Know your odds
Statistically only 21% of the time are you going to be dealt a hand straight that has you winning with Jacks or better. That leaves you with 79% or nearly 4 in 5 hands that you are going to have play up to win. Here is where the odds change dramatically. They now lie in your game play and the decisions you make to turn them in your favor. It can be done, you just have to learn how to win.
Practice make perfect
Ok it may sound like kid stuff, but every game you play is training you on decision making skills that will improve with practice. Use a hand-held poker game or other toy version and just play. Play without gambling just to learn. No need to start out losing hundreds or even thousands of dollars until you get the swing of video poker, practice it and get comfortable with different sets of cards situations. When you do gamble, assess your skill level carefully and bet accordingly. Start small and go big only when you feel comfortable with the game and know your strengths and weaknesses.
How fast you play matters
The speed at which you turn over hands at video poker is an important factor when you are looking to win and turn the odds in your favor. Yes it is true that video poker machines are programmed to be as absolutely random as possible, but the more hands you take does make a difference. The machines while random, and programmed to be that way, experience natural fluctuations betweens highs and lows (for you that means good or bad deals). These fluctuations are then further affected by which cards you are holding back and when. The quicker you can roll over the hands, the faster you will push through the “doldrums” or bad spots in the random computerized dealings, and get yourself closer to a winning streak. Turn and burn is the key to getting out of that slump.
Narrow the playing field
With so many video poker gaming options out there from Joker Poker, Louisiana Jacks, Gator Poker, etc. just to name a few, you have to find a game or two at most and stick to them. Learn them in and out and narrow your focus and sharpen your skills. There is no magic game that wins out more than the others when you follow the percentages. The only advantage is knowledge. Knowing your game is your key in beating the odds.
