Combining elements of both Poker and fruit machines, video poker is one of the few games in the casino where skill can count as much as luck. With practice, you can learn Video Poker strategy and play like a professional.

Here are some hints and tips for playing Video Poker:

Is Video Poker based on chance?

Partly. Outcomes are governed by a random number generator, or RNG. The RNG cycles through random numbers at about 1000 per second; at the moment you signal the Video Poker machine to deal, the RNG gives the machine a number that corresponds to a card combination to display, as well as replacement cards.

The available combinations in the Video Poker Machine’s RNG match those that could be dealt by a 52-card deck, with the same probabilities you would find in a poker game. The Video Poker odds of receiving a particular hand from the start are fixed.

What’s the best Video Poker Strategy?

Because you are allowed to discard cards, strategy comes into play, and for many this is an important element of the fun and stimulation provided by Video Poker. Video Poker advice from the experts is varied, but most agree on a basic and important Video Poker strategy.

The key strategy to win Video Poker is to discard cards to get the highest expectation of winning. This will give you the best chances of winning in the long run. Strategy will change depending on the rules of the video poker game you are playing.

Betting on maximum at Video Poker greatly increases the value of a Royal Flush, so in the long run this would be essential for optimum Video Poker strategy, but this should not deter you from the fun and thrill of making smaller bets.

The popularity of Video Poker is due to the fact that many machines have high returns when played with a good video poker strategy – often between 90 to 100 percent of what you pay in. But a few mistakes when playing can reduce the advantage. Look at the table below for guidance when deciding what to play for; it is a general guide to suit most Video Poker machines:

Hand Frequency Probability

Royal Flush 1 in 40,390.55 0.002%

Straight Flush 1 in 9,148.37 0.011%

Four of a kind 1 in 423.27 0.236%

Full house 1 in 86.86 1.151%

Flush 1 in 90.79 1.101%

Straight 1 in 89.05 1.123%

Three of a kind 1 in 13.43 7.445%

Two Pair 1 in 7.74 12.928%

Jacks or better 1 in 4.66 21.459%

Nothing 1 in 1.83 54.543%

The most common and essential advice for Video Poker success is that if you are one card away from two or more possible winning hands, you should always go for the highest paying, despite it being a lower probability on the above Video Poker chart.

There are hints and tips abound online, but many you can learn yourself, through practice on the many free Video Poker games found on the internet.

To find out where you can put your Video Poker strategy into practice, visit our Where To Play Video Poker