Contrary to widespread belief, online Video Poker bares only superficial resemblances to traditional games such as Five-Card Draw. So before jumping into the rules and strategies, clear your mind of any (or most) pre-conceived assumptions.
Online Video Poker Rules
The objective in video poker is to make a winning hand according to that particular game’s paytable. Since you compete against this paytable and not against other players, there is obviously no bluffing. The game begins once you’ve inserted virtual coins into the machine and you’re then dealt five starting cards from a single 52-card deck (some bonus Video Poker games may include a joker or other additional cards). Here is the list of hand rankings from highest to lowest:
- Five of a Kind (only possible in games with wild cards)
- Royal Straight Flush (straight flush from Ten to Ace)
- Straight Flush
- Four of a Kind
- Full House
- Flush
- Straight
- Three of a Kind
- Two Pairs
- One Pair (Usually Jacks or Better, sometimes Tens or Better)
Upon viewing the first five cards there’s an option of receiving new ones, as well as holding onto any ones desired. Contrary to real life poker, four Queens are not more valuable than four 7s, a King-high straight is not better than a five-high straight, and a pair of Aces is not more valuable than a pair of Jacks, etc. The purpose of pointing this out is to show that there is no value in holding onto a strong kicker such as an Ace when choosing which cards to drop.
Once hold cards are decided, click “deal” to receive new cards. The example paytable is commonly used in Jacks or Better and shows minimum thresholds required for payouts. Note there is a hugely disproportional payout for Royal Straight Flushes when playing five coins (5 x 250 coins is only 1250 coins, as opposed to the 400 paid out when playing five coins). Whenever able, it always makes sense to max bet, however, if you cannot afford that wager it’s better to find a machine with lower minimums so maximums can be entered. Additional noteworthy lessons from this table are the single-coin payouts for a Flush (six coins) as well as for a Full House (nine coins). This pay scale indicates this is a Full Pay Online Video Poker Machine, which most professional players always attempt to seek out.
Why Play Online Video Poker?
If you’re looking for a game that can pay out big money in the short run, then video poker might just be your game. It offers the chance to come out with profits of as much as 4000 to 5000x the wager amount. No matter duration of session, try to choose games with high expected returns and always look at the paytable before starting. Ideally a machine with an expected return above 100% will be found because when played correctly, these will deliver profits by relying less on luck than other diversions.
Examples of two excellent paytables found at most gambling websites are Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild.
Full Pay Online Video Poker
A Full Pay Video Poker Machine is a version offering the best odds, identifiable by a 1 coin payout for a Full House and Flush, which will be set to 9 and 6 coins respectively. For this reason Full Pay is sometimes referred to as a 9/6 machine. Finding one online shouldn’t take long at all but it’s certainly worth it to invest the time since payouts as low as 8/5, 7/5, or in some cases 6/5, are simply not wise to play when payouts of 9/6 are available elsewhere.
Another important number to look for in a payout table is the amount of coins won for Two Pairs when risking 1 coin, which should always return 2 for a win. Also, when playing 5 coins a Royal Flush should always pay 4000 coins. These small nuances might not seem like a big deal, but over time the odds will be in favor of the player. Banging away on a Short Pay machine can cost as much as a 4.50% drop in return on wagers so they should be avoided at all costs.
Jacks or Better Strategy Guide
Here’s a quick guide to use when playing Jacks or Better online. Simply refer to the chart to help determine which cards to hold onto by going down the list until the best possible hand appears. By following it you will be giving yourself the best odds of winning every time.
Here are definitions of terms used in the chart to be familiar with:
Gap: A straight draw hand with a missing inside card. For example, in a hand such as 4, 5, 7, 8, the one gap would be the 6. In a hand such as 2, 4, 6, the two gaps would be the 3 and the 5.
High Card: In video poker a High Card can refer to a single Jack, Queen, King or Ace.
Open End: An open ended straight draw is a much more likely hand to complete than an inside straight draw, as there are twice as many cards in the deck (8 as opposed 4) that will make your hand.
Video Poker Royal Flush Probabilities
A Royal Flush, sometimes called a Royal Straight Flush, is the dream poker hand. Hitting one is extremely rare but it does happen from time to time. The good news is that unlike the lottery, video poker offers an expected return of 99.50%.
When playing a machine with a standard 52-card deck, you can be dealt one of a possible 2,598,960 different 5-card starting hands. Considering there are only four Royal Flushes out of all of those hands, don’t hold your breath on picking one up often. Mathematically, the odds of hitting one improve to 1 out of every 40,000 hands once you factor in the ability to add and drop cards. Good luck!