If you haven't played video poker before you need to get a few tips before you start. With a couple of tips it will help you to become a player instead of just a spectator. With only a few basic rules and suggestions you will find that you enjoy playing the game much more.

Poker Tip no. 1 – Look for machines that play Jacks or better and that pay out nine coins for a full house and six for a flush.

Poker Tip no. 2 – When you are playing a progressive machine you should always bet the maximum number of coins allowed in order to get a bonus on royal flushes.

Poker Tip no. 3 – If you are just starting out you should play on the machines with the lowest denomination until you have gained some expertise.

Poker Tip no. 4 – Take your time and carefully study each hand. Remember that you are playing a machine and no one will get upset with you for playing too slow.

Poker Tip no. 5 – You may not realize this but the most important card in the deck is not the ace but the Jack. When you are holding a Jack you have more opportunities to form lucrative hands than when you hold the ace.

Other Video Poker Tips

• When you have a pair don't keep a kicker. This reduces your return by 5%.
• If you can draw three to a royal flush never draw four cards.
• If you have a five card pat winning hand, hold on to it. The only exception is when you are one card short of a royal flush.
• Never break up a flush even when you can draw one to a straight flush. You can always break up a flush to draw to a royal.
• Never break up a straight to draw to a straight flush.
• If you are holding a jack or better, never draw five cards.
• Never hold a town for a four card draw.

You should use video poker tips to help you play. They can be of benefit but they are not everything.

Video Poker Odds

The odds for video poker are very similar to those of regular poker. This is in that winning combinations are only possible a set number of times. Also, as with regular poker, so with video poker, there are a number of different versions of play and types of games that are available to the player to choose. Each game has its own strategy. For example, when you are playing Jacks or Better you would use a different strategy than when you are a Deuces Wild game.

If you check out the payout schedule posted on the machine, this will increase your odds at video poker. There is a payout schedule on each machine and the chart shows what the various numbers indicate. People seem to favor a 9/6 Jacks or Better for starting out. The chart will indicate that it pays out a sound 99.5 % of the time.

If you can find a machine with a 10/7 double bonus than the payout is 100.2%.

A machine type of 9/7 offers a 100.7% payout.

A machine type of 9/6 offers a 99.5% payout.

A machine type of 8/5 offers a 97.3% payout.

A machine type of 7/5 offers a 96.3% payout.

A machine type of 6/5 offers a 95.2% payout.

So you see that there are a couple of machines that payout more than 100%. But don't get overly excited. Even though it appears to have a great payout, that does not mean that anyone who plays it will win all the money plus. Casinos offer machines like this knowing that there are people out there who do not have a good enough strategy to play them.

Aside from the payout schedule you'll want to know the odds attached to getting each hand. The chances for instance of getting a Royal Flush or a Straight. If you are playing a 9/6 Jacks or Better machine, the payout on getting a Royal Flush is 4,000 and you have 1 chance in 40,390 of getting it. The payout on getting a Straight Flush is 250 and there is 1 chance in 9,148 that you will get it. The payout on getting Four of a kind is 125 and there is 1 chance in 423 that you will get it. The payout on getting a Full House is 45 and there is 1 chance in 86 that you will get it. The payout on getting a Flush is 30 and there is 1 chance in 90 that you will get it. The payout on getting a Straight is 20 and there is 1 chance in 89 that you will get it. The payout on getting Three of a Kind is 15 and there is 1 chance in 13 that you will get it. The payout on getting Two Pair is 10 and there is 1 chance in 7 that you will get it. The payout on getting Jacks or Better is 5 and there is 1 chance in 4 that you will get it.

You may have noticed that the payout for a full house is greater than for a flush or straight. This is against what would be expected. There is no reason for it other than to give the player improved odds and a greater chance to win. This game is worth trying. You might find yourself a winner.

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