How to Win at Video Poker Online: Tips and Strategies for Success

Video poker is a classic casino favourite that's also gained serious traction online. This popularity boost comes partly because it's a game that blends luck with skill. In other words, you can actually improve your winning potential by making smart choices.

Still, if you're looking to nail those video poker wins, you'll need to employ the right strategy for each game and situation. Below, we'll share some top tips and tactics to help you conquer video poker online.

Mastering Video Poker: Winning Strategies for South Africans

The first step for any South African player aiming to rack up video poker wins is to get a handle on the game's rules. There are heaps of video poker variations around, and each plays by its own rules. The main differences usually lie in the card combinations that pay out and the actual amounts you can win. Understanding these distinctions is key to your success.

Some popular variations you'll find include:

• Jacks or Better
• Deuces Wild
• Joker Poker
• Aces and Faces

The best approach really depends on which video poker variation you're playing. Always take a gander at the winning hands and their payouts before committing to a decision. This info is usually displayed in a handy table.

Video poker strategies largely revolve around what to do after the initial cards are dealt.

Once those first five cards show up, you need to pick which ones you'll hold totry and form a winning hand. Then, hit DRAW to get your new cards. These will combine with the ones you kept.

Essentially, you want to hold onto cards that could lead to a win. But it's not always straightforward, as you might have a couple of promising avenues to explore with your initial hand.

Here are some common decisions to make in certain scenarios:

• Four to a Straight or Flush: Hold all four cards.
• Three to a Royal Flush: Hold those three cards.
• Three cards to a Straight Flush: hold
• A pair of any value: hold them and draw three new cards
• None of the scenarios above: hold all the jacks or higher

By following that, you tend to get more winnings and avoid taking unnecessary risks. But remember: there’s no guarantee. Even if you follow the instructions we gave, there’s always a good chance you won’t receive the cards you were expecting after they are drawn again.

Best Video Poker Variations with a Big Winning Potential

One of the reasons why video poker is such a popular online casino game is because it has a relatively low house edge. This means that the casino's advantage is minimal, giving players a better chance of winning. Additionally, some variations of video poker offer players a progressive jackpot, which can result in amazing payouts.

Some of the best variations of video poker to win at include Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild. These variations offer the best odds for players and can be found at most online casinos.

To increase your chances of winning at video poker, it's important to learn the correct strategy for each specific scenario you are playing. By following those strategies and practicing responsible gambling habits, you can increase your chances of success at video poker online.

How Video Poker Jackpots Are Setup

Whether you’re playing poker at an online casino or a land-based casino, the royal flush is the premium hand. In other words, getting this hand might land you the game’s top-most prize, which is the jackpot. But to hit the royal flush, your hand must consist of five sequential cards of a similar suit. The arrangement starts from the 10 and goes all the way to the Ace.

Meanwhile, the royal flush pays out 4,000 coins for every five-coin bet ($1.25). In return, this gives you a total of $1,000. Along with the royal flush, you can also scoop a big win with the following hands:

• Four aces - $100
• Straight flush – $62.50
• Four 2s through to 4s - $50
• Four 5s through to kings - $31.25
• Full house - $10
• Flush - $6.25
• Straight - $5
• Three of a kind – $3.75
• Two pair - $2.50

How to Win the Jackpot

As you may already know, walking away with the video poker jackpots is no mean feat. However, there are a few tips to help you be the winner.

Playing Maximum Coins

Playing all five coins in video poker is the only way to pocket the 800 coins in a single payout. Betting anything less will give you 200 coins. Therefore, if you’re looking for a video poker jackpot, bet all the available coins.

Interestingly, the probability of getting the royal flush remains the same even if you wager fewer coins. So, what’s the difference? Logically, getting 800 coins for a single payout is a lot better than getting 200 for a single payout.

Play for High Stakes

Sounds straightforward, huh? Most players are usually afraid to risk much on a single shot. But the truth is that you can’t win those $100,000 video poker jackpots when playing with fear. Players who play for high stakes win more considerable sums with the maximum coin bet.

For example, some video poker games let players risk up to $25 per hand. Therefore, if you choose the maximum bet, you can easily go home with a six-figure salary.

Have a Big Bankroll

Honestly, you don’t stand a chance to win a six-figure pay if you don’t have a big bankroll. That’s because video poker can be expensive to play, especially when chasing a jackpot. That said, having a big bankroll ensures you stay at the table for longer, maximizing your winning potential in the process.

However, the bankroll should be money that you can comfortably live without. In addition, you should have a stop-loss limit. For instance, if you can comfortably play with $20,000 and you plan on wagering $10 per hand, this means you’ll have up to 2,000 betting units (20,000/10). In that case, you can walk away after playing 100 or 200 units with or without success.