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Video Poker Odds

Video poker machines are computerized systems that enable players to play poker even in the absence of an actual dealer. To play it, just follow instructions, press a few buttons to indicate the move you want, and the computer obliges. Most game machines like video poker makes use of a random number generator to control the game and give casinos a house edge. The probabilities are not that easy to calculate because each machine is set individually. In other words, there is no one standard mechanism to avoid predictability in any video poker game. Individual settings of machines are largely the prerogative of the casino management.

In any case, it is still important to learn how to compute for odds. With this knowledge, you could put the odds in your favor or lower the house edge so you will have greater chances of winning. There are many ways to compute for probabilities. One approach is quite loose because it is based on mere observation. What most players do is to observe several video poker machines in one casino for many hours to get a trend on which of the game units produce the most winnings. They would prefer to play on machines that are getting more traffic than the others. It is quite a tedious process especially if you do not have a lot of time in your hands. And another, it is not a very scientific or reliable approach.

One thing to keep in mind first of all is that video poker games are varied. There are many different types of this game, and each game has a different computation for odds and probabilities. For example, in a brick and mortar casino, you will find under the glass of the machine a payout guideline that is different from the others. Take note of this because from the start you should know that there is no one general payout guideline or one general formula in computing for odds.

9/6 Vs. 8/5 Video Poker Odds

Any machine giving a 9/6 payout is probably the best in video poker games. To elaborate further on what 9/6 means, it is explained simply as a machine paying out 9 to 1 if a player gets a full house hand, and paying 6 to 1 if the resulting hand is a flush. Some video poker games call this payout a “Full Pay” because the house edge can be completely eliminated if a player perfects the strategy of a poker game. The 9/6 pay table machines are sometimes referred to also as “loose” or “easy” games because of the high payout ratio. In online poker games, the odds are usually 9/6.

Let this guide you when choosing a video poker machine in a casino. Some casinos offer inferior machines with odds at 8/6 or 8/5. If you are unsuspecting, you might be playing video poker with a lesser payout. Make sure to check the pay tables before sitting down. Each machine always has a paying guideline posted. If you cannot find it, ask for assistance.

Many casinos make it a point to rearrange their machines on random days. You might have a favorite 9/5 machine on a specific spot, but given another day, it might not be the same machine anymore on that same spot. These machines are also being recalibrated once in a while too. Thus, a game unit can be unexpectedly downgraded to 8/5 odds then upgrade again to 9/6. All this avoids predictability and makes certain that the casino will still profit from the bets. 

Here is a tip. When a casino recalibrates, they will have to also change the payout guideline posted. That is your hint as to what is the odds for that particular machine even if you do not actually know when it was recalibrated.

Choosing Video Poker Games to Get Favorable Probabilities
As said earlier, video poker games come is many variations. The Jacks or Better is probably the most popular variety so it is good to start learning analyzing odds from this game. Ideally, if you can perfect the strategies of poker and apply it to Jacks or Better, the payout return for your bets could be as high as 99.54%. That is close to a guaranteed every time. But of course, it is nearly impossible to perfect any game.

Some players sometimes do not want to play straight and narrow but there is nothing to worry about because it will not drastically lower the return rate. That is the beauty of Jacks or Better. Even if you slip once in a while, the average return will still be about 99.52%

Another type of video poker game that is also popular like Jacks or Better is the Deuces Wild. Poker experts know that Deuces Wild give the best probabilities and thus this game is very in demand among poker enthusiasts. Your patience will pay off in looking for Deuces Wild machine because return on your deposit or investment is almost guaranteed.

Poker games generally need basic strategy to win a round. In Deuces Wild, even with only little strategy employed, it is still possible to break the house edge. In fact, the return ratio could be as much as 100.71%. With perfect strategy, the return ratio can go up to 100.77%.

The high odds in Deuces Wild can be explained. This poker game makes use of wild cards. A wild card means that a card can be substituted for any value a player desires it to be. This gives players an instant advantage. Thus, it is a very good strategy to play video poker using wild cards.

There is a mathematical explanation for this. Using wild cards increases the number of combinations possible in a five-card hand. Players hardly need to pass anymore or they will just lose an opportunity to win. In Deuces Wild, it is not advisable to pass.

As a last tip, improve your odds of winning by betting maximum. In most cases, you will only be eligible to play for the jackpot prize if you bet maximum. This is advisable especially if playing on progressive video poker machines where the pot prize is steadily increasing as more players play with that machine.