Tuesday 24 September 2013

Tips for Playing Smart Video Poker

Of all the games you’ll encounter in an online casino, video poker might be the one that offers you the most interesting strategic challenge. Part of the game is, like slots, largely up to luck of the draw – you’re at the whim of the cards you’re dealt, good or bad. But part of how well you fare is also up to you.

Video poker presents some fascinating decisions from time to time. Do you keep that pair of jacks, or chase the straight for the higher payout? Throw away the bad hand, or hold onto one or two promising high cards? The decision is yours to make.

This can be a blessing or a curse. On one hand, it’s nice to be in control of your own destiny, knowing that if you play well you could be in for a big payday. Alternatively, you might also crash and burn if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Before you start wagering serious money on playing a video poker game at CasinoJR, it’s good to take a quick crash course and review what’s what. Here are some casino tips to remember when you take a crack at the game:

Know the Video Poker Rules

It sounds obvious, but knowing the rules of the game is really important: Before you sit down to begin playing video poker, you need to make sure you know the rules of poker backward and forward. No, you can’t form “wrap-around” straights, with the ace being high and low at the same time, and no, contrary to the opinion of Topher Grace’s character in Ocean’s Eleven, you don’t win if your cards are “all reds.” Make sure you have all the rules down like the back of your hand.

That includes not just poker rules, but video poker specifics too. What’s the lowest hand that gets paid out on that particular machine – jacks or better, kings or better, or two pair? What are the payouts? Are there wild cards in play? If you don’t know all of this stuff well and understand what it all means, you probably should think twice before starting to wager real money.

Think of the Video Poker Odds

Whenever you’re drawing to a particular hand, you should think for a moment about your odds of hitting it. This doesn’t mean you need to be a math genius and calculate percentages down to 18 decimal places, but learn some general principles. For example: An open-ended straight draw gives you a better chance of hitting a payout than an inside straight. Chasing a flush is easier than chasing a straight, because you have more cards that give you a win (9, as opposed to 8 or 4). Just like live poker players count their “outs,” you can do the same.

Slow Down Your Video Poker Play

Even best video poker players in the world know that casino games aren’t pre-programmed to payout out more than what’s wagered into the machines; in other words, the casino will always have the slightest of edges. That said, it’s best to play at a nice leisurely pace, enjoying the experience rather than rushing through it; regardless of how well you know how to play the game – get some entertainment value out of it. Especially if you start a bit of a losing streak, you don’t want to go on tilt and begin spewing your money away quickly.

Know When to Quit Playing Video Poker

Like any other form of gambling, video poker should only be enjoyed responsibly. That means you need to have self awareness as you play, and if you’re not feeling up to your A game, it might be time to walk away. If you’re frustrated, if you’ve been drinking, or if you’re gambling with money you can’t afford to lose, those are all signs that you might need to call it quits, at least for a little while.

Video poker is one of the best casino games out there, offering the perfect combination of luck and skill. If you play your best, your skills could win out.

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