Playing Video Poker

Video-poker is a popular way of playing an old favorite in a more private atmosphere. With video poker it is you against the machine without the hassle of dealing with other players. Of course, in video poker there is no element of bluffing as with paper card poker however there is still a lot of fun to be had as well as a certain amount of skill. When you play video poker your strategy starts before you even put a coin in the machine. There are many different video poker machines and they play with different odds and returns. You should always compare the odds and returns with other machines and aim for the ones that give you at least a 98% return. Once you have found a machine that you like take a good look at the payout per hand. This will affect how you play your cards because sometimes it is worth you while giving up a lower hand in a gamble to get a higher hand. Here are some of the more popular video poker machines and how to play them.

Jacks or Better machines have a payout of 98% to 100% so go for the highest you can find. Generally you can expect the game to be fairly even in terms of wins and losses and not have he highs and lows that you get with some other machines. There are different kinds of Jacks or Betters and you should head for the Easy Money variety as these usually give the best odds of winning. Don't confuse with the Jack's Back variety. The odds may look similar but in the long run this machine with not give you as chances of winning. Also, the Crawdad variety which gives you better odds on Four of a Kind does not give you as good odds of winning in the long run.

Joker Poker machines are very popular because they can give returns as high as 102%. However, because the wild cards increase the chances of higher hands the minimum hand required for a win is also higher, usually a pair of kings or two pairs. Four of kind is the most common big win hand on this machine and if you get one of those during a session you should come out on top. Don't confuse with Joker's Wild that only has a 92% return.

Finally Deuces Wild is another common video poker machine. The key point to remember on this machine is that your twos are valuable cards to don't discard them. Played right, a Deuces Wild machine can give a 102% return but your wins and losses can swing wildly.

One general rule applies to all video poker machines: Always play the maximum credits! The payoffs increase depending on how many credits you make and it will break your heart to get waste a royal flush on a bet of only one credit.