Avoid the common beginners mistakes
When learning how to play video poker, most beginners mistakes happen because you don’t pay enough attention to the payoff schedule. Unlike reel slots, the payout percentage of any video poker game can be determined by looking at the machine’s pay table. Playing at a machine with a poor pay table is clearly the most common error, especially when a nearby machine with a better pay table is unoccupied.
Mistakes Observed in casino
I have observed players on 8/5 jacks or better games, when 9/6 games were close sitting idle. An 8/5 machine pays 97.29%, while the 9/6 game pays 99.54%. The difference in payout is 2.25%.
The numbers “9/6” and “8/5” refer to the payout, per coin bet, for a full house and a flush in jacks or better, the most common video poker game. Click here for the complete pay table and optimum playing strategies.
Facts to consider
The two most important factors, when learning how to play video poker, are being able to recognize the best payoff schedules and knowing proper playing strategy. For every hand dealt a video poker players must have the expertise to choose the correct cards to hold in order to achieve the maximum payback.
If a casino has no full pay games I suggest you go elsewhere. The same goes for online casinos; some have very good video poker games while others offer poor pay out schedules. Be choosy; invest your money where the return potential is highest. If more people would follow this advice, competition would force all casinos to offer more attractive games.
Additional Beginners Mistakes
Another mistake most people make when learning how to play video poker is playing less than five coins per hand. The maximum jackpot is paid only if five coins are played. The royal flush pays 250 per coin if from 1 to 4 coins are played, but jumps to 800-for-1 or 4,000 coins with 5-coin play!
Instead of $1 at a time on a dollar machine, play 5 quarters. A royal flush with one dollar bet pays $250, whereas with five quarters bet it will pay 4,000 quarters = $1,000! And if quarters are too rich, then switch to a nickel game. A one-quarter royal flush pays $62.50, but a five-nickel royal pays $200!
Learning how to play video poker can be a pleasant pastime. You can read Video Poker Books and/or install Video Poker Software on your computer. Then, before risking serious money, perfect your skills by playing Free Video Poker online. Click here to find more on how to Play Video Poker.