Playing Video Poker by the Numbers

Video poker is a fun game to play because you have a chance to hit a big jackpot without risking much money. If you want to increase your chances of hitting a jackpot in video poker there are some things you can do to increase your chances. You might call it playing by the numbers.

The goal in video poker is to hit the jackpot because that is how you make money in the long run. If you are looking for the big payoff then you have to play the maximum amount of coins on every spin. You also want to make profitable decisions on hands that are marginal so you increase your bankroll as you go for the jackpot. Let's say you were dealt the 7 clubs, 8 hearts, 9 clubs, 10 clubs, and 3 of clubs. There are flush and straight combinations available so what do you do? Do you discard the 8 of hearts or the 3 of clubs? You look at the payouts to determine your decision. Let’s say the flush pays out at 6-1 and the straight at 4-1. The odds of hitting the flush are 9 out of 47. To get a straight we need either one of the four 7’s or one of the four Queens. That puts the chances at 8 out of 47. Our chances in this case are better by going for the flush and we get better odds.

Every edge in decision making you can get keeps you alive that much longer when you play video poker and that is the goal. The longer you play the better your chances of hitting the jackpot will be. You always want the best possible payouts and you always want to go for the jackpot and playing by the numbers improves your chances.