To brush up on your fundamentals, playing video poker can be a good exercise. Not only will it make you a master at calculating odds, you will also be able to take what you’ve learned to the tables as you test your mettle against other players.
These are the lessons that video poker will teach you:
- Choose your variation and master it
Much like regular poker, online pokies australia real money come in numerous variations and each requires adjusting your strategy to make the most optimal plays in every situation. Even though the basics may be the same, the fine nuances change the game ever so slightly in a way that you can’t expect to see success with a blanket approach.
In video poker, not only do you have to get skilled at finding the best machines to play at, but also learn how to play them correctly. However, trying to take on too much at the same time will only hamper your progress. Instead, it’s much better to commit yourself to mastering a single variation of the game and stick to playing it for a prolonged period of time.
- Milk the bonuses for all they’re worth
Bonuses have the power of transforming a break-even player into a winning one. Bear in mind, however, that these online bonuses tend to come with playthrough requirements, meaning you’re going to have to wager your initial deposit amount X amount of times before the bonus will be fully credited to your account to do with as you please.
The casino is hoping you’ll lose your initial deposit due to bad luck before having to pay you, but by sticking to the right strategy and being discerning with your game selection, you can keep the house edge to the minimum. The good news is, certain variations of video poker like Jacks or Better have a 0.46% house edge, which is one of the most favorable ones all across the board.
- Strategy will keep your emotions in check
When you’re on tilt, succumbing to your current emotional state can be downright hazardous for your bankroll. Since video poker has been solved by mathematicians, there is a clear answer as to what the correct play is in any given situation, at least from a mathematical/probability perspective. If you want to start taking video poker seriously, you must commit to never make any moves that fall outside of the scope of your strategy.
In other words, when you break this rule, you might get lucky once, but in the long term, you’re increasing the edge the casino has over you. Strategy-wise, Jacks or Better is relatively simple to master compared to other video poker variants, all while coming with a minimal house edge. Of course, you’re free to use a strategy card if it makes things easier in the beginning, but the more you keep playing, the more second-nature it will become to recognize the correct move in any situation.
The house always wins, but with the right selection of games and optimal strategy, you can keep the house edge to a minimum.
Source: Pixabay.com
Conclusion
Video poker will do wonders for your poker education and keep your thought process sharp. Get good at it, and you will become a better poker player overall.
