Playing Video Poker

Video poker is a relatively new phenomenon, and an increasingly popular variation from more traditional versions of the game. In one sense video poker is like a slot machine in that all the gambling action occurs between the player and the machine. In another sense, however, video poker involves skill and an ability to know and play the odds of poker.

Yet, neither of these comparisons really does video poker any justice, for in truth it is unique. Unlike the slots, video poker involves a much higher level of decision making and interactivity. The player's actions (instead of a microchip with a pre-determined pay-out per number of spins) determine, for the most part, failure or success. Unlike traditional table top (or online) poker there are no other players to bluff nor are there any dealers to rush the game along. The key to playing video poker is to remember that there is no rush; that this is a gambling game which allows careful and strategic play. How to play video poker carefully is then the question which presents itself here.

An introductory article such as this cannot handle all the intricacies of this question, for like all else in the gambling world, how to succeed in video poker is a subject with many opinions and a lot of personal bias. However, on the most basic level, playing careful video poker means taking your time and keeping your cool. Take time to think every single hand; calculate, to the best of your ability, the most advantageous way to swing the variables. If a particular iteration of video poker frustrates your rate of success try another (not all video pokers are created equal!) -try a few out to see which system you intuit best and which seem to "let" you win more and more often. Experiment, do some research, and never make hasty bets. In time you'll be a careful and successful video poker player.

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