Video poker is one of the most popular casino games, many people like to play it because its rules are simple, and you do not have to know difficult strategies in order to win. These features made video poker a very popular game among gamblers. It does not matter if you want to play it in a real or in an online casino, you can find several types of video poker in both places. Although I have said that video poker is easy and the rules are simple, it can not hurt to have a good strategy which will bring you more winnings.

Some people play video poker just for fun, other play hoping that they will win the jackpot. It does not matter which type of player are you; a strategy comes in handy for everyone. If you play just to have fun or to relax, you do not necessarily hope to win big bucks. But the game becomes more fun if you win! If you play for the money, than you must have a good strategy, otherwise you do have less chance to win. Then let us get started! In this article I will write about good video poker strategies, which will help you to win more often.

There are several types of video poker, but the most widely played variation is Jacks or Better 9/6. In this type of video poker if you obtain a pair of Jacks or any higher cards, the payout becomes larger and larger, depending of course on the wagered credit too. So the first and most important thing for you to know is the pay table. The biggest advantage of Jacks or Better 9/6 is that the house advantage is very small compared to other video poker games, it is only 0.46%. There are some useful statistics about the average hourly play and the expected loss. In case of Jacks or Better 9/6 your average hourly play is about $ 750 and your expected loss per hour is only about $ 3.45.

If you compare these numbers with other games, you will see why Jacks or Better 9/6 is the most popular kind of video poker. Here I will give only a few examples: in case of Jacks or Better 8/5 with the same average hourly play the expected loss per hour is $ 20.25 and the house advantage is 2.7%. If you play Jacks or Better 7/5 then the house advantage is bigger than 3% and with the already mentioned average hourly play your expected loss per hour would be around $ 28.88. So the most important strategy tip I can give you is to look for Jacks or Better 9/5, the reasons should be obvious by now. After all who wants to lose more than $ 20 if you might be losing only $ 3.45 each hour?

Before you start to play any kind of video poker you should prepare yourself. By this I mean that your bankroll should be sufficient, you should prepare yourself for a lot of ups and downs. Prepare to the fact that most of the time you will be losing, but when you eventually hit the jackpot your game will become one of a positive expectation. In order to win a lot of money, you should always make the max bet. This becomes really important when you play on a progressive machine! Just think it through: if you hit the Royal Flush and you did not make the max bet, you will win a smaller jackpot, but if you hit the Royal Flush and you have made the max bet, the whole progressive jackpot is yours. And there is a significant difference between the two amounts!

Let us now see another very important issue. If you play video poker in an online casino poker charts can help you a lot! What are poker charts? By the name of poker charts I mean a list of possible hands. You can find many charts on the internet; you should take a look at them! Do not worry, if you play in an online casino, you do not have to memorize the chart, all you have to do is to keep it open in another window or tab so you can consult it at any time. If you reach a hand on the list that applies, you should play according to the chart. The chart will answer all your questions: which cards to discard, which ones to keep. You should pay attention, because there are many types of video poker, and the charts are different for each and every one!

The chart for Jacks or Better 9/6 for instance gives you the best possible strategy only for that specific game, and it will not work on any other type of video poker! So pay attention and always use the right chart! If you would like to play video poker in a land based casino, you will not be allowed to take the chart in with you; you will have to memorize it. Now you can see an advantage of playing online!

Another helpful tip is to not use strategies you would use when you play poker with real people. In video poker bluffing or keeping a kicker simply does not work. You are playing against a machine; you can not fool the machine, although you can beat it! So do not try to use traditional poker strategies when you are playing video poker, they are simply worthless. Again, I recommend using the charts, this way you can be sure that you play according to the best strategy for the specific game. You might say that using the charts takes away all the fun, but it is not true: what could be more fun than winning a lot of money and playing video poker at the same time?

The strategy presented in this article can bring you winnings, if you play accordingly. I did not present any of the charts because there are many types of video poker and you should play the one which brings you the most money and the one you prefer. It is easy to find such a chart, you just have to type it in a search engine along with the type of video poker you would like to play, and you will easily find the perfect strategy chart for you! So keep in mind the basics: understand the pay tables and play accordingly; always bet the maximum amount accepted and stick to your chart!