Tips and Hints for Playing Online Video Poker

No matter what casino game you want to play, success depends upon your understanding of the basic rules. If you are unfamiliar with them, you are not going to succeed, and video poker is no exception.

But winning goes way beyond simply knowing how to play the game. You want to make sure you have the best opportunity to win when you play, and here are some basic tips to help you.

Poker Basics

It’s important to understand the basics of poker if you want to win at video poker. As you probably already know, poker involves a combination of luck and skill. While video poker also involves luck, it doesn’t require the same level of skill. For instance, you aren’t reading opponents, setting traps, or employing any other tactics that are commonly seen at poker tables.

Still, video poker players need to be able to figure out which hands to go for and the odds of drawing the cards they need to complete a winning hand. Of course, they also have to know which hands are winners. Poker hands are ranked highest to lowest in the following way:

• Royal Flush
• Straight Flush
• Four of a Kind
• Full House
• Flush
• Straight
• Three of a Kind
• Two Pairs
• Pair
• High Card

When you play video poker, a winning hand depends on the type of game you are playing. For instance, if you play Jacks or Better, you must have at least a pair of jacks to earn a return. The bigger the hand, the more you win.

A lot of people believe that poker is very easy to play, especially when playing video poker. The truth is that it can be a little more complicated even when the number of variations from winning hands is limited. What this means is that you should know the basic strategies of video poker, including studying strategy charts. These will help you to determine what type of hand you should play for when playing a game. This helps your odds of winning.

Choose a Good Variation

There are many variations in video poker. Because of this, some are simply not worth your time. You are more likely to lose in these games, so finding a good game with good odds is important. You want to make sure you find a video poker game that has a good paytable and has better odds of you winning.

With that said, video poker games with lower RTPs tend to offer bigger payouts for premium hands. Games with higher RTPs will pay out more consistently, but the wins are generally smaller. Industry experts from CanadaCasinoHub analyzed various formats of video poker and prepared a list of the best online Video Poker games, which you can find on https://www.canadacasinohub.com/online-video-poker/.

Jack or Better

Even though Jack or Better is a favorite among experienced video poker players, it is ideal for beginners. The idea is simple: Get jacks or better to win. You get your starting hand, take your draw, and hope that the gambling gods are shining on you. You can also win a nice chunk of change. A Royal Flush typically pays out at 800 to 1.

Deuces Wild

Deuces Wild is very similar to the aforementioned Jacks or Better. The key difference is that every two in the deck is wild. This means that they can represent any card you want them to. Another major difference is the qualifying hand. You must have at least three of a kind to receive a payout.

Bonus Poker

Bonus Poker is almost identical to Jacks or Better. However, there is a very subtle difference on the paytable. With Jacks or Better, you earn a 25-1 payout for quads. In bonus poker, the payouts for four of a kind depend on the cards you have. Getting four aces pays out at 80 to 1 while four 2s, four 3s, or four 4s earn a return of 40 to 1. All other quads get you a 25-1 payout.

Progressive Video Poker

Some online casinos offer progressive video poker jackpot games. These give players an opportunity to win a massive cash prize. Every time you play a hand, a portion of your wager goes into the progressive jackpot. The jackpot continues to build until some lucky player hits the right card combination. In most cases, the progressive jackpot is triggered by a Royal Flush.

Check the Pay Tables

Different video poker games have different pay tables. Before you choose any game, look at the paytable to make sure you are playing a game that gives you the best opportunity to win larger amounts of money. This table will tell you exactly how much you earn for each specific winning hand. When you find the video poker area, look around at different machines. Check the pay tables and choose one that gives you the better chance to win big.

A Word about Video Poker RTPs

A video poker game’s advertised Return to Player is easy to find. However, this RTP assumes that you are using the optimal video poker strategy. It’s the same as blackjack at online casinos. If you aren’t using optimal strategy, then the house edge becomes much greater. The internet is loaded with insightful optimal strategy guides for video poker. We recommend that you check a few of them out before playing for real money.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Before getting into playing, practice playing video poker. Most online casinos allow members to play their games for free in demo mode. There are also several apps you can download to your smart device that will allow you to learn how to play.

This is also a place where promotions and special offers like no-deposit bonuses are offered by the casino. Some casinos will give you free money to get started to learn how to use their machines. Take advantage of these opportunities so that you can practice playing the games before using your own money.

Join Rewards and Loyalty Clubs

This may not seem like a tip to help you in playing video poker, but the truth is that joining these rewards and loyalty clubs earns you additional bonuses, cashback, and promotions. The cashback is one program you want to take advantage of, as some casinos offer you money back on your losses. While you never hope to lose, you at least want to earn a larger amount of return should you do so.

Loyalty programs also offer promotions and bonuses that allow you to play free games or earn vouchers for cash to use on machines. Additionally, some online casinos offer loyalty point multipliers when you play certain featured video poker titles.

Have Fun and Play Within Your Limits

These are perhaps the most important tips for playing video poker. Video poker and gambling in general should be viewed as a form of entertainment. As such, you should have fun playing it. While all video poker players want to win, most of them don’t. Still, they find the game to be entertaining and they will usually return.

We highly recommend that you set limits on the amount of time and money you spend playing video poker. Only spend what you can afford to lose and make use of your online casino’s responsible gambling tools like self-assessments.