Video Poker is a fairly new addition to the casino floor. The game evolved from
slot machine technology, but do not confuse the two games. Video Poker is very
different than slots. Video Poker is not a random game of chance, the cards you
are dealt are definitely random, but you have to know how to play them in order
to win.
Here are some basic Video Poker tips to help you with your game:
- Learn basic poker hands and if you can, probabilities. The poker hands and
rankings are the same in regular Poker and Video Poker. These are your basics,
you need them.
- There are many varieties of Video Poker, Golden Lagoon has about 17 varieties.
Within these, you can also play different denominations of coins and hands.
Golden Lagoon has Video Poker games that you can play up to 100 hands!! And
bet as little as a penny per hand!
- Try different types of Video Poker on for size. Make sure to read the machine
before you begin your play, since you need to know what the winning hands
are in each game and how much they pay out.
Here are some basic playing tips, so you stay clear of the rookie mistakes:
- Holding three cards hoping you will get a straight or a flush is a bad bet.
The odds are against you. Only hold three suited cards if there is potential
for a flush AND a straight flush.
- Jacks or Better has some of the best "long range" odds in the
casino and has a fairly straight forward strategy. This makes Jacks or Better
one of the most popular video poker games with novices and pros alike.
- Don't hold four cards of an inside straight - an inside straight is one
where the potential straight can be completed only one way (2,x,4,5,6). An
outside straight (x, 4, 5, 6, 7, x) is one that can be completed in two ways
and so is twice as likely to be successful. The only exception to this rule
is an ace-high straight.
- Don't hold a kicker with any pair or with three of a kind - a kicker is
a single high card (J,Q,K,A) that has the potential to turn into a winning
pair. The pair or three of a kind should always be played and the kicker discarded.
- Generally, hold any paying hands you are dealt, unless you have the luck
of being dealt four cards to a Royal Flush.
