Since its creation in the 19th century, poker has been a social game, played between people for recreation and for money. And from the beginning, players have tried to figure out the best strategies for beating their rivals.
Fast forward to the digital era, and with the invention of online poker, the way the game developed and changed was dramatic. It benefited the new online players, and disadvantaged those players who had developed strategies based around playing face-to-face with others. Regardless of this, its careful strategy which can make or break your game.
A changing game
On the one hand, the best strategy of all is understanding the game intimately – and that includes all of its winning combinations. In real-life poker, just playing a good hand isn’t enough – you have to have develop killer strategies that take into account the biggest wildcard – the other players around the table.
In online poker, the other players aren’t even human, making the stakes seem that much higher. Gone is your ability to read tells and body language; in this game, you need to read between the lines – notice who is playing what and which cards are left – in order to succeed.
Helpful video poker strategies
Video poker is one variant of online poker that’s often overlooked. There are a few key strategies you can use when playing automated video poker, such as:
● A good starting point is familiarizing yourself with poker terminology, if you haven’t done so already.
● Once you are comfortable with the language of Poker, you should concentrate on a couple guidelines that will help you decide whether to hold or discard the first five cards that you may have been dealt.
● Aim to put down a royal flush or a straight flush. Failing that, you should try to put down four of a kind, a full house, a three of a kind, or even a two pair.
● When it comes to a three of a kind, get rid of the last two cards in your hand to give yourself a better chance at achieving a four of a kind – and maybe even a full house later.
● Similarly, with a two pair, consider discarding the fifth card to keep the door open to a full house later.
● If you find yourself with a pair of jacks or a better combination, break them up. This gives you more opportunity to develop your hand.
● If you find yourself with a low pair – hang on to them. Don’t try to hold single high cards such as a jack, king, queen, or ace, as these are lower probability cards.
Play wherever you are, whenever you want
It can be tricky to make the move from offline poker to online poker, especially if your poker skills come from reading other, human players.
However, strange as it may sound, playing video poker actually simplifies the game, as you can focus much more on your cards. If you find the technical thrill of the game to be more of a challenge than the psychology of your human players, being able to adapt to playing poker online can be a highly rewarding, exciting experience – hands-down.
