Video Poker Strategy Guide

Once a player knows the basic rules of Poker the strategy is fairly easy to master. There is a 52 card deck in play with the exception of game variations that include the Joker increasing the deck to 53 or in some cases 54 cards.

Due to player popularity there is a large variety of Video Poker variations available to choose from. Wagering amounts vary greatly depending on the game type. In Jacks or Better most basic form for instance, it’s 5 coins/credits in. Other variations that include special features like Multipliers, Bonus games and multiple hands per game require more coins to activate these features.

Paytables vary greatly depending on which Video Poker game is selected. Below is a comparison of Jacks or Better and Double Double Bonus Poker payouts and available winning hands for each.

Basic Video Poker Strategy

Dealt Hand	Hold	Tips
Royal Flush	All cards	Jackpot hand
Straight Flush	All cards	If dealt 4 cards to the Royal Flush consider discarding 5th card
Four of a Kind	4 cards discard 1	If a kicker A, 2, 3 or 4 hand is an available payout hold
Full House	All cards	If dealt 3 Aces consider discarding 2 cards
Flush	All cards	If dealt 4 to a Straight Flush consider discarding 1 card
Straight	All cards	If dealt 4 to a Flush consider discarding 1 card
Three of a kind	Hold 3 cards
Two Pair	Hold 4 cards	If dealt a pair Jacks or better considering discarding 3 cards
One Pair	Hold 2 cards
High Card	Hold 1 card	If dealt one Jack or better hold - otherwise discard all

Because there is no fool-proof way to win at gambling, it is important to learn a few of the strategies in order to minimize the chances of losing. Playing any game for free is one way to become familiar with any game, and there are many sites that offer free video poker.

Due to the fact that there are so many versions of video poker available, these are only 2 examples of video poker variations strategies. These strategies can be adapted to all other versions of video poker.

Jacks or Better & Double Double Bonus Video Poker Strategy

Hand	Card Combination	Jacks or Better Payout*	Double Double Bonus Payout*
Royal Flush	A-K-Q-J-10 Same suit any order	4,000	4,000
Straight Flush	5 cards in sequence - same suit	250	250
Four Aces with kicker	4 aces with any 2,3 or 4	not available	2,000
Four Aces	4 of a kind Aces	not available	800
Four - twos, threes or fours with kicker	4 of kind with A, 2, 3 or 4	not available	800
Four - twos, threes or fours	4 2s, 3s or 4s	not available	400
Four of a kind	4 of kind any card ranking	125	125
Four of a a kind 5 thru K	4 of a kind ranking 5 thru King	not available	250
Full House	Any 3 of a kind and 2 of a kind	45	35
Flush	5 cards any sequence same suit	30	25
Straight	5 cards in sequence any suit	20	20
Three of a kind	3 cards of the same rank	15	15
Two Pair	2 sets of cards same rank	10	5
One Pair Jacks or better	2 cards ranked Js or better	5	5

*Based on max bet and IGT Game King Paytable.

Here is how you should use these strategies. Match your hand to the highest in the list and play that strategy.

These strategies are abbreviated for ease of use. A more complete strategy would provide additional options. For instance, you have a 3 card royal with a pair of kings. A complete strategy would need to differentiate that from a 3 card royal with no pairs.