There seems to be a bit of back and forth going on here because I spotted the news article and thought — didn’t they just ban video poker?  Well, yes.  Beverly Perdue just signed a bill that bans video poker in North Carolina.  But then she said that she’d be willing to hear proposals to legalize video poker in the state.  We don’t have to look too hard for the reason. It’s money of course.  And the usual reasons states give for bringing in gambling - education.  Well, they’ve paired it with economic development. But it seems to be a common political ploy. Whenever they equate anything with education, that means they want everyone to get on board.

Which is good news for video poker players.  The North Carolina governor says that her problem with the video sweepstakes and video poker games as they existed in North Carolina was that there was no organized process to them.  She’d be willing to consider them if there was an organized and unified system of regulation in place.  I can’t disagree with her argument there.  Really, the nature of gambling is such that it does need to be regulated and licensed.

Perhaps the governor of North Carolina is foreshadowing something that we’ll see more government officials understanding.  That properly regulated gambling can help the economy and provide entertainment for those who enjoy gambling.  In time, we may see a change in gambling regulation throughout the states because it will be tricky for the federal government to consider gambling illegal if a majority of the states have an approved process.

All Slots Casino is offering  a promotion for players of Video Players and other table games which is worth checking out, mostly because these offers are usually only for slots players.  And we all know that video poker has better odds than slots.  But this new promo is mainly for dedicated video poker players willing to pay and play a lot because the competition is based on earning points. 

The promotion has a prize pool of $5,000 and runs now through July 27^th.  The competition is based on your ability to earn points during the time period.  And those points are based on how much money you deposit, win and lose while playing.   So, for every 50 credits that you deposit and play on the site;s eligible video poker or table games, you’ll earn a point.  You’ll also earn a point for every 50 credits you wager on eligible games and for every 50 credits you win or lose on those games.  So, if you play well, you could potentially be winning money and earning points to win your share of the $5,000 prize pool.  Of course, if you don’t play well, you could lose more money than you’ll win even if you win the content. 

If you want to take part in the promotion, just sign up for an account on All Slots casino and join in the fun.  You’ll find a score board on the site where you can see where you rank in the standings.  A quick check will reveal this is a competition for serious players since our current lead is at more than 2500 points. 

Vegas Technology has launched a new casino in the family - Grandvegas.com. If you go to check it out make sure you don’t get grandevegascasino.com, which I’m sure is a fine casino but is an established RTG casino. The new Grand Vegas will open with a screen advertising their $555 promotion special.
Now, if you’re joining the site to play video poker, ignore the $555 promotion and contact the casino to have the bonus money removed if it gets added to your account. There is of course a reason for this. The $555 promotion is really designed for slots players. So you’ll see this in the terms and conditions if you look that far:
Play at all forms of Blackjack, all forms of Progressive Blackjack, Video Poker, Hold ‘Em, all forms of Craps, Tri-Card Poker, all forms of Roulette, Let Them Ride, all forms of Baccarat, War, Red Dog, Pai-Gow Poker, Mulligan Poker, Caribbean Stud Poker game is restricted until you have met our wagering requirement. If you play on these games before meeting our requirements, then you agree that the casino holds the right to void any winnings made from these games at our discretion. Further, all losses incurred while playing said games will be non-refundable.

If you take the money, you’ll need to play through all your money at least fifteen times before you can play and win at video poker. Since the odds at slots aren’t all that good, you could be putting in more money to get past your play through before you can play video poker, so just skip the bonus and go right to the video poker games.
You’ll need to download the software before you can play. I wasn’t able to find an instant play options. But the software installed easily enough. There is a “Play for Fun” option that requires a minimal amount information to sign up for since you aren’t depositing money. But I do like the look of the site. The Video Poker games have easily readable cards and clean play, which appeals to me. So check out GrandVegas.com today.

Here’s a topic of interest to video poker players. How many hands do you play at once.  Many video poker machines allow player to play anywhere from one to one hundred hands of video poker at one time.  Of course this is easier than playing regular poker since much of the action is automated by the machine. Also, these aren’t 100 actual separate hands. But rather, a single hand is dealt with revealed cards.  The other hands are dealt with the cards uncovered. The player chooses which cards to hold from the revealed hand and those same cards are held in every hand dealt.  The  other cards are then revealed and the winning hands decided.  

Now, why play the game this way?  Well, for one thing, it is meant to help one hit a Royal Flush faster.  Which isn’t to say that it increases the chances of hitting a royal flush.  The odds of hitting the royal still remain at one in about 40,000 hands.  There really isn’t a way to change that.  But the thought is that by playing more hands, you are more like to hit one of those 40,000 hands.  Or basically, by playing one hundred hands at a time, you’d only need to deal 4,000 hands of Video Poker rather than 40,000. 

Of course the casino, online or real world, isn’t going to let you play all those extra hands for free.  So, if play a hundred hands at a time, you pay for 100 hands at a time.  This means that even in quarter machines, you’d be paying over a hundred dollars for each deal if you play for the maximum coins.  Of course, the hope is that you’d also win some of that money back because even if you don’t hit a royal, some of 100 hands would hopefully be winning hands. 

Now 100 hands is a lot to pay for at once, but you don’t have to go to that extreme.  Many games will let you play two to five hands at a time. This could help you hit a royal flush faster, potentially.  Of course, luck still has to be with you. 

Let’s talk Deuces Wild Video Poker for a bit. Just because I’m in a bit of a Deuces Wild mood.  I have to be in the mood for games with wild cards in them because they always feel a little less predictable and restrained than say, Jacks or Better.  It’s mainly a perception issue for me because I have to constantly remind myself that the deuce can be any card and that the visual clues aren’t the same as they are for Jacks or Better.  Which means the strategy is different.  So here’s fast and easy strategy for a basic Deuces Wild game. 

Hands with Deuces (twos)

All four deuces (twos) hold on to them.  These cards. (You would anyway, right).

Three deuces (twos) hold all three, but if the three combine with the other 2 cards to form a “wild” royal flush or five of a kind, hold the whole hand.

Two deuces (twos) hold the deuces but if the cards combine with any of the other three to form four of a kind or a Wild Royal, hold that.  Also, if the cards combine to form four cards to a royal, hold those four.

One Deuce Keep four cards to a royal flush.  If the card combines with other cards to form a winning hand, keep that winning hand. Also keep four cards to a straight flush or three cards to a royal flush. If all else fails, just hold onto the two.

Hands without deuces (twos)

If there are no twos in the hand, then you can play the hand like a regular video poker hand.  So

Hold a Royal Flush because you just won.

Hold four cards to a Royal and cross your fingers.

Hold all paying hands - straight flush, straight, flush, four of a kind,

Hold four cards to a straight flush.

Hold three cards to a royal flush.

Hold any one pair.

Hold two pair only if full house pays the same as four-of-a-kind otherwise, try for the four of a kind.

Hold a four-card flush.

Hold a consecutive four-card straight.  This is an outside straight, where a card on either end can complete the straight. Don’t hold the inside straight where a card is missing from the middle.

Hold three cards to a straight flush.

Hold any two of 10, J, Q or K, if they’re in the same suit.

Then comes to tough part — if you don’t have anything listed above, just draw five new cards.  It’s tough, but it’s the best choice.   But remember, you can always refer to this sheet while playing at your favorite online casino.

Have you ever lost a video poker hand because you just didn’t recognize the potential in it?  Okay, I have, and it’s usually a sign I’ve been playing too long and need to take a break.   But it’s also a reminder that when playing video poker we have to be able to recognize the hand we hold in that split second between the deal and hitting the button to draw more cards. 

So, it doesn’t hurt to beat into your head the winnings hands in any video poker game.  Keep in mind that these can vary depending on the game.  So, a Jacks or Better game would have a lowest winning hand of a pair of jacks.  While other games may have a lowest winning hand of a pair of kings or even of two pairs.  But fortunately, once you determine the lowest possible winning hand for any game, the rest of the hands seldom change. 

So the hands that always win are:

A full house which is a pair and a three of a kind, such as three twos and a pair of tens.  Keep in mind the cards can be in any order, so you need to watch for them or for a hand that could lead to a full house.

A straight is a hand with consecutive run of card values such as three, four, five, six seven. Of course they’ll be dealt in a random order.  But there is an extra consideration with straights.  You can be dealt four potential cards to a straight in two different ways.

An outside straight is a run of cards that can be made into a straight with another card on either end.  So three, four, five, six could become a straight with either a two or a seven.  This improves the odds vastly over an inside straight.

An inside straight is a potential straight with a missing card in the middle. So a three, four, six, seven needs a five to become a straight.  In video poker, you don’t want to play for an inside straight because the odds are too low.

A flush is a hand where all the cards are the same suit, so all hearts, spades, diamonds or clubs.  They don’t have to be a run in numerical order. Just of the same suit. 

A straight flush is a hand where the cards are in numerical order and all of the same suit.  So, much trickier to hit than a straight or a flush alone.

The there is the royal flush. The Royal is a run of the same suit but starting with a ten and ending in the ace.  It’s the highest winning hand in video poker and is hit about once every 40,000 hands.   So, you may play many games of video poker before you ever see a royal flush. 

North Carolina has been on a decade long offensive to eliminate video gambling machines, including video poker, throughout the state.  But the problem has been a 2006 video poker ban that left open an option for computer games that has players visiting “sweep-stakes” cafes and other businesses to play online.  

In the past, judges have rules in favor of the exception that allowed these games but police and sheriffs fought to close the gaming locations. But now  the Senate judiciary committee has recommended closing the popular gaming cafes. 

But the final ban doesn’t appear to be popular since both players and café workers have rallied to oppose the action.  Some have pointed out that the cafes are a better source of entertainment than the sate run lottery. Others are of course pointing out the hypocrisy of the view that gambling is somehow evil, except  in the case of state run lotteries. 

Players are backing the sweep-stakes cafes because they say that they stand a better chance of winning when playing at the cafes and that playing video poker and other games takes more time than simply scratching a lottery card. 

I have to say that I agree with them.  I’ve played the scratch off games in Florida’s state lottery, It takes maybe a minute to scratch the cards and then you’re done.  There’s no strategy to the play or to improving your chance of winning.  Though in Florida, it’s been proven that checking to find out which games still have prizes left can improve your chances.  Apparently the state keeps lottery games in circulation even after all the prizes or main prizes have been won for that particular game.

I’ve been posting some sites that offer video poker tournaments for those who want to join in the fun.  But before you play, you might want to think a little about your video poker tournament strategy.  Playing in a tournament is different than playing a regular game. When you play a regular session of video poker, you’re playing with your money and so you might play daring or conservatively when it comes to hands that can be played more than one way.

One hand where this comes to mind is the royal flush.  Here’s one thing to remember — when you play a video poker tournament, you aren’t playing against your wallet, you’re playing with a set amount of credits against the other players.  Often lots of other players.  And you need to win more money than they win.  Now, in a tournament, someone is going to hit a royal flush. And that person might as well be you. 

So, a tournament isn’t the place to play a conservative game.  If you have a hand that could lead to a royal flush, you should play for the royal.  This means that even if you have a pair, but three or four cards to a royal flush, you should go for the royal.  You want to hit that big payout because in a tournament, you can’t finish even or just ahead of the money, you have to finish at the top to win. 

Of course, if you’re already a risky player, this means tournaments might be more fun than regular play for you.  But other hand, if you’re a conservative player who looks for long term winnings, you might want to stick to regular games instead of tournaments.  Make the call that’s best for you.