are some of the best video poker games to play as they offer huge payouts. For example, a man in Vegas in 2023 won two $400,000 and a $200,000 video poker jackpot within 24 hours.
Jackpot video poker games typically feature progressive jackpots. These work by taking a small percentage of every bet made, usually around 0.5% to 2%, and adding it to the jackpot so that the more people play, the bigger the jackpot becomes. In video poker, the jackpot is typically triggered on a royal flush.
There are several jackpot variants of games, including Jacks or Better progressive, Double Doble Bonus Poker, Deuces Wild progressive, Triple Play Draw Poker, and more.
Other Useful Video Poker Guides On ReadWrite
If you want to know more about poker strategies, how to win at video poker Jacks or Better, or simply how to play this game, be sure to check out our other guides below.
Can You Win at Video Poker?
Yes, you can win at video poker, and very few casino games give you as good a chance of winning as video poker. Without any strategy, the RTP of one of Jacks or Better is just below 95%, which is reasonably high. However, by implementing a basic strategy and using video poker tricks, the RTP is as high as 99.54%.
If you are ready to try out these tactics and start winning at video poker, there are several decent online casinos where you can play. Our recommendation is Wild Casino as it’s reliable, has some of the best video poker games and offers excellent casino bonuses.
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FAQ
How do I consistently win at video poker?
What cards should you hold in video poker?
Is it better to play video poker fast or slow?
Should you hold a low pair in video poker?
Responsible Gambling
Responsible gambling is essential as it safeguards players and allows gambling to remain a safe and enjoyable experience. If players don’t gamble responsibly, they are at risk of developing a gambling problem, which can lead to financial distress, mental health problems, and strain on relationships.
To find out more about responsible gambling and seek help if you are affected by a gambling addiction, we recommend taking a look at the websites below.
Resources
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