Video poker strategy

monkeytilter · Jan 24, 2025

Wizard of odds

Site allows you to play video poker for free and practice your video poker strategies - it will even analyse the best strategy and advise you of mistakes in your plays.

What would you hold?

Debi · Apr 11, 2025

I originally visited them to learn video poker strategy a long time ago but I don't understand that chart. Can you explain how to use it?

moots · Apr 11, 2025

I guess their strategy is meant to give you profitability over a long term (over hundreds of thousands of hands) and not just one session?

monkeytilter · Apr 11, 2025

The charts are ordered from best cards to hold to worst.

So in this case Q J is the best hold, followed by AQ and so on.
Can you see why QJ is a better hold than AQ?

The next column shows the "EV" or expected value of that play.
So for QJ we expect an average return of 2.45.. credits (compared to the 5 credit cost for 1 play), where as if we held 3 cards to a flush A95 spades we would only expect an average return of 2.20 credits. So holding QJ is a far better play as we get 10% more return from it.

The columns after are less important but they show often you can expect lose, hit a pair of jacks or better, 2 pair etc. (The analysis considers all possible card combinations that can be dealt following a certain hold).
I like the site because you can play a lot of video poker variants (for free) just for fun or to improve your strategy on the various games.

monkeytilter · Apr 11, 2025

moots said:
I guess their strategy is meant to give you profitability over a long term (over hundreds of thousands of hands) and not just one session?

Yes they are the average expected return.
In the short term you could be a lot luckier or unluckier, but you should always make the play for the best expected return.

Debi · Apr 29, 2025

monkeytilter said:
The charts are ordered from best cards to hold to worst.

So in this case Q J is the best hold, followed by AQ and so on.
Can you see why QJ is a better hold than AQ?

The next column shows the "EV" or expected value of that play.
So for QJ we expect an average return of 2.45.. credits (compared to the 5 credit cost for 1 play), where as if we held 3 cards to a flush A95 spades we would only expect an average return of 2.20 credits. So holding QJ is a far better play as we get 10% more return from it.

The columns after are less important but they show often you can expect lose, hit a pair of jacks or better, 2 pair etc. (The analysis considers all possible card combinations that can be dealt following a certain hold).
I like the site because you can play a lot of video poker variants (for free) just for fun or to improve your strategy on the various games.

Yes - the straight possibilities are much higher.

Now this is making me want to play again lol.

monkeytilter · Apr 29, 2025

Debi said:
Yes - the straight possibilities are much higher.

Now this is making me want to play again lol.

Well you can play for free at that site, lots and lots of variants to play on.
I do like the strategy element to maximise expectation, it's not just clicking buttons

Click on the "Play for fun" link and explore, so much stuff on there that's why I mention the site.

Debi · Apr 29, 2025

monkeytilter said:
Well you can play for free at that site, lots and lots of variants to play on.
I do like the strategy element to maximise expectation, it's not just clicking buttons

Click on the "Play for fun" link and explore, so much stuff on there that's why I mention the site.
View attachment 384009

Well... just like with poker I have no interest in playing casino games when there is no money or real prize to be won.

MK_ · Apr 29, 2025

Looks like a fun site to learn👍

dreamer13 · Apr 29, 2025

This is a stripped-down version of online poker, based on a five-card draw. Despite its simplicity, video poker is a game of luck and strategy! Playing against an algorithm, video poker is much like playing online slots. Players place their bet, and the cards are dealt automatically. The goal is to form the best five-card poker hand according to the payout table.Although you can bet 1-4 coins per hand, the only way to qualify for the best payouts in video poker is to bet five coins. For example, in Jacks or Better, players can go from winning 1,000 coins by betting four coins to 4,000 coins by betting five coins on a royal flush. The number of coins bet also affects the house edge: betting five coins on a single hand significantly reduces the house edge.

Emily Trott · Apr 29, 2025

Debi said:
Yes - the straight possibilities are much higher.

Now this is making me want to play again lol.

Here in New England when there is a break in the tournament I'll sashay to the smoking area outside [edited to change "room" to "area outside"]. In Vegas however, at least in all the casinos where I've played, you can smoke at the machines, bars, and the casino floor. So during breaks I'll usually sit down at a video poker machine to play and have a smoke.

A few decades ago I'd learned the strategy, but without practice we tend to forget some or a lot of it. While I have a good feel for the odds and making correct plays, I know that I'm probably making numerous errors. Each year that I've been out west I've promised myself to study the strategy, I'm going to keep that promise for next year.

monkeytilter · Apr 29, 2025

Leaning some new casino games too, this looks a nice one to play with kids on holiday as an alternative to black jack..
(Take all their pocket money back

)
https://wizardofodds.com/play/pai-gow-poker/

You are dealt 7 cards and split into 5+2. The 2 card hand must be lower than 5 card hand.
You then compare you 2 vs dealer's 2 and your 5 against dealer's 5. Chops go in favour of dealer.
Trick is to not focus on a 5 card "monster", you want to split and make both hands competitive.

Emily Trott · Apr 29, 2025

dreamer13 said:
This is a stripped-down version of online poker, based on a five-card draw. Despite its simplicity, video poker is a game of luck and strategy! Playing against an algorithm, video poker is much like playing online slots. Players place their bet, and the cards are dealt automatically. The goal is to form the best five-card poker hand according to the payout table.Although you can bet 1-4 coins per hand, the only way to qualify for the best payouts in video poker is to bet five coins. For example, in Jacks or Better, players can go from winning 1,000 coins by betting four coins to 4,000 coins by betting five coins on a royal flush. The number of coins bet also affects the house edge: betting five coins on a single hand significantly reduces the house edge.

Quite a few years back one casino got caught cheating at the payout for maximum coins. What they did was to set the machine so that when the player bet maximum coins, they would remove all four of the Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, or Tens from the deck. That eliminated the possibility of anyone winning the Royal Flush jackpot.

dzsire · May 2, 2025

Good Tool. It's a shame that I lost a lot of money without this Analyzer in the past. But I guess using this would have resulted the same money loss.

monkeytilter · Jul 9, 2025

Had a toughish spot today (Aces and Faces).. What would you do?

Though it's close between holding the inside straight draw and not holding anything, it's better to not hold anything.

It's a losing spot as I stand to "win" 1.8 coins for the 5 I put in, but losing the minimum here is part of the winning strategy.

Search

Video poker strategy

monkeytilter

Legend

Debi

Forum Admin

moots

by Casino.us

monkeytilter

Legend

monkeytilter

Legend

Debi

Forum Admin

monkeytilter

Legend

Debi

Forum Admin

MK_

Legend

dreamer13

Legend

Emily Trott

Legend

monkeytilter

Legend

Emily Trott

Legend

dzsire

Legend

monkeytilter

Legend

About CardsChat

Our Community

Our Site

Follow us