Best Video Poker Strategy In 2022

The difference between playing video poker and other casino games like slots and roulette, which are strictly games of luck, is that the video poker strategy used directly impacts the player’s chances of winning. This is why winning a video poker depends on using the correct approach. 

Video poker is based on the classic five-card draw poker game and is available at casino video terminals or online casinos. Once a game is selected, play starts by choosing the bet amount after setting a value for each credit and selecting the number of credits to be bet on each hand.

The Basics of Video Poker

Each hand starts with five random cards. After viewing the cards, the player must decide which cards to hold. Then, click the draw button to replace the remaining cards with new cards. The corresponding jackpot is paid out if the hand is a qualifying winning hand.  

You can see how much you win for each poker hand by looking at the paytable that’s always displayed at the top. It contains a list of all the winning hands and how much they payout based on the number of credits being wagered. In many games, the lowest-ranked hand you can win is a pair of jacks. So if the amounts are shown in credits, multiply the payout number by how much each credit is worth. 

The paytable normally shows five possible betting levels. As with any casino slots or poker game, the odds are always better if betting the maximum amount of credits. Lots of games also have special royal flush bonuses, which can only be won if betting the max, so it’s always advised to bet the maximum amount of credits if you can afford it. 

Making the Right Choices

Your decisions in video poker strategy can directly affect your chances of winning. Consistently making bad decisions almost guarantees that you’ll be likely to lose. That correct decision will change depending on what type of video poker you’re playing. Using strategy charts that can be found online is the easiest way to learn. 

Jacks or Better is the original and most basic variation of video poker. This just means that the player needs to have a pair of jacks or better to receive a payout. Players don’t need a deep bankroll to play this game. They can use a video poker strategy favoring small wins is optimal. The downside to this game is that there’s only one jackpot that can be hit: the royal flush. 

Bonuses Add to the Thrill

Bonus poker was created to be more volatile with more jackpots and potential for bigger wins. The lower-ranked hands pay less in this game, while the most valuable hands pay more. 

This means the player can hit bigger wins, but there are also bigger cold streaks. Refer to the strategy chart for each video poker variation to know which cards to hold in each situation. 

Wildcard video poker games such as Joker Poker and Deuces Wild have their own optimal video poker strategy that focuses heavily on hitting wildcards. The player will hit lots of big hands because of the wilds, but the payouts for those hands are a lot less than with other variations of video poker.

There are many different video poker variations, and winning depends on using the correct video poker strategy for the specific game you’re playing. Remember, if you want to know more about Vegas Aces, check our social media and be aware of every news.

Video Poker Strategy FAQs