Video Poker Guide

If you decide to pursue video poker as your "favorite" online game, it would be wise to understand the pay schedules and tables. You can learn more about this subject in this video poker guide.

Poker is a game of both skill and chance because a player can make decisions on which cards to hold in order to improve the hand. Experience and good decisions will make winning more probable. But before you get to that point, it might help to choose the video-poker game that will reward you the most for your investment of time and money.

Pay Tables and More!

Video poker pay schedules are similar to pay tables or schedules used for slots. Most varieties of video poker allow the player to bet one coin or multiple coins. For example, if you bet one coin in the standard Jacks or Better game and get the minimum hand (a pair of Jacks) you win one credit. This is an even money bet. But if you "Bet Max" and get a pair of Jacks you win five credits. You'll learn more about this in a good video poker guide.

It is important to understand the concept of "full pay" in video poker. Machines and games in this category pay back close to 100 percent or exactly 100 percent of the money wagered - if the game is played perfectly. That's why poker is a game of skill. Playing poorly by making bad drawing decisions reduced this payback percentage quite a bit. Playing on machines or online games that are not "full pay" obviously reduces your chances of winning. Full pay is most common when you choose "Bet Max."

Get Serious!

So, how do we get serious about video poker? Practice is a good idea, but you don't have to spend a lot of money learning the game and developing a strategy. Go to your favorite casino and learn on the "Play for Fun" games first. When you have set some guidelines and have been able to add to your total of free credits it may be time to move to real-money games.

In basic terms, you should learn the odds of poker so that you will understand how to draw and discard in the most efficient way. Thousands of words can be written about draw strategy but for now this video poker guide advises you to hold high cards and hold onto four cards to a straight that is open at both ends. For example, if you have 7, 8, 9, 10 on the screen, hold them and try to catch a 6 or a Jack. Here's one more example to get you on your way. If you have a 3 of Clubs and a 3 of Hearts with three more Clubs on the original draw, toss the 3 of Hearts and try for the Club flush. Video poker is a fast-paced game that takes some intelligence and experience. But it is also one of the most exciting games online when it is played the correct way.