No one sits down to a video poker table with the hopes of losing, even though most probably will. Unfortunately many players simply believe the poker machines are programmed not to pay when the cards are in your favor. They usually aren’t.
The problem is that many people assume that video poker is “poker light” and they don’t take the time to really learn how to play video poker to win. By learning optimal strategy for video poker you can improve your odds of winning, but there are no ‘guaranteed wins’ in video poker.
What you can do, however, is follow these tips for success so that you walk away from a video poker machine with money in your pocket!
Play Smart
One of the biggest mistakes video poker players make is relying on their gut rather than video poker odds. You’re provided odds for a reason, so pay attention to them or you may just lose your entire bankroll on a few reckless bets.
Know Payout Tables
Any video poker game you choose will let you know how each hand pays, known as a payout table. By knowing what each hand pays you’ll know when and if you should make a move.
If your goal is to make money playing video poker, it’s best to know what your winnings will look like when they come!
Set Limits
Video poker success requires you to set limits—win and loss limits—so that you live to play another day. Whether you play live or online video poker you should never play more than one day’s bankroll because the temptation is too great, especially when you’re on a winning streak.
Stop playing when you’ve reached your loss limit or your win limit. Going beyond these limits will make it harder to keep playing, and therefore to keep winning!
If you’re having trouble controlling your limits, go here.
Read Fine Print
Many video poker players sit at a machine and just start playing. By reading the fine print before you start playing, you can make sure you take advantage of free credits and bonus games. After all, do you really want to miss out on free opportunities to make more money just because you didn’t read all the information?
