Techniques for playing video poker
Among the games in a casino, video poker is undoubtedly one of the most particular. By managing to mix the automated nature of slot machines 🎰 and the popularity of poker he has managed to gain more and more acclaim on new online casinos Canadians. For this reason steeves250.com decided to write an article on video poker winning strategies. Read on to find out how to calculate odds and strategies you can use when playing video poker 🎥.
Video Poker Winning Strategy 2022
Probability and house edge in video poker
To be able to develop your own strategy to win at video poker, it is essential to know the probability of a certain result occurring and, consequently, the commission imposed by the bank.
If we take the example of the most popular video poker (Jack or Better 9/6) the probability of winning varies from 0.002% of a royal flush (usually paid 250 times the stake) to 21.459% 🚀 if you hold at least one Jack or higher card, a situation in which the bet is usually refunded.
Summing up all the odds of winning a Jack or Better video poker we find that the chances of winning a hand are only 45.456% and usually the payback percentage is just over 98%. This means that the dealer imposes a commission of almost 2% to be sure of always being positive. In other words, if you wager 💰 $ 1,000, your expected profit should be just over $ 980.
And, of course, this aspect should be carefully considered when choosing a type of video poker. By choosing a solution that offers a higher expected return, it will be possible to organize winning 🏆 strategies that are more effective and can entertain you and win more. In this regard, according to steeves250.com’s calculations, the most interesting video poker games are Deuces Wild and Double Bonus with an expected profit of about 99% of the amount played.
Strategy to win at video poker
What to do with a winning hand
First of all, you need to understand in which hands you cannot change any card. Obviously, if you have the maximum number of points in your hand with ace, king, queen, jack and 10 of the same suit, either straight flush or poker, there is no doubt that the situation is so favorable that they cannot do anything but show your ♠ cards.
But when you hold a full house your perception may be different, you may be tempted to change the pair to try to find the card that allows you to make poker, knowing that a full house will still allow you to win something. Nevertheless, a full house should never be changed. The percentage of receiving a poker card is 4.3%. That is, in 94.7% 🚀 your winnings will be reduced by 2/3. The game is definitely not worth the candle.
The situation can be variable if you are holding a Flush or a Straight. In this case the strategy to win is not to change any cards, unless you are only one card away from a Royal Flush. But let’s leave it up to you to evaluate it depending on the situation you find yourself in during your playing 🌟 session.
What we can do is present you with the percentages at which you can receive certain cards. If you have an ace, a queen, a jack, and a ten and an eight of clubs, you can fold an eight. You can estimate that the probability of making a royal flush with a king 🧔 of clubs is just over 2%, in 17 cases out of 100 you can make a flush with any other club card, the probability of getting a king of a different color is 6.4% and 19.2% chance make a pair by receiving a jack, queen or ace. The odds of winning remain quite high, and the risk here is motivated by the opportunity to get the maximum payout.
In the case of three of a kind you just need to change the two cards that do not contribute to your win and in the case of a pair the cards to change are three, unless replacing a card you can get a royal flush. Again the choice is up to you, but the chances of significantly increasing your winnings ⭐ are over 20%.
Finally, there are many players who believe that if you have a pair and a face in your hand it makes sense to discard only the other two cards 🂤. But this strategy is quite a losing one because it tends to severely limit the chances of hitting three of a kind, full house or four of a kind. In this case the best thing to do is to change the three cards you don’t need.
What to do with a losing hand
But somehow, with a winning hand already, things get easier. Even a not entirely correct choice still leads to a win. If the cards you received did not turn out to be winning, you need to assess the situation well.
In this situation you can go from a situation where you only need one card ♠ to make a royal flush which allows you to have a chance of making a profit of the 53.19%, being able to count on a pair, a flush, a straight and a royal flush.
But in most hands the situation will be much more complex and it will be necessary to evaluate the quality of the cards in hand to understand what the potential is offered and how much you can win. And for this reason, to organize a strategy to win at video poker, you should always remember which cards to discard based on the situation. In the following table we show the twenty scenarios that can occur and the best decision you can make:
| Cards to hold | Possible winning hands | Number of cards to discard |
|---|---|---|
| A, K, J, 10 of Spades | Real Flush, Flush, Pair | 1 |
| 6,7,8,9 of Diamonds | Real Flush, Flush | 1 |
| 4,7,9,Q of Hearts | Color, Pair | 1 |
| A, K, Q of clubs | Real Flush, Flush, Pair | 2 |
| Pair of 10 or less | Poker, Full house, Three of a kind, Two pair | 3 |
| A, K, Q, J of various suits | Scale, Pair | 1 |
| 5,6,7,8 various suits | Scale with 4 or 9 | 1 |
| 8,J,Q of spades (closed flush) | Scale Color, Flush, Three of a kind, Two of a kind, Pair | 2 |
| 10,J,Q of hearts (open straight) | Color, Color, Straight, Three of a kind, Two of a kind, Pair | 2 |
| J,Q of hearts | Real Straight, Poker, Full house, Flush, Three of a kind, Two pair, Pair | 3 |
| K,Q,J of various suits | Scale, Three of a kind, Two pair, Pair | 2 |
| K, Q of various suits | Poker, Full house, Flush, Three of a kind, Two pair, Pair | 3 |
| J, 10 of diamonds | Real Flush, Poker, Full house, Flush, Three of a kind, Two pair, Pair | 3 |
| Asso | All Results | 4 |
| 3,5,7 of spades | Color, Flush, Three of a kind, Two pair | 2 |
| Other situation | All results | 5 |
Obviously this involves memorizing a rather substantial set of information. Our advice is to start by remembering the ones that are easiest for you and using them during the hands you play. And mark the cards you have in your hand when you don’t know what to choose effectively.
Once you have finished your playing session you can read through the notes you took and try to memorize some strategies that would allow you to increase your chances of winning. If you keep doing this with some frequency in a short time ⏱ you will be able to make very accurate decisions on which cards to discard.
In some cases, the table choices may seem counterintuitive. For example, there are many amateur players who believe that holding a pair of tens or less is less interesting than holding a figure. However, it must be considered that holding a pair of tens might allow you to make a double pair, a trio, a full house or a poker.
To have a winning 🌟 strategy at video poker you need to understand a simple concept, but too often underestimated by players. That is to say that it is not so important the value of an initial hand, as the potential for winning and the number of potentially winning combinations that it can offer.
Now that you have a clear idea of how to organize a strategy to win at video poker, you just have to choose the right casino that offers a gaming experience with video poker that meets your needs. Steeves250.com’s advice is to give it a try 888Casino or William Hill to start enjoying the best video poker rooms available in Canada.
