Video Poker Play Do’s and Don’ts

Do play maximum coins.

In video poker play, you can achieve the highest possible payout percentage only when you play maximum coins. You’d hate yourself if you hit a Royal Flush with less than 5 coins bet.

Do draw for the highest-paying hand.

Supposing you’re playing Jacks or Better and are dealt 7H, 8H, 6H, 8H, 6C, Do you keep the pair of 6’s or do you go for the straight Hearts flush? The pair returns your bet, but if you happen to draw the 5 of Hearts, you’ll have a straight flush and collect the second highest payout!

Don’t rush your video poker play.

Take the time to consider every dealt hand carefully. The machine won’t rush you. Be sure you’re making the correct hold/draw decision.

Do study the payout schedule.

In order to play for optimal winnings, you need to know how much each hand pays. For example some Deuces Wild games pay the same for Flushes and Straights, others pay more for Flushes. You may want to adjust your strategy accordingly.

Don’t play when tired.

Playing video poker uninterrupted for hours on end can put you into a trance-like state, impairing you decision-making ability. Recognize when this happens and take a break.

Don’t do “Auto Hold” video poker play.

Many online casinos now offer the auto hold feature, which supposedly automatically holds the best cards; that’s not always the case. My advice is don’t play auto hold make your own decisions.

Do keep dealt winning hands.

The only exception is breaking up a dealt Flush for a Royal Flush, providing four of the dealt cards are in the same suit.

Don’t hold “garbage hands”.

If you’re not dealt at least one card that, when paired with another, will at least return the amount of your bet, discard all and get a new set of 5 cards.

Don’t hold two cards to a Royal Flush.

specially not a 10 and an Ace. Video poker strategy software recommends always holding 10 and Jack of the same suit, it has never worked for me.

Do watch for hot and cold cycles.

Video Poker machines regularly go through winning and losing streaks, For a while, winning hands will hit quite frequently and then there will be a period of hardly any wins. Try to become aware of such streaks and use them to your advantage.

Do keep practicing.

Learn basic video poker strategy or better yet, invest in video poker strategy software. The more experienced you become, the more profitable your video poker play will be.