Video Poker Decisions
Video poker is one of those online casino games that can be approached in two ways. The most casual online casino gambling fans can play video poker as a pure game of chance, feeding their virtual coins into the machine and hoping to land a big win thanks to luck alone. Serious players, on the other hand, can take full advantage of their ability to make decisions, such as which cards to keep and which cards to discard as each hand unfolds. In this article we will provide a trilogy of tips about the kind of video poker decisions that could help you improve your chances of having a profitable session…
#1 – How Many Coins?
Most video poker games allow you to bet anything from 1 to 5 coins on each video poker hand. The number of coins that you bet on each hand determines the size of the prize that is paid for each winning hand, but some players don’t realise that the house edge tends to get smaller as the number of coins played gets higher. A progressive jackpot in particular can usually only be landed by players who bet the maximum number of coins, so bear that in mind and if you want to be in with a chance of winning the best prize possible, be sure to bet as many coins as the game allows.
#2 – Hold a Sure Win?
Sometimes you will be dealt a winning hand which could develop into an even bigger winning hand but only if you sacrifice the sure win that you already have. For example, you might be dealt a straight but be just one card away from a straight flush. So should you discard the unsuited card or hold the sure win? There is no hard and fast answer to this question so you should proceed according to your own judgement.
An understanding of basic poker odds would be helpful here (for example, chasing an open flush draw is more likely to succeed than chasing an inside flush draw, and risking a hand for a royal flush would be very worthwhile if it paid off) but really your attitude to risk is the yardstick you need to use. If you want to minimise your risk then holding the sure win would guarantee you a profitable hand, but if you are happy to take bigger risks then playing for a better hand – if the odds or potential payoff suggest that it is wise to do so – might make more sense.
Your decision here should also be influenced by the state of your session bankroll. If you have made a healthy profit in the session so far then you might be happy to sacrifice a modest win to try and win even more. But if you have suffered losses and your session bankroll will only fund a few more hands then taking the sure win could be a better decision as it would allow you to continue playing for longer.
#3 – Which Game to Play?
One of the biggest decisions you have to make as a video poker player is about which game you play to in the first place. Again, this is a decision that you need to make on the basis of your attitude to risk. If you want to maximise your chance of winning each hand then you will want to choose a game that makes winning as easy as possible – perhaps a 10s or Better or Deuces Wild game. However, if you want to focus on playing for a big jackpot then you probably won’t mind if it is slightly harder to win with a modest hand.
Making the right decisions when playing video poker won’t guarantee you a profitable session by any means, but at least you won’t be leaving everything to chance. Try playing with the above tips in mind to see how things go, and good luck!
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