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It has been a while since Everygame Casino talked about achieving specialist level in video poker. So, let’s see if we can teach gamers to become video poker specialists.
Isn’t Video Poker Just Like All Other Online Casino Games?
No, it isn’t!
There are casino games of chance and casino games of skill. Video poker is a game of skill. Now, we all know that since video poker is a game, by definition, there is also an element of chance, aka luck, involved in every outcome. The video poker specialist makes the best decisions so that luck has as little effect on the outcomes as possible.
Slots, on the other hand, are entirely games of chance. The fact that slots are still the most popular casino game, whether online or on land, means that most gamers are happy to accept the role of luck in slots.
Still, we would like to explore the elements that go toward making a player a specialist at video poker.
Video Poker Experts Concentrate Only on What They Can Control
In other words, we can divide a single video poker game into three parts. The player does not control the deal and the player also does not control the re-deal after he or she has discarded cards.
The only part of a hand in video poker that the player does control is the discard. So, experts concentrate entirely on this aspect of every hand. They know that the deal can be great or very bad for them and the re-deal can be absolutely super or not at all good for them.
So, expert players take the good and not so good that they cannot control in stride and think only about what they, and only they control.
Some Players Find it Hard to take Things in Stride
Thes players probably have a hard time taking anything in stride such as bad weather when they are on vacation, or a long wait to get seated at a popular restaurant, to getting a flat tire, or any of the many things that can happen over the course of time.
These players also likely do not allow themselves to savor good weather, a smooth drive, or a great meal at the same restaurant after being seated right away!
A video poker expert takes the vicissitudes of gaming in stride and allows himself or herself to savor special moments. There is a definite correlation between being at ease and having fun playing and playing well!
Understand That Video Poker Strategy is Different Depending on the Variation You Are Playing
In order to be an expert at video poker, gamers should choose the video poker variation they want to play and become expert in that strategy. There is time to learn the best strategy for another variation after you have mastered the strategy for one.
The Top Two Elements of Video Poker Strategy
These are:
- Always play 9-6 video poker.
- Always play maximum coins.
Everygame Casino always pays 9 coins for a full house and 6 coins for a flush. A lot of land-based casinos now pay 8-5. This reduces the return to player rate, which is about 99.5% with correct strategy on every hand, to several percentage points less.
This seemingly minor change makes it a lot harder to win at video poker!
Playing maximum coins makes you qualified to win the big bonus payout for a Royal Flush. It also affects strategy on many hands.
These are the top two elements of video poker strategy given in almost every article written about video poker.
So, What Else is There to Know about Video Poker Strategy?
As it turns out, quite a lot!
Here are a few questions we might ask ourselves as we play the game:
- Should I keep a low pair, or should I keep three to a flush?
- Should I keep a low pair with three to a Royal Flush?
- Should I keep a high pair with three to a Royal Flush?
- Substitute three with four and substitute flush with straight and you have a world of strategic doubt.
- Should I break apart a high pair if I have four to a much better hand?
- What if I have four to a Royal Flush and a dealt straight or flush?
- What if I have a dealt straight and four to a straight flush with no high cards?
- What should I do if I have three to a straight flush and four cards to an open-ended straight?
- What do I do if I have two unsuited high cards and three to a much better hand?
Let’s See if We Can Answer These Questions
- If you have a low pair and three to a flush, keep the pair. Getting a flush on runner, runner draws is a low percentage play.
- If you have three to a Royal Flush and a low pair, discard the low pair. You could get the Royal Flush, or you could pair a high card.
- Keep three to a Royal Flush.
- Keep the high pair.
- If you have four to a Royal or straight flush you should discard the high pair.
- Keeping four to a Royal Flush is a given unless the dealt hand is a straight flush.
- Keep the straight.
- Go for the straight.
- You should usually discard the high cards. The exception is when you have two gaps for a straight.
Video poker is the most mathematical casino game. The best strategy plays are all based on millions of hands analyzed by computers. The difference between one decision and another may be small but following those small incremental and mathematically proven benefits will reward you handsomely over time.
Most players feel that they will never get a Royal Flush so they think that keeping three or four to a Royal Flush instead of keeping a high pair cannot be the best strategy. Getting a single Royal Flush over thousands of hands almost surely guarantees that you will win money over the course of those thousands of hands.
Everygame Casino Offers Many Variations of Video Poker
In addition to video poker, we offer about 300 other games. The most strategic game at Everygame Casino after video poker is blackjack with a return to player rate of about 99.5% with correct play on every hand!
Naturally, we also carry a huge library of slots and many other types of games.
Our Welcome Package is worth as much as $5555 so…..
