Video Poker Strategy

Unlike most casino games, video poker is a game where the players' decisions matter. Appropriate strategy on a video poker machine will actually improve a player's expectation, and on certain video poker games a player can actually achieve a positive expectation. (These are usually called full pay games, although not all full pay video poker games have a positive expectation.)

Discarding Decisions in Video Poker

The single critical element in video poker strategy is discarding the cards that will give each particular hand the highest possible expected return. The rules and the payout table will affect which discard decisions are correct for each hand. There are 32 different ways you can play each hand, but usually there is only one optimal strategy for a particular hand.

Different writers outline strategies in different ways, but the most typical methodology is to provide a list of possible hands to work your way down, and as soon as you reach a hand on the list that applies, you stop and play it the way the strategy card says to play it.

Strategies that Apply to all Video Poker Games

Some rules of thumb apply to all video poker games, and should be part of anyone's overall tactical approach:

You should be a member of the slot club. Even if the slot club offers rebates in the 0.2% range, that can make a significant difference in the overall payback percentage of the machine.
You should understand the pay tables for the most common video poker games and only play at full pay games. (9/6 Jacks or Better is an example of a full pay video poker game.)
You should take full advantage of comped cocktails, at least to the point where it doesn't affect your decisionmaking ability. (Comped drinks have value, increasing your overall expectation.)
You should have a sufficient bankroll to withstand a lot of ups and downs. Most of the time spent on a video poker game will be spent losing; you're counting on the eventual jackpot to bring your expectation positive.
You should never keep a kicker or try to bluff; those are tactics for traditional poker that don't work in video poker.
If you can find a progressive video poker game with a big enough jackpot, you can find a positive expectation situation.

It's not just a question of knowing how to play video poker; it's a question of knowing how to play correctly and gain every possible edge.

Video Poker Strategy Books

Some excellent books about proper video poker strategies include:

Professional Video Poker by Stanford Wong
Video Poker - Optimum Play by Dan Paymar
The Frugal Gambler by Jean Scott (more about taking advantage of comps and slot clubs as they relate to video poker, but still, part of an overall strategy.)
Winning Strategies for Video Poker Players by Lenny Frome
All of Bob Dancer's "Winner's Guides" are worth reading.

You might also be interested in our articles:

Other Casino Games Strategies?

You can practice strategy by playing free video poker or no download video poker.

This page was written on April 8, 2006 and last updated on September 18, 2007.

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