Video Poker Strategy - Choosing the Best Video Poker Payouts and Casinos

The following article on video poker isn't necessarily strategy per say, but it's a tip that you should follow nonetheless. Considering it will help protect against losses while playing video poker in the casinos, I guess you could call it strategy then. Anything to help with winnings is good strategy if you ask me. That being said, this is what you need to know about payoffs. It's common knowledge to serious video poker players, so don't think this is some strategic theory not guaranteed to work or anything.

Whether you gamble online or in land-based casinos, video poker machines generally accept from one to five coins. The coin denominations can vary, and depending on how many coins you play, the payoff will be in direct proportion. In other words, the payoff on a two-coin bet will be twice as much as the payoff on a single coin bet. Similarly, the payoff on a three-coin bet will be three times as much, while a four-coin bet will be four times as much. You get the picture. A no-brainer right? The same goes for a five-coin bet, except for one thing: The payoff on a Royal Flush is disproportionately higher. This is how the casinos encourage players to gamble the maximum number of coins. Isn't it soooo ingenious?

Not counting Power Poker machines, which essentially allow you to play multiple hands at once, there are two types of video poker - straights and progressives. Just like progressive slot machines, progressive video poker games only payout when the maximum number of coins are bet. And you probably already guessed that the top progressive jackpot pays out when the Royal Flush is hit. Some video poker players will only go for the progressive jackpot when it reaches a certain point, considering the odds of hitting a Royal Flush are not that great. It's entirely up to you. Just be sure to use regular poker strategy when playing your hands. If you do, you can get the Casinos Edge down to a reasonable level. If you pay attention to the monthly video poker payouts at online casinos who publish their payout reports, you will surely see video poker payouts amongst the highest.

The main thing to keep in mind when selecting a machine to play is the payout table. At a minimum, you should only play those machines with the following payout:

Royal Flush: 250 per coin (4,000 for a five-coin bet)
Straight Flush: 50 per coin
Four of a Kind: 25 per coin
Full House: 9 per coin
Flush: 6 per coin
Straight: 6 per coin
Three of a Kind: 3 per coin
Two Pair: 2 per coin
Pair of Jacks or Better: 1 per coin

Online Casino Strategy Archive

October '07 | November 2007