Guide to Video Poker
Introduction to Video PokerVideo poker is best described as great game at a great price. Find out all about this fun and exciting game in ReadyBetGo's Guide to Video Poker
Ranking the Hands in Video PokerHere are the hand rankings for video poker. If you don't know these ranks, learn them before you play the game.
Video Poker Pay TablesUnlike slot machines, a casino can't loosen or tighten a video poker machine without you knowing it. Why? Because the paytable tells you all you need to know about how good a deal you're getting.
Video Poker Strategy - Hold or Toss?Memorizing video poker strategy isn't as daunting as it may seem if you limit your list to the truly important rules. Basil Nestor has narrowed it down to twenty essential rules that will add dollars to your video poker bottom line.
Good Video Poker GamesVideo poker has come a long with since Jacks or Better. Here are twenty-six video poker games complete with pay schedule returns for each variation.
Before you Go! - Video Poker EssentialsThere are a lot of varieties of video poker out in casinos today, but these essentials apply to all video poker games. Keep them in mind when you're playing.
Bob Dancer: The Best in Video Poker ProductsBob Dancer is the foremost expert in the field of video poker today. His website offers video poker players a great resource for information, products and access to classes and seminars. Whether it's articles about video poker strategy, ordering video poker cards, books or software or signing up for Bob's popular video poker training classes, you'll find what your looking for on his site.
BVS Video PokerYou can download the latest version of the BVS Video Poker training software, find product news, and read testimonials from satisfied customers at the BVS Video Poker website. BVS also produces excellent solitare software that is available for download.
Jean Scott's Queen of CompsJean Scott, the Queen of Comps, is best known for encouraging smarter casino gambling and that's why we are happy to encourage you to visit her site. Her practical suggestions will save you time and money in your quest to make your time in the casino more fun and profitable.
vpFREE Video Poker Hall of FameThe leading lights of video poker are given their due at vpFREE's Video Poker Hall of Fame. Two of our favorite authors, Bob Dancer and Jean Scott, are recognized along with other notable contributors to the world of video poker. To check out the who's who of video poker see vpFREE's Video Poker Hall of Fame.
How to Play Video Poker
Video poker combines elements of poker with the ingenuity of the slot machine. It requires strategy and decision making. If you study the game and know how to play the different video poker variations, you can boost your odds considerably. To get going, read ReadyBetGo's Guide to Video Poker or read the latest video poker strategy. You can also check out the history and rules of video poker, or browse the best in video poker training software
To get you started, here is the introduction to the ReadyBetGo! Guide to Video Poker .
Introduction to Video Poker
by
Basil Nestor
If you like to gamble, and you like to win, then video poker is a better game than slots. Simply, it’s easier to beat. There is no hidden house edge, no secretly tight machines. Each draw is from a freshly shuffled (virtual) deck.
Best of all, video poker is one of the few casino games that has a positive expectation. That’s right. Play the right machine, long enough, in the right way, and video poker is mathematically guaranteed to pay back more than it takes in.
But that doesn’t mean you should quit your job to go play video poker. The effort required to earn a steady income as a gambler is a full-time job itself. On the other hand, it’s fairly easy to play a near-neutral game (pushing the edge to just above or below zero). Add the value of comps, and video poker can be a ticket to a free or nearly free vacation.
It’s a brainpower contest that pays.
Basic Video Poker
If you know poker then the fundamentals of video poker will be familiar. There is a hierarchy of hand ranks (see the next section) and a draw, but beyond that you should forget everything you know about the table game when playing the video version. You can’t bluff the machine, raise, or call. There’s no pot. The game deals you five cards. You can keep all of them, some, or none. Replacements are dealt as necessary. The revised combination is your final hand. Winners are paid according to a pay table posted on the machine.
The most basic game is jacks or better; any hand with a pair of jacks or better is a winner. Other versions make deuces or jokers wild (they count as any card the player requires). Wild-card games typically raise the minimum winning hand to kings or better, two pairs, or three of a kind. Multiple-hand games allow you to repeat the same starting cards three, five, ten, fifty times, or more. Each time the draw is different.
Whatever the game, the play remains essentially the same; receive five cards, draw, the result is your hand (or hands).
Buttons on a video poker machine are similar to those on a slot machine except that “Spin” is replaced by “Deal,” and each card has a “hold” button. In addition, most video poker machines use touch screens; just touch the cards to hold them.
Some players become excited and forget to hold cards when they’re dealt a royal flush or another perfect hand before the draw. One more press of the deal button does not bring a big payout, but five more cards. Ouch! Be sure to press the hold button for every card you intend to keep. The screen should acknowledge your choice.
The next article in this series is Ranking the Hands in Video Poker.
Featured Video Poker Authors
is the author of the new
Playboy Complete Guide to Casino Gambling. This wonderful book teaches players how to avoid sucker bets and win more when playing gambling games. He is also the author of The Smarter Bet Guide series for video poker, slots, craps, and many other books about gambling.
is one of the world's foremost video poker experts. He is a regular columnist for Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and the Las Vegas Review-Journa land has written an autobiography and a novel about gambling. He provides advice for tens of thousands of casino enthusiasts looking to play video poker.
is known as the "Queen of Comps" and encourages smarter casino gambling. She appears on network and cable TV, especially on the Travel Channel. Her down-to-earth practical suggestions will save you both time and money in your quest to make your trip to the casino more fun and more profitable.
Latest Video Poker Strategy and Rules
Video Poker: Betting less than Maxby John Grochowski
Does it ever make sense to bet less than max coin when playing video poker. That's the question John Grochowski tackles in this interesting article.
Jokers Wild Video Poker: Strategies to Winby Gayle Mitchell
Jokers Wild is another popular wild card game that adds to the excitement of video poker play. The majority of your hands will look similar to a Jacks or Better game; however, don't fall into the trap of using the same Jacks or Better strategy play. On average, fewer than 10% of your initial cards dealt will contain the joker, thus your strategy will evolve around this fact.
Video Poker Book Reviews
More Books from the Gambling Bookshelfby John Grochowski
John Grochowski takes a look at one of our author's new books, Frugal Video Poker, by Jean Scott. He also reviews Phil Gordon's latest effort.
The Undeniable Truth About Video Poker Uses Flawed Strategyby Nick Christenson
In The Undeniable Truth About Video Poker, Rob Singer has written a treatise that challenges what most advantage players have to say about the game of video poker. I found what he had to say to be true but irrelevant at best, and incoherent and just plain wrong at worst. I don't agree with Singer's "undeniable truth", and I don't recommend that anyone read this book.
Video Poker News
