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| Video Poker Strategy |
The odds on a given hand vary from game to game, of course, but
generally speaking the house edge on Video Poker games is pretty small,
even 0% in some cases. Where the Video Poker games get an edge is
with players who do not follow an optimum strategy. In other words,
winging any given game based on a loose understanding of Poker is
going to lose you money.
Each Video Poker variation has its own quirks when it comes to the
odds and optimum player strategy. In the next section we'll give you
a rough guide to the most popular games, but detailed strategy guides
would take pages. If you're serious about Video Poker, try some of
the material in our reference section. Smart players can do pretty
well at Video Poker. |
Jacks Or Better strategy can get a little complicated. For a full
analysis check our references below, or follow this rough strategy
guide:
Keep any hand that already pays. Possible exceptions, by potential
value, are:
- Hold four card Royal Flushes to make Straights or Flushes.
- Four card straight flushes, inside or outside.
- High card Pairs rank here.
- Three card Royal Flushes.
- Four card Flushes.
- Low Pairs rank here, trying to build Three Of A Kind.
- Four card Flushes.
- Four card Straights. Hold inside Straights only if you've
got three or more high cards (J, Q, K, A).
If you've got nothing worth money, here's a general strategy, in order
of preference:
- Keep any two suited high cards. Discard unsuited high
cards.
- Four mixed-suit high cards:
.keep any three suited, toss the
unsuited.
.otherwise, keep them all.
- Three unsuited high cards:
.keep all three of K-Q-J.
.with A-K-J or A-Q-J, discard
the A.
- Keep any two unsuited high cards.
- Keep any single high card.
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| Same strategy as Jacks Or Better where 10 is now a high card. |
General strategy includes, best options first:
- Hold any 5 Of A Kind or Royal Flush.
- Else, if you've got four 2's: keep 'em!.
- Else, if you've got three 2's:
.hold any made 5 Of A Kind or
Royal Flush
.otherwise, keep the 2's and discard
the rest.
- Else, if you've got two 2's:
.hold any made Straight, Five
Of A Kind or Royal Flush.
.hold
any 4 of a Kind.
.hold any
4 of a Royal Flush.
.otherwise, keep the 2's and discard
the rest.
- Else, if you've got a single 2, keep any made hand EXCEPT:
.hold four card Royal Flushes
over made Straights, Flushes and Straight Flushes.
.keep
four card Straight Flushes of all types.
.hold
three card Royal Flushes .
.pairs:
with two pair, keep one, but not both.
.hold
four card Flushes.
.hold four
card Straights.
.hold three
card Straight Flushes, including gaps.
.hold
four card inside Straights.
.hang
on to two card Q or J high Straight Flushes .
.discard
two card Royal Flushes.
.if
you've come this low in the list, discard everything and try again.
|
Remember that only K and A are high cards: this is a Kings or Better
game.
General strategy:
- Keep a Joker if you get it. You'll only see in once in
ten hands, on average.
- Don't keep an inside Straight.
- Straight Flushes are a good payer and they occur considerably
more frequently than in a game like Jacks or Better
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Straights and Flushes pay well here so it tips the usual strategy
in their favour:
- Prefer inside Straights over one or two high cards.
- Prefer 4 card outside Straights and 4 card flushes over
pairs, even high ones.
- Hold any three cards to a Flush.
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