Video poker is a great game for any online player to add to their repertoire, especially if they enjoy video poker or traditional poker at the casino. However, it would be a mistake to lump video poker in the same category as those other casino games like craps or roulette. The reason is that video poker, unlike these other games, offers players the opportunity to minimize or eliminate the House edge when played correctly. As long as you know the poker hand rankings you’ll have a real easy time learning video poker.

Video Poker Pay Tables

To maximize your video poker opportunity, it’s very important that you find a game with the right pay table. For a traditional jacks or better game in which you need at least a pair of jacks to get any payback, the pay table to look for is a 9/6, in which nine coins are returned for a full house and six coins for a flush. For other games, other pay tables may be appropriate. You can find the best pay tables for each game online.

Video Poker Strategy

To reduce the House edge to less than one percent (and if you can find the right game, eliminated it entirely) there is a strategy you must follow. Playing hunches in online video poker gives the House a huge edge. Find a basic video poker strategy chart online and follow it as you play. In general, the strategy is to keep a made hand and go for what you are most likely to make, rather than the hand with the biggest payoff. It might be a good idea to try free video poker to get a hang of the game before you risk any real money.

Online Video Poker Progressive Jackpots

Most video poker machines offer a progressive jackpot, a huge payoff for making a royal flush. You can only win the progressive payout if you play the full amount of coins on each deal. Be sure to play the maximum number of coins each time so that you don’t miss out.