Video Poker

Video poker is a unique game within the casino, and unique in a very attractive way. It's possible to find video poker machines in Nevada that offer a player edge, instead of the very, very familiar house edge. This means the house edge has dropped to below zero, or the return percentage of the video poker machine, when played perfectly, is over 100%.

Put simply, video poker is the best game in the casino, no ifs ands or buts about it. Actually utilizing this rather unusual quality of the game takes a little dedication and work though. If you take some time to check out the pay-tables, you'll be more in the know. Try to find yourself a full-pay deuces wild machine if you're serious about trying to find an advantage. Remember, attaining that advantage isn't easy, and requires a large bankroll to weather the ups and downs, but is possible. If nothing else it makes hours of entertainment on a video poker machine next to free.

One important thing to note, many video poker machines only pay the full royal flush jackpot if you are playing the maximum number of coins. In order for the expected return to favor the player over the long run, five coins must always be played. The royal flush contributes to more than 2% of the expected return, so playing the game without the possibility of hitting it will automatically pull the edge back into the casinos favor. Playing with five coins can be hard on the bankroll, that's why a serious player looking to outlast fluctuations must carry a big bankroll.

Some mathematicians have taken the time to work out the best strategies for us to study ahead of time, much like 'basic strategy' has been worked out statistically for blackjack, so that you know the best decision for any given hand dealt. Our strategy example is borrowed from the wizard of odds, who has worked out the optimal strategy for playing a full return deuces wild machine, and kindly shares it with the world. We chose this as our example because it is the perfect opportunity to see the house edge switch over to a players edge with perfect play.

This doesn't mean you need to find a full pay deuces wild machine to learn (although, we do recommend it when you play for real money). You can play with any game around, but it's best to learn which are the smart choices, and practice the strategy for that game. The wizard of odds lays out the probabilities of many different types of video poker game, so you can figure out how your favorite stacks up, and maybe pick a new one.

CLICK HERE FOR DEUCES WILD STRATEGIES