Video Poker Tips And Advice For Beginners

Learn The Hands, Their Rank, And Payout

The most basic first step would be to learn the various poker hands and their worth in terms of rank and payout. Every video poker game will have the list available to look over. The full order, from highest to lowest, is as follows:

– Royal Flush
– Straight Flush
– 4 of a Kind
– Full House
– Flush
– Straight
– 3 of a Kind
– 2 Pairs
– A Pair of Jacks

Study And Compare The Paytable

Though some video poker games may look identical, many will differ in their payout, measured as payback percentage or RTP (return to player) – the higher the better. Comparing the paytable of different games will help you find the best paying game.

Training And Practice

There are a number of video poker trainer apps, as well as free and/or non-monetary video poker games available online and at app stores to learn and practice with. These will help you in particular with learning the strategies.

Learning The Basic Strategies

Video Poker is a form of Draw Poker, which allows you to swap unwanted cards in your dealt hand for new ones. Recognising and knowing when, or not, to do this, along with knowing your hands, and the odds of winning, or getting better cards, etc., form the general basis of most video poker strategies.

As mentioned, video poker trainers are a great way to learn. There is also a wealth of information to be found online. Learning some of the tried and tested strategies instead of working things out for yourself will likely save you a lot of money.

A particularly important strategy to learn is how to protect your bankroll.

Protecting Your Bankroll

There are various simple methods utilised by gamblers for protecting your bankroll – in other words, your gambling money/purse.

These methods help create a certain structure and discipline to your gambling routine, and also help protect you and your bankroll from a certain well-known factor of casinos and gambling games called the “house edge”.

House edge is a built-in statistical advantage that ensures that the game, and its owner, always wins a certain percentage of the time. This advantage also increases over time, making the player more likely to lose the longer they play.

Setting a strict loss limit, maintaining an easy-going and steady pace to your playing and rate of betting, and also limiting the overall amount of time you play, are some of the basic methods recommended to protect you from the house edge.

Betting The Maximum Amount

With the above in mind, gambling games are designed so that the higher the risk taken, the higher the potential payoff. Betting the maximum amount of coins in video poker will thus insure the maximum payout for a high paying hand. It can also make the game a lot more exciting.

This all depends on your own style of playing though. Don’t feel pressured and remember to keep an eye on your bankroll.