Video poker players are a unique breed compared to other gamblers in the casino. It might look like just another slot machine, but playing video poker is really very different than simply pressing a button or pulling the handle of a slot machine.
The reason for that is video poker is truly a game that is skill-based but uniquely combined with a randomly shuffled deck of cards. Historically, video poker was the first skill based game to appear in a casino.
With the use of mathematical and probability principles various video poker games are developed.
The payback percentages are not hidden like they are on a slot machine. Video poker players play the game with a standard 52-card deck (except in the Joker’s Wild game). Cards are shuffled and dealt the precise randomness of a standard deck of cards. So you’re just as likely to be dealt one card as another – depending on what’s available in the deck.. That being the case, it’s possible to ascertain the precise possibility of any of the 2,598,960 possible initial deals. Much better than that, we are able to also determine the precise possibility of any final hand being dealt once we hold or discard certain cards.
Since we know the possibility of the final hand, we are able to assign an expected value of the hold or discard. In that way we are able to determine best cards to hold or discard to provide us the greatest return over time. Video poker players don’t play hunches or guesses. We know the probabilities and make our decisions based on the underlying mathematical expectations.
As an example, we might hold a couple of Aces instead of keeping four cards to a flush. But we don’t do this because we just hope to get more Aces. We do it because we know it is the better play. We know that the possibility of being dealt a Flush is precisely 9 in 47 (nine remaining cards of this suit from the 47 cards remaining in the deck). We also know there are two remaining Aces out of this 47 but there’s also far more possibilities of improving the hand by getting Two Pair or even a Full House.
When we multiply the payout of each final winning hand by the possibility of getting that hand and sum these values we get our expected value. The expected value of a Pair of Aces is greater than that of our 4-Card Flush so we play a Pair of Aces. There’s just one’best play ‘, and that’s it.
Similarly, if we had a Pair of 9’s within that Flush, we’d hold the 4-Card Flush instead as the expected value is greater than that of a Low Pair. Continuing this pattern, if that 4-Card Flush were instead a 4-Card Straight, we’d hold the Low Pair within the 4-Card Straight as the Low Pair has the bigger expected value.
Playing video poker can be in comparison to employing a basic strategy when playing Blackjack. In video poker there’s a technique for each of the different variations of the game. That is, there’s a correct hold and discard for just about any hand that we’re dealt. On top of that, you can know the precise payback of a video poker machine by looking at an information of what the winning hands pay (the pay table). In the event that you see two machines with identical pay tables, then you can certainly expect identical returns, when you play with the correct strategy.
You can find out more about video poker and practice playing realistic games online. You can play your favorite video poker and keno games for free. There’s also a tutor mode to teach you the correct hold and discards for what are typically the most popular games. You’re invited to give it a try today.
You say that video poker deals are totally random. What is the explanation for me playing 9/5 Jacks or Better where 4 of a kind pays 125 and seeing none in 1 hour of play but when I switched to 9/5 deuces wild where 4 of a kind pays 25, I saw 6 natural 4 of a kinds in one hour. It seems a stretch to call that luck.
Thanks for the comment. The irony in your example is that it actually proves the randomness of the game. Any regular video poker player has stories like yours that they tell. I have dozens. You could have had the same thing happen on the JOB game and just thought that the ‘machine is making up for it’. Random is random. Sometimes it’s smooth and almost predictable and sometimes it takes an upswing or a downturn. But in the long run the numbers will work out to reflect the returns that anybody can predict by reading the paytable. Good luck and may the good news be yours.
Hello. I hope that egrrybody is well!
I tried 20 card mystic 8s (I haven’t tried these much in the past). I couldn’t believe it! On only 8 of 10 I somehow only hit an 8 spot and I want to say 8 7 of 8s for over $450 on a 40 cent bet! Then maxed it and kept hitting only 7 of 10 and kept hitting multiple 7 of 8 and tons of 6 of 8 . Tagged over $900 with only $40 in! . Also the next night (amazingly on the same machine) I hit 8 of 10 again! No solid 8 but 12 7 of 8 (yes, 12!!) for over $600 and for the machine over $1000 betting 60 and 80 cents just hitting 7 of 10s
That’s whats amazing about this system! You always have a 2 number cushion! You wrap 8 numbers in a 10 spot and don’t need 9 of 10 to hit big! You could hit 8 of 10 (instead of say 7 of 8 or solid 8) and get a big pay. Even with 7 of 10 per say . On a $1.60 or more bet you will get $800 or up to a handpay for medium hits ! Amazing ! And before I got well over $1700 on mystic 7s on an 8 of 9 hit on 80 cents (I want to say 5 7 spots and all of the rest were 6 of 7). Pretty great return with only reasonable bankroll! Get the smart charts . At the price for the 4 card and 20 card version it is a no brainer .