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- How To Win At Video Poker Machines
Video poker is the ONLY game where the casino actually tells you the 'price', or the exact theoretical payback. Learn to recognize the best game returns, which are prominently displayed on the game's glass or in the game's help screens and get the most for your gambling dollar. Learn how to maximize your odds of winning - and how much you win - at Jacks-or-better video poker. The most important thing in video poker is learning which of your original five cards to keep or hold and which to discard. Video Poker Machine Strategy. Because so much variety exists in the world of video poker, teaching you how to win at video poker would require lessons for each style of game that exists. Instead, memorize these three tips to performing well on any given video card gaming title: 1. Use a strategy to play video poker. Each kind of poker has a winning strategy associated with it. By following these guidelines, you increase your chances of winning. The most popular poker game, “Jacks or Better,” has an easy-to-follow game strategy and a large variety of winning combinations. Structured to play as stud poker variants, video poker games should be played with the proper strategy in order to maximize one’s chances of winning. Video poker payout odds can be different depending on the game, but a Jacks or Better game played with a perfect strategy can give the player a 99.54 percent return on their money.
Perfect basic strategy is a must for this high volatility game
By Henry Tamburin
Let me repeat this because it’s important: The volatility is very high. This means that if you are not lucky and don’t get a winning hand followed by another winning hand, your bankroll will head south very quickly. This greater volatility requires a much bigger bankroll to withstand the big bankroll swings that will occur with this game.
In previous articles in Strictly Slots, I wrote about the six-coins-per-line games Super Times Pay and Quick Quads. This month, I’ll describe the mother of multi-coin-per-line games known as Ultimate X.
Ultimate X is available as a multi-hand and single-hand video poker game. If you wager 10 coins per line instead of five coins, you will earn a multiplier, not on the current hand, but on the following hand (i.e., betting 10 coins per line puts you in the Ultimate X mode). Essentially, you are doubling your initial bet in the hopes that you will get a greater payout on the following hand.
The easiest way to show you how Ultimate X works is to play a few hands. (The game is Triple Play Bonus Poker.)
Suppose on the first hand you wagered the maximum of 30 coins (i.e., 10 coins per line) to activate the Ultimate X feature and are dealt the following hand:
Notice on the bottom right of the screen, the “Ultimate X Poker” logo shows that it is active (because you wagered the maximum of 30 coins). On the first line, you hold the pair of 4s. The 4s will appear in the same card position on lines #2 and #3, and each line will receive three draw cards. The result of the draw gave you these final hands.
You wound up with two pairs on line #1 (pair of 4s and 8s) but you didn’t get a winning hand on lines #2 and #3. Our winning two pair on line #1 paid 10 coins (which is a standard payout for two pairs for a traditional five-coin wager). The 10-coin winning payout appears in the “Win” meter at the bottom left of the screen. Likewise, the 10 coins won increased the “Credit” meter (lower right) by 10 coins. Notice that to the left of line #1 (i.e., bottom hand), you’ll see “Next Hand 3X.” This signifies that the payout for a winning hand on Line #1 on the following hand would be multiplied by 3.
On the next hand, you are dealt:
Notice that “3X” appears to the left of line #1 (to signify whatever the payout is for a winning hand on line #1, it will be multiplied by 3). You hold the single ace, hit the draw button, and wound up with a pair of queens on line #1 and a pair of aces on line #3.
The payout for a high pair is five coins but on line #1, the payout is multiplied by 3 (because we had a winning hand on this line in the previous hand). Therefore, your total payout was 20 coins (five coins for the pair of aces on line #3, and 15 coins for the pair of queens on line #1). Since you have a winning hand on lines #1 and #3, the screen shows that you will have a 2x multiplier on any winning hands on lines #1 and #3 on the following hand.
On your third hand, you were dealt two unsuited high cards (J-Q) on line #1, you held them, and ended up with:
Unfortunately, you didn’t get a winning hand on lines #1 and #3 (with the 2x multiplier from the previous winning hands on these lines) but you got a winning hand on line #2 that gives you a 3x multiplier on this line for the following hand.
On the next hand, you were dealt two pair:
You hold the two pair, say a silent prayer, and after the draw ended up with the following hands:
Unfortunately, you didn’t get a full house or three of a kind on any line on the draw (darn!) so your final result was two pair on all lines. The payout was 10 coins on line #1, 10 coins on line # 3, and 30 coins on line #2 (because of the 3x multiplier from the previous winning hand line #2). Notice also that on the following hand, you will have a 3x multiplier on all three lines.
I hope after playing these sample hands, you get the gist of how the game plays and how fun and lucrative it could be if you get a winning hand on one or more lines followed by another winning hand on the same line(s).
The amount of the multiplier that you receive for any winning hand depends on which game you are playing (e.g., bonus poker, double double bonus, etc.), what the winning hand was (see below), and how many lines you played (e.g., Triple Play, Five Play, or Ten Play.). The multiplier is always 2x for winning hands higher than a full house. As an example, the multipliers for the Triple Play Bonus Poker game are:
Notice that if you get a full house or flush on any line, then on the following hand the payout for any winning hand (on the same line) would be multiplied by 12 and 11 respectively. (My biggest winning hand to date playing Ultimate X was when I got four 3s with a 12x multiplier (the payout was a very nice 2400 coins or $600 playing quarters).
Keep in mind that when you activate the Ultimate X feature, you are doubling your bet (betting 10 coins per line instead of 5 coins) in return at a potential shot at a bigger payout on the following hand. Because you are betting a total of 30 coins per hand on a Triple Play Ultimate X game, the volatility is very high. Let me repeat this because it’s important: The volatility is very high. This means that if you are not lucky and don’t get a winning hand followed by another winning hand, your bankroll will head south very quickly. This greater volatility requires a much bigger bankroll to withstand the big bankroll swings that will occur with this game. (Psychologically, you also have to be prepared for the negative swings.)
According to IGT, there are nine game families on the Ultimate X platform, mostly on Three-, Five- and Ten-Play machines, although a single hand version is offered on their bundled-theme Five Star Poker. The highest return Ultimate X game that is offered is 9/6 Double Double Bonus Poker on Ten Play (99.87%, assuming perfect strategy). You can review the returns for other games on the Ultimate X page at www.wizardofodds.com.
If you want to know which casinos in Las Vegas offer Ultimate X, go to the Best Video Poker Page on www.lasvegasadvisor.com. You can also go to www.vpfree2.com and use the search function to find out which casinos in different regions of the U.S. offer Ultimate X, or use the “Find in Casinos” function on www.videopoker.com. If you want to play Ultimate X for free, go to www.videopoker.com. (I highly recommend you do so to get a feel for how the game plays and the size of the bankroll swings.)
Tip of the Month
When you play Ultimate X, you are paying more on the current hand in the hopes of getting a multiplier on the following hand. Therefore, on your last hand before you quit playing, you should only bet five coins per line (i.e., don’t activate the Ultimate X feature on the last hand because it has no value since you won’t be playing another hand). Also, before you start playing, check the screen on different Ultimate X games to see if a previous player left a multiplier on the game. If you are lucky to find one with a multiplier, jump in and play the hand with only a five coin per line wager. As always, but even more so with Ultimate X because you are betting twice as much per hand, play each hand with perfect basic strategy. Good luck!
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Henry Tamburin is a blackjack and video poker expert. He is the host of the smartgaming.com website and the editor of the Blackjack Insider newsletter (for a free three-month subscription, visit www.bjinsider.com/freetrial). For a free copy of his Casino Gambling Catalog, which contains books, strategy cards, and software for casino players, call toll free 1-888-353-3234, or visit the web store at smartgaming.com.
While visiting casinos, I have often wondered how video poker machines work. Is there any skill involved in beating them? Or are they programmed in favor of the house and require luck to win like slot machines? So, I did a bit of research and these are my findings.
How are poker machines programmed? Video poker machines are programmed with primitive software designed around the random number generator (RNG). Basically, the RNG is constantly shuffling the deck until a player hits the button that deals the cards. Machines favor the house but there are no programmed patterns or rigging done.
Now, let’s explore the different types of machines and how they are programmed in greater detail.
What Type of Software Is Used in Video Poker Machines?
Poker machines do not use software the way computers do in the modern age. Best online gaming site. In fact, it is not really software at all since it was mostly created during the 1980’s using old technologies.
The “software” is much more rudimentary and basically only picks random numbers that generate the images of cards on the screen. Usually, once the initial deal is made the cards are set and no more calculations are made until the next hand is dealt.
Types of Video Poker Machines
A video poker machine is usually computerized and in casinos, you will find two types of video machines. They include the Class II Machines and the Class III Machines.
What Is a Class II Machine?
The class II games are pertinent and related to bingo. They, therefore, include lottery-style games and pull-tab machines played within one location, including the card-games that are not house-banked are within the Class II games.
Seemingly, Bingo has little to do with video poker gaming, but we will get to that later.
What Is a Class III Machine?
The Class III casino games are common in Las Vegas Casino gaming. Every traditional casino game such as blackjack, roulette, traditional slot machines, and the video poker games is within the Class III category.
Federal law allows Native American casinos to conduct Class II gaming without supervision. To conduct Class III gaming, they have to negotiate with the state first. The first thing that some people think of after the phrase “video poker games” is mentioned is Class III gaming.
The Difference Between Class II and Class III Machines
Each outcome of a Class II video poker machine is determined by an electronic bingo game. If you already know how the bingo machine functions, you will find it easier to understand this.
In a bingo game, the entry fees and number of entries determines and limits the prizes. When playing Class II gaming machines, you will be participating in electronic bingo games with very many players. The cards on the video poker game are there for display purposes alone.
The odds of video poker machines are based on the hit bingo patterns. Actually, on Class II video poker machines, a big screen will display the cards but you will have another subtle screen displaying the electronic bingo card.
The small electronic bingo card is the only clue you require to understand what is happening mathematically.
How Do Class II Video Poker Games Play?
Most video poker machines that you see in casinos are similar in function. In fact, video poker play is very simple.
Highest rated online casinos. When you play, you will be dealt with five cards alone and then you will have the chance of deciding on which to keep by tapping the pictures that appear on the screen or pressing the buttons situated on the console.
Random Video Poker Number Generator
Some believe that the purpose of RNG is to shuffle the virtual cards. That is not the case; the RNG generates many combinations of numbers in predetermined ranges on a constant basis.
Basically, the RNG uses the same randomness found in an actual deck of playing cards. In practice, the concept is the same.
For example, each of the 52 cards in the Better or Jacks video poker game has corresponding numbers – between 1 and 52. If a gamble presses on the “Bet Max” or Bet One Credit” buttons or deposits coins, the microprocessor in the video poker machine will collect five random numbers within a period less than 1/1000th second and translate them into real card images. After that, the player will get a hand to start the game.
Are Video Poker Machines Actually Random?
The RNG is the computer program which determines the results of every hand. There are no patterns or rigging done to the software. Instead, it constantly “spins” through the deck until someone clicks the deal button.
In Class III machines, the odds are random, but some people assume that the machines use similar probability and logic to that of a deck of cards. The random number generator has to use the same probability and odds to generate 5-card hands – found in the standard decks of 52-cards. Some games have 53 cards because of the wild card (the joker).
A video poker machine deals the first five cards in the above manner, but some other machines generate the replacement for cards that a player wishes to get rid of in different ways.
The Parallel Dealing Method
After a player decides to get rid of a card, the machine will show the replacement card. At the time the machines entered the gambling world, some people were against parallel dealing. The primary reason behind that was that the card a gambler requires to complete a winning hand might be behind a card that they have kept. Therefore, they cannot receive the card.
The Switch to the Serial Dealing Method
Due to complaints about the parallel method, the modern poker machine was created based on a different way of determining the cards. The “serial” dealing method. This basically means that all of the future replacement cards are now in one stack. In other words, there are no longer cards out of play.
This change took place in the 1990s and is now the preferred method of dealing video poker in the vast majority of casinos.
Are Video Poker Machines Programmed to Favor the House?
The probability of winning and the payout ensures that the casino will make huge profits in the long term. Moreover, the casino has the main goal of influencing you to keep playing for the longest time possible. They design the random number generator and the payback tables with that in mind.
Video poker machines are definitely designed to favor of the house.
Is Video Poker Beatable?
Only a few people will actually win at video poker over the long term. Some individuals believe that making a living out of it is possible, but that is very hard. To be a professional in the field, you have to be intelligent, manage to sit in one place and play for very many hours.
In the best case scenario, the maximum edge attainable for winning video poker players is about 1% or 2%.
To win in video poker games, you will need a lot of practice and a sound mathematical strategy. There are available online tools that will tell you each time you make a strategic mistake. The tools offer simplified strategies, which are easier to play or remember and will work more like the professional strategies.
Can Video Poker Machines Be Rigged or Hacked
Video poker machines have to be FIPS compliant. The interfaces have to be locked and in trigger-sensored enclosures.
Moreover, there are no WAN interfaces or intranet and the firmware and house-variable updates happen through the ports. Outside the glitching and the logic backdoors and bugs, including the RNG Weakness, the machines are impossible to compromise physically.
How the Paytable and Returns Are Programmed
The amount of money you win for every hand depends on the machine’s pay table. Each paytable offers five columns because the winnings only depend on whether you played 1,2,3,4 or 5 coins. Keep in mind that the Royal Flush offers a bonus. For example, instead of winning 1250 coins (equal to 5 coins x 250), you will win 4000 coins.
Therefore, it is always good to play five coins at once and switch to the lower-denomination machine. That is the opposite of what most people will advise you when it comes to slots. The reason behind that is that penalties for failing to play the maximum coins in the video poker games are higher.
Benefits of Knowing the Paytables
One great thing about video poker games is that you will be aware of the return of each machine before you even start playing. On the typical video poker games, the average profit of a casino after each play is around 3 percent – known as the house edge.
The return refers to the actual amount the casino returns to the players. If a casino gets 3 percent after every bet, the players will get around 97 percent of the money bet. The paytable determines the returns on the video poker machine.
Conversely, in slot machines, you will not have any clue on the payout you are getting. And in cases where the return is usually displayed, it is more likely lousy. In fact, the slot machine is the only casino game with very bad odds. After you have learned the best playing strategy for video poker, you will have to select the machine with the good paytable.
Video Poker Programming Myths
There are quite a few prevailing myths floating around out there that many people believe. Here are three common ones:
- The number of coins bet determines the strength of the hand myth – The idea behind this myth is that people think the machines are rigged to give more frequent payouts or stronger hands for lower betting amounts. That way, when someone wins big, they will be suckered into pumping larger amounts into the machine for a larger payout.
- The pattern myth – As we have discussed before, some people believe that the machines are set up to payout in patterns. Similar to slot machine campers, they think they can just sit around and wait for someone to pump a bunch of money into the machine and then swoop in to get the big jackpot.
- Thrown away cards can reappear myth – Some players think that cards that are gotten rid of can show back up on a future draw.
What Is the History of Video Machines?
How To Win At Video Poker Deuces Wild
Understanding the key differences between the two types of video poker machines requires a look at the past.
Gambling machines entered the market for the first time in the year 1988 after Congress authorized the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The law governs the type of casino games a tribal casino can provide.
Class I casino games also exist, but they are the traditional Indian games and social games. Put differently, the class I games are not commercial.
Is Online Video Poker Programmed like Live Video Poker?
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Online video poker users a more complex RNG that is similar to the one designed for regular online poker. It is more akin to the serial dealing method.
If you want to try online video poker, I recommend Ignition Casino. It is my favorite place to play poker and has the best variety.
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Final Thoughts
How To Win At Video Poker Machines
I find it interesting that there has not been more updating done to video poker machines over the years. The machines are still using technology that was created with PacMan and Donkey Kong were the biggest computer games in town.
While it might seem fun and simple to play a quick video poker game, it is definitely not really a game of skill. If you want to win money at poker you are better off learning strategy and playing with real people.
If you are interested in getting into online poker and learning a simple strategy for winning at cash games, you can get a free basic strategy that I created by signing up for my newsletter.
Thanks for stopping by and good luck at the tables! (or machines)
Related Questions
What is the video poker risk of ruin? Risk or ruin means how likely you are to lose your whole bankroll based on how much money you have and your skill level. For more information, read this.
How do you tell if a video poker machine is going to hit? There is no way to tell if you are going to be dealt a strong hand in video poker. The machines operate off a random number generator that is not programmed or rigged by the casino.
Are there video poker professionals? Most poker professionals play against other players and not on video poker machines. This is due to the very small edges that are attainable in the games. However, there are players who manage to make money on the machines. Even so, it would be very difficult to make a sustainable living as a professional video poker player.