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The Art of Winning at Video Poker
Lined up like soldiers to battle, anthropomorphic in a seemingly cocky and taunting way, video poker slots beckon to patrons who play casino games on all platforms. But even though they seem to taunt, video poker slots are absent of all and any human involvement, and masters of video poker thrive on the unpredictability that comes with betting against a machine.
There’s no way to read a bluff, no way to play with feel and intuition; video poker success means relying on a strategy, making vital decisions and being as cold and calculating as the machine itself.
The first and most vital rule to winning at video poker is to learn and master the basics of the game. Poker, in its basic form is a game of strategy and reading your opponent, but with video poker, the human element is removed and with it, increased mathematical exactness. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though, as the absence of the human factor means the definite chance of beating the game, if it’s played with a sound strategy and competency and with the added luck of a possible perfect hand.
The main point to remember when endeavouring to Play Casino video poker is to check the pay tables assigned to each game. Comparing pay tables allows the player to make the right decision when choosing cards and especially when the decision involves keeping or losing certain combinations.
Video poker is all about retaining favourable cards to better your hand, while discarding the cards that hinder progression. A good way to strengthen strategy is to memorise the card charts available online. The video poker machine randomly selects hands that are to be dealt but the comparing of cards to the listed combinations will give the player advantage when deciding whether to stand or fold on certain combinations.
Whether indulging in a 5-card Draw, Deuce’s Wild or a Double Bonus, the point is that for the first few rounds, money will be lost. The trick is to develop a strategy and stick to that strategy in the hope that, eventually, a winning hand will be dealt, and with a jackpot to cover previous losses. Also, holding out for the winning hand will help with the memorisation of the card charts for future reference when playing the game again.
A good idea would also be to join a players’ club. Being part of video poker players’ clubs allows for increased tutorials and opportunities to practice before playing, and allows for players to get accustomed to video poker dynamics and the intricacies of the game, before spending money.
The ultimate key to video poker success is to decide on losses. The best players set levels of loss and stop once those levels are met. Video poker is ruthless in its machinations but that cunning is merely robotic and can be beat. The real victory comes in using human intuition and in knowing when to walk away to play another day; for above all, the human mind, heart and spirit, will eventually prevail, and the jackpot will be claimed by those who have earned it.