It was with a collective sigh, somewhere back in the mid-1990s, that the community of professional gaming analysts realized that video poker had finally overcome the widespread, long held scepticism among poker fanatics. Many of us still remember the days when individuals who would visit a casino for the purpose of playing online video poker games were treated as third-class citizens, subjected to silent mockery by players sitting at the live tables and lucky if they could get the attention of a cocktail waitress once an hour. It was a grim time, but one destined to end as soon as enough blackjack and poker snobs actually tried video poker and realized what a fulfilling format of the venerable game it truly is.
The online casinos have played a huge role in video poker’s reclamation from the proverbial ash heap, thanks to the innumerable web sites that offer superlative video poker options in both free and cash-based alternatives.
Perhaps the primary distinction to keep in mind is that online video poker, as opposed to the table format, does not have multiple betting rounds. Another key difference, obvious as it may seem, is that there is no element of either bluffing or betting patterns involved in video poker strategy. Many players, however, have misread this simple fact to mean that there is no strategy whatsoever required becoming a successful video poker player. That’s like saying when you step in a batting cage, there’s no need to keep your eye on the ball because the machine can’t throw a slider. That’s just ridiculous. Anyone seeking to win on a consistent basis while playing online video poker must know how to read the cards and judge probabilities when choosing which to keep and which to toss away. Otherwise, you might as well just let the computer choose your discards for you and leave it all up to blind luck.
With the vast number of online video poker tables you are apt to find, the one hand that will assure you a massive jackpot payout is the royal flush. Therefore, a number of video poker strategists will advise you to make an exception to the general rule of never risking a paying hand against the computer - unless that hand also contains the potential of becoming a royal flush. It only makes sense that the risk is validated in this (admittedly rare) situation, because your potential winnings are so massive.
Another common tip offered by experts is to eschew playing the high card showdown. This is one small aspect of the game that is in fact based solely on dumb luck. Though the prospect of double winnings can be hard to ignore when you’re feeling good about your hand, in the end your record of accomplishment is bound to be marked with a lot more Ls than Ws. Stick to a more grounded approach in your overall strategy, and you will certainly have a better shot at becoming a video poker champion.