In order to strip away the mystery of an online video poker machine and understand its value to you, there are three things you need to do which should be included in your video poker strategy:
• Learn how to read the pay tables and recognize which ones have the highest payback.
• Learn the best video poker strategy for the machines you choose to play.
• Learn the volatility of a particular machine - what effect it will have on your bankroll.
When based solely on the mechanics, playing online video poker can be extremely simple. However, playing it well entails a bit more effort and that's where your video poker strategy comes into play. Online video poker is one game where the house advantage is definitely affected by how much knowledge the player has. The two main skills involved (proper machine selection and knowing the proper strategy for the video poker machine you're playing) get complicated because online video poker comes in a never-ending variety of games.
In order to begin mastering the art of video poker, use the following suggestions. First, let’s look at them in the broadest terms: there are non-wild card games such as Jacks or Better and Double Bonus. Then there are wild card games such as Deuces Wild or Joker Wild. Within these two general types, there are many varieties. Payout schedule return rates may vary from below 90% to above 100% (see table below).
To begin honing your video poker strategy, let’s begin with the machine that started the whole phenomenon: the Jacks or Better game. The Jacks or Better pays off for a pair of jacks or higher, which is particularly good for beginners because of its easily understandable strategy. Better yet, when played with expert strategy, Jacks or Better has a 99.5% payback percentage! This means it has only a 0.5% house advantage. In the long run, you expect to lose only 50 cents of every $100 you play. This is one of the best bets in the casino.
Consider Jacks or Better as the “Hershey” bar of the video poker candy store: classic, reliable, straightforward, and simply satisfying. You may want to move to more new and exotic confections, but Jacks or Better must always be the most accessible and understandable part of your strategy.
In developing your online strategy there are many factors to consider that are far too numerous to detail here. However, we will leave you with an important factor, and possibly the most important thing to look at when developing your strategy - the pay table. The pay table strips away the game's mystery; it’s basically a window into knowing whether the game is worth your money. An example of a pay table can be seen below, and unlike slot machines, the pay table isn't just there for us to "oohhh and aaah" over all the pretty payoffs - it can reveal how much a game pays back if played perfectly.
The strategies listed below are just 'tip of the iceberg' when it comes to developing your online video poker strategy.
| Hand |
Frequency |
% Probability |
Payout |
Return * |
| Royal Flush * |
1 in 40,390.55 |
0.002% |
800* |
1.98% |
| Straight Flush |
1 in 9,148.37 |
0.011% |
50 |
0.55% |
| Four of a kind |
1 in 423.27 |
0.236% |
25 |
5.91% |
| Full house |
1 in 86.86 |
1.151% |
9 |
10.36% |
| Flush |
1 in 90.79 |
1.101% |
6 |
6.61% |
| Straight |
1 in 89.05 |
1.123% |
4 |
4.49% |
| Three of a kind |
1 in 13.43 |
7.445% |
3 |
22.33% |
| Two pair |
1 in 7.74 |
12.928% |
2 |
25.86% |
| Jacks or better |
1 in 4.66 |
21.459% |
1 |
21.46% |
| Nothing |
1 in 1.83 |
54.543% |
0 |
0.00% |
