How to Play Video Poker
To start a round of video poker you simply have to set your stake and click on the ‘Deal’ button. At this point, the dealer will deal you five cards. It is up to you how you wish to play each hand. Players can choose to keep their entire hand or discard any number of cards they like.
Regardless of how many cards you discard, you will always end the round with 5 cards. Once you have received your new cards, the game will analyse the strength of your hand and you will be paid out accordingly.
To play video poker, it is vital that you are thoroughly familiar with the different types of poker hands and their respective strengths. Here is a list of video poker hands ranked from strongest to weakest. Please note that while this list covers all of the basic types of hands, some versions of video poker may offer payouts for additional hands not listed here.
- Royal Flush –Holding a straight flush composed of the highest cards, 10, J, Q, K, A of spades/clubs/diamonds/hearts.
- Straight Flush –Holding a straight of the same suit. For instance, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 of spades.
- Four of a Kind –Holding four matching cards, such as four Queens.
- Full House –Holding a pair and a three of a kind, for example two 5s and three Kings. The suit of the cards does not matter.
- Flush –Holding five cards from the same suit, for example, 3, 7, 10, J and Q of clubs.
- Straight –Holding five sequential cards, such as 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. The suit of the cards does not matter and an Ace can come at the beginning or end of a sequence (A, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10, J, Q, K, A).
- Three of a Kind –Holding three matching cards, such as three 9s.
- Two Pair –Holding two pairs, for example two 3s and two 5s.
- One Pair –Holding a pair.
- High Card –Holding a picture card (J, Q, K, A).
- Nothing –Not holding any of the combinations above.
What are Video Poker Strategy Charts?
Video Poker Strategy Charts are a table that displays a list of hands in descending order of strength and the recommended action for each hand. Video poker charts will vary depending on the type of video poker game you are playing. Therefore, it is important that you ensure you have the right chart for your chosen variant.
How to Use Video Poker Strategy Charts
The strategy chart displays a starting hand, the number of cards to keep, and the number of cards to discard. At the top of the strategy chart, you will find the strongest possible hand and as you go down the chart, the hands become progressively weaker. Here is an example of a video poker strategy chart:
- Royal Flush – keep 5 cards – dispose of 0 cards
- Straight Flush – keep 5 cards – dispose of 0 cards
- 4 of a Kind – keep 5 cards – dispose of 0 cards
- Full House – keep 5 cards – dispose of 0 cards
- Four to a Royal Flush – keep 4 cards – dispose of 1 card
- Flush – keep 5 cards – dispose of 0 cards
- 3 of a Kind – keep 3 cards – dispose of 2 cards
- Straight – keep 5 cards – dispose of 0 cards
- Four to a Straight Flush – keep 4 cards – dispose of 1 card
- 2 Pair – keep 4 cards – dispose of 1 card
- High Pair – keep 2 cards – dispose of 3 cards
- Three to a Royal Flush – keep 3 cards – dispose of 2 cards
- Four to a Flush – keep 4 cards – dispose of 1 card
- Low Pair – keep 2 cards – dispose of 3 cards
- Four to a Straight – keep 4 cards – dispose of 1 card
- Three to a Straight Flush – keep 3 cards – dispose of 2 cards
- 2 to a Royal Flush – keep 2 cards – dispose of 3 cards
- 2 High Cards – keep 2 cards – dispose of 3 cards
- 1 High Card – keep 1 card – dispose of 4 cards
Nothing – keep 0 cards – dispose of 5 cards
When using a strategy chart, you must start at the top and compare each entrance in the table to the cards that you are holding. You work down the chart and you must immediately stop when you reach a hand that matches your cards. You then follow the recommended action for that hand as it will give you the greatest possible chance of winning.
Example 1
In this scenario, you are dealt a Jack of Hearts, a 3 of Clubs, a Jack of Clubs, an 8 of Clubs and a 9 of Clubs. As you go down through the strategy chart above, you will notice that the highest match you have is a High Pair (high pairs are considered from 10 and above but may vary depending on the game). Keep the High Pair of Jacks and discard the other three cards.
Example 2
Suppose the example above was slightly changed and instead of a Jack of Hearts, you are dealt a Queen of Diamonds, a 3 of Clubs, a Jack of Clubs, an 8 of Clubs and a 9 of Clubs. In this instance, instead of aiming for a High Pair, your best bet is the 4 to a Flush. You dispose of the Queen of Diamonds and keep the 3, J, 8 and 9 of Clubs.
Example 3
In this example, you are dealt a Queen of Diamonds, a 4 of Spades, a 6 of Diamonds, an Ace of Spades and a 5 of Spades. As you go through the strategy chart, there aren’t any clear matches, but there are close matches. The hand is two cards off of a Straight and two cards off of a Flush. As a Flush is stronger than a Straight, you should try and complete the Flush. The Flush draw includes the Ace of Spades, which is a High Card. You should dispose of the Queen and 6 of Diamonds and hold on to the Ace, 4 and 5 of Spades. Furthermore, you are two cards away from a Straight Flush.
Example 4
In this example, you are dealt a 5 of Hearts, a 5 of Clubs, a King of Spades, an Ace of Spades an a 9 of Diamonds. Even though you have a suited King and Ace, you should keep the two 5s and dispose of the rest. On the strategy chart, a Low Pair ranks higher than a Suited K/A.
Example 5
In this example, you are dealt a 2 of Diamonds, 4 of Spades, 6 of Spades, 8 of Clubs and 10 of Diamonds. In this instance, you do not have any High Card or any combinations in your hand. Dispose of all five cards and receive a new hand altogether.
Video Poker Strategy Chart Methodology
It is important to understand that video poker strategy charts will vary from one game to another. For instance, when looking at strategy charts for two popular video poker variants, Tens or Better and Jacks or Better, the charts will differ as when playing the first, it is enough to hold a pair of 10s while the second requires a pair of Jacks.
Video poker strategy charts are easy to decipher and can be incredibly advantageous. They will vary depending on the specific rules of the video poker game being played, but the method of following the charts remains the same.
Players must always look for the highest match on the strategy chart as statistically it offers the best chance of success. It is possible to calculate the odds or every single poker hand. However, this is a complicated thing to do and that is why it is advantageous to use video poker charts, as the hard work has already been done for you.
Of course, the strategy charts will not guarantee that you win. Nothing can overcome the house edge. However, assuming that you follow the chart accurately, you will be giving yourself the best possible chance. Furthermore, while it may seem a bit cumbersome at first, the more you use the chart, the more familiar it will become and you will soon find that it has become second nature.