When it comes to video poker strategy, it’s important to remember that a video poker machine is NOT a slot machine. In video poker, there is an element of skill as well as chance. The choices you make will increase (or decrease) your odds of winning.
As such, video poker rewards knowledge and skill: If you find the right machine, use the right strategy, and have the right bankroll, it’s possible to play near-even with the house or perhaps be a long-term winner. In this article, we will focus on the Jacks or Better variation, which is the bread-and-butter game among video poker offerings.
Video poker is the thinking person’s slot machine. Let’s learn the basics of how to play video poker.
There are many variations of casino video poker, but most machines are based on the classic poker game of five-card draw. The gameplay is simple. You are dealt five random cards from a 52-card deck. You get one opportunity to improve your hand by drawing cards.
You decide which of the five cards you want to keep and are dealt random replacement cards for those you choose to discard. Check out our how to play poker article for a more detailed explanation of the play mechanics and poker hand rankings.
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The key to decoding a video poker machine is its pay table. The pay table below is for a classic game of Jacks or Better, where one must have at least a pair of jacks to get paid. The pay table shows how many credits you’ll receive for winning hands.