A different game: Video poker

Video poker is a fast, fun and exciting casino game, but it requires a lot on the part of the player. To play it you have to think! Unlike a regular slot machine, this game offers player participation.

Take a simple five-card draw poker game, just like you would play at home or in a card room. It is relatively easy to learn and understand. The player has a great amount of control, he or she can pick the right machine, select the amount to wager, and have an excellent edge against the house.

Here is a simple and entertaining computerized game that you could play alone without being intimidated by dealers or other players. Basically, it has all the same makeup of a slot machine, but is one that pays much better. The basic 9/6 Jacks or Better machine will return 99.5%. There hasn’t been a slot machine that has been built yet that returns that high of a percentage. I would encourage you to move away from slots and head for video poker.

As with any other game, you need to know some video poker concepts to be successful. First, you need to know how to play basic five-card draw poker. Reading and understanding a basic book on poker will be an important aid in this area. You should also know that, since you are playing one-on-one with a machine, there are some important differences compared to the live game of five-card draw poker. For example, in video poker, three of a kind is the same regardless of its card ranking. That means three fives is the same as three eights. A pair of twos is equal to a pair of tens.

You have a pair and another pair, regardless of its rating, will make you a winner. In addition, you should have a working knowledge of what the chances are of getting a particular hand as well as the value of going for a higher hand and what it means in payouts. As you can see a knowledgeable player is required to play this game. Going on the internet you can find “smart” strategy cards for video poker. They are cheap and you can take them with you when you play the machines. You can stop your play and take time to check the strategy and no one will brother you. Try it; you will like it.

BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW

• Playing 500 hands of video poker on a quarter machine (five coins each play) means feeding the machine $625 per hour. On dollar machines, you will feed it $2,500 an hour.

• If you play video poker at a normal rate of 500 hands an hour, you should average one royal flush every 62 hours.

• Wisconsin decriminalized five or fewer video poker machines per bar throughout the state in 1999.

• The only machines that can ever be set to pay back over 100% are video poker machines. You will never find a slot machine set to over 100% payback. It’s impossible. This is because video poker is the only machine-based game where the player makes decisions that directly affect the expected payback, based on which cards to hold.

• When it comes to live poker, a player in a card room will normally experience about 40 hands an hour. Playing video poker, a player will average about 400-500 hands an hour.

• There are professional players who make a living playing video poker. Unfortunately, to be good at that occupation you have to do it eight hours a day, five days a week, just like any other “job.”

• Professional video poker players only play specific machines, like 9/6 Jacks or Better- Progressive. They will also look for machines that pay as much as 103% return. Playing a 102% return machine at 25 cents a hand can result in $35 to $40 an hour. That will bring about $1,600 a week and $80,000 plus a year. That is hard work, but you can make a living doing it.

• It’s been estimated when playing video poker, you will hit four of a kind about once per hour.

This article is provided by the Frank Scoblete Network. Melissa A. Kaplan is the network's managing editor. If you would like to use this article on your website, please contact Casino City Press, the exclusive web syndication outlet for the Frank Scoblete Network. To contact Frank, please e-mail him at fscobe@optonline.net.