How To Become a Better Video Poker Player

If you’re ready to up your video poker game, check out this guide on how to play the game smart and become a more effective player.

Video poker is a great digital alternative to traditional table poker because it has some of the highest odds in all casino gambling. That’s because it’s one of the few digital games where you use your poker knowledge and skills to impact the outcome of the game in your favor. In addition, there’s less social pressure when playing video poker because you’re playing one hand against the machine instead of a table full of other players who could be way more experienced than you.

If you’re ready to up your video poker game, check out this guide on how to play the game smart and become a more effective player.

Choose a Good Paytable

One thing that sets video poker apart from slots and other digital gambling games is that you know the expected return before you play. All you have to do is read the paytable.

Here’s the typical paytable for a Jacks or Better video poker machine:

Hands	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins (Max)
Royal Flush	250	500	750	1000	4000
Straight Flush	50	100	150	200	250
4 of a Kind	25	50	75	100	125
Full House	9	18	27	36	45
Flush	6	12	18	24	30
Straight	4	8	12	16	20
3 of a Kind	3	6	9	12	15
2 Pair	2	4	6	8	10
Jacks or Better	1	2	3	4	5

Jacks or Better games are usually programmed to pay out at 800 to 1 odds for a Royal Flush when you wager the maximum amount. But that goes down to 250 to 1 odds if you play fewer than five coins. However, payout odds can change for a full house and a flush, depending on the paytable. The table above is known as a 9/6 Jacks or Better table because the full house and flush pay out at 9 to 1 and 6 to 1 odds, respectively.

Another common table you’ll find is the 8/5 Jacks or Better, where the full house pays out at 8 to 1 odds and the flush pays out at 5 to 1 odds. You might also find a 7/5 Jacks or Better that follows the same rules. There are other variations that are pretty rare, but it’s important to know these common tables.

Now, let’s explore which one of these tables has the best payout for you, the player. Here are the payback percentages for each Jacks or Better table:

• 9/6 Jacks or Better: 99.54%
• 8/5 Jacks or Better: 97.3%
• 7/5 Jacks or Better: 96.15%
• 6/5 Jacks or Better: 95%

If you have a solid strategy while playing these games, the above rates are your expected payout chances for every round. As you can see, the most profitable for you is to play 9/6 Jacks or Better, so always try to play at machines with that table to get the most bang for your buck.

What’s more is that with these rates and a few fast facts, you can also determine how much you’re likely to lose per hour, which can further solidify your strategy of picking the right table. All you have to do is multiply the average bet size by the average number of bets per hour, and then multiply that figure by the house edge (100% – your payback odds).

On average, a Jacks or Better player can play approximately 600 games per hour. If you play a dollar machine at max coins, you bet $5 every hand or $3,000 per hour. Sounds like a lot, right? If you’re playing at a 9/6 Jacks or Better machine (which you should be if it’s available to you), your payback percentage is 99.54%, making the house edge 0.46%. Multiply the house edge by your per-hour betting amount of $3,000 and you get $13.80. That’s how much you lose per hour.

But if you play on an 8/5 machine, your losing rate would be $81 per hour (2.7% or .027 x 3,000). And your losing rate just gets higher the more you play on a lower rate machine.

Another thing that sets video poker apart from slots is that the average payout rate for a slot machine is, while the average payout rate for video poker is 96%. Plus, you’d be hard pressed to find a video poker game that pays less than 90%, which is more than you can say for some slots.

Always Pay Max Coins To Get the Max Payout

All of that said about paytables brings us to the next tip for becoming a better video poker player: Always max your bet every hand. Doing so gives you the absolute best chances for winning and winning big. Not only are you able to earn the highest amount for good hands like a full house or 4 of a Kind, but you also increase your chances of getting the maximum payout when you hit the ultimate Royal Flush.

Play the Slow-Down Method

At the poker table, you’re not able to play at your own pace because you’re playing against other people who want to get to the payout or the next hand. But at video poker, you can play at your own pace, giving you more time to really consider each card in your five-card hand and choose the right ones to keep that will give you the best odds of ending with a great hand.

In addition, slowing down and taking your time during each round means you play fewer hands and bet smaller sums of money per hour. That’s a good thing because instead of losing an average of $13 and change per hour, you might be able to get that down to, say, $9.20 if you only play 400 games and bet $2,000 per hour. So, getting a handle on your per-hour losing rate can help keep more money in the long run without jeopardizing your wins.

Only Go for Progressive Jackpots With Decent Paytables

It’s true, the anticipation of whether it’ll be you that deals the jackpot draining hand is sometimes too good to pass up. But, you can boost your winnings without jeopardizing your chances at hitting that big jackpot by sticking to rule number one: Play on a good paytable.

There are a lot of progressive jackpot Jacks or Better video poker games that don’t have good paytables, yet people still play them because there’s always that chance of winning it really big. If you’re feeling extra lucky and want to see if you could be the progressive jackpot winner, then try for an 8/5 or 7/5 Jacks or Better game so that your chances of winning regular pots is still high.

Set a Betting (and Winning) Budget

This is a pretty good rule for any type of gambling, but it’s especially helpful in a fast-paced digital game like video poker. It works in conjunction with the slow-down method to make sure you play strategically and don’t get too in over your head.

Before you even sit down at a machine or your computer to play video poker online, decide on a reasonable amount of money you can bet, keeping in mind the average amount per hour (or your average on the slow-down method). Say your average is 400 games per hour, so $2,000 per hour on max bet. You might set your limit to $4,000, or two hours of play. Do the same with your winning amount, too.

Look for Casino Bonuses

Many online casinos offer awesome bonuses for playing certain games, including video poker. What’s more is that most matching bonuses and free play bonuses require you to bet a certain (often large amount) per round or hand. This means that, if you play video poker using rule number two — always play the max — you’ll likely qualify for that bonus. But, always read the fine print in online casino bonuses because some may exclude video poker because of its high payout rate and use of skill.

Playing video poker can be a great change of pace for your online gambling experience. You can find many video poker games with good paytables and payout odds at many online casinos in New Jersey. And now that you know how to play video poker like a pro, try your hand at video poker at one of your favorite online New Jersey casinos.