Video Poker Casino
It can take a long time to hit that big hand
By Jerry “Stickman” Stich
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It seems that hardly a week goes by without someone telling me that they think video poker games are rigged. One standard “proof” of this statement is the person saying he or she played several months without getting a royal flush. Let’s take a look at this premise.
At a very loose approximation, a video poker player should get a royal flush about once every 40,000 hands or so. This number will vary (sometimes by several thousand hands) depending on the game that is being played, the specific pay table of the game being played, and/or how closely the player follows the proper playing strategy for the game they are playing.
When you think about it, 40,000 hands is a very large number. I would guess the average recreational player plays somewhere around 200 to 400 hands an hour on average. A recreational player likes to play, but is also interested in talking to those around them, or the bartender. They may even spend time on their cell phone or engaged in people watching or other non-playing activities while seated at a game. If the game is not going well and they are losing fairly quickly, they may really slow down their play or even stop for a period of time even though they continue to sit at the machine. Counting all the interruptions and distractions for the recreational player, let’s assume they play 300 hands per hour – and this may be generous. That 300 hands per hour works out to five hands a minute or one hand every 12 seconds. At this rate, the player will have to average almost 135 hours of play before a royal flush becomes “due.”
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Actually, for the record, a royal flush is never really due. Each hand has the same chance of a royal flush–approximately one in 40,000 hands. But for this part of the discussion, let’s assume a royal flush will occur after 40,000 hands which for this player is 135 hours. If this player averages four hours of play per day, it will take better than 33 days of play in order to get a royal flush. If there is such a thing as an average recreational player, they will probably play no more than about once or twice a month at a local casino. If each monthly trip involves four hours of video poker play, it will take almost three years before 40,000 hands are played. At two four-hour trips per month it will take almost a year and a half to reach 40,000 hands. That is a whole lot of time.
Adding to the uncertainty of the number of hands played, most people assume they play a lot more hands than they actually do. Most players do not have a clue how many hands they actually play. When they say that it has been “forever” since their last royal flush, they really don’t know if they have played 5,000 hands, 10,000 hands, 20,000 hands, 40,000 hands, or 100,000 hands – although I would seriously bet against that last number.
The human brain is an amazing organ. It can truly alter reality. Think about taking a road trip. The journey to your destination seems to take a whole lot longer than the return trip.
Why is that?
It is because you are anxious to get to your destination. Players tend to quickly forget the last royal flush. They are much more concerned about getting to their “destination” – the next royal flush. As they feed one bill after another into the machine, all they know is they need something big – like a royal flush – and they are anxious to get it.
My standard answer to players saying it has been forever since their last royal flush (after determining they have no idea how many hands they have played since that time) is basically what I have written above. Unless they actually know how many hands they played, it will always seem like a lot more hands than reality.
If they do have a decent idea of the number of hands, then a discussion about randomness and standard deviation follows. Even though a royal flush should occur about once every 40,000 hands, it can take up to three times (or more) that many hands before one actually appears. The 40,000 number is an average over a very long timeframe. Anything can happen in short term.
The same arguments hold for players who say they have not received other low frequency hands such as a straight flush, a four of a kind, or a flush. Most players do not know how many hands they have played and they most likely overstate the actual play. Even if they do have a decent idea of the number of hands played, standard deviation is a brutal thing. You can play for several hours getting basically nothing but trash. This is what is remembered. You remember because you have to keep feeding the machine. The times you forget are those where the less frequent hands just keep coming and coming. Those are the good times and the minutes and hours go by quickly. In the long run it all balances out, but you only remember the bad times.
Just because it seems like it has been a very long time since the last royal flush, or you have experienced a long streak with hardly a single high-paying hand does not mean that video poker machines are rigged. In the major gaming jurisdictions, tests are periodically run to ensure that the games results are what the math predicts it will be. Also, the casinos have almost every machine “rigged” in its favor. Even with all hands occurring exactly as the math dictates (in other words a fair game) the casino will get a profit. They short pay the winning hands. That is where their profit is, not by reducing the appearance of hands to less than random.
They have no need to rig games to not be fair. They will get their money. They always do.
Real Money Video Poker
Video poker’s popularity has grown so much in recent years because savvy players know the game offers some of the best odds found in land and online casinos. Plus, the variety of video poker games can cater to both beginners and hardcore poker players. If you want to play a few hands of poker at the fast pace of classic casino table games like blackjack or a slot machine, look no further than the real money video poker games we have to offer at our online casino.
Our online casino offers a wide variety of real money video poker games that are accessible to all skill levels. Create an account today and take advantage of the highest odds in casino gambling with a complimentary welcome bonus and spins on the house. If luck is on your side, it won’t be long before playing our real money video poker games leads you straight to our exclusive VIP rewards section. All from the comfort of your own home.
All you need to start winning hands is an internet connection. Sign up today to claim your welcome bonus and use it to start winning real money at the video poker game of your choice. We are proud to offer a giant selection of video poker games, everything from Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild and many more. So start playing today to find a game that’s going to make you rich!
Why You Should Play Video Poker
Video poker was first introduced to casinos in the 1970s and it’s been going strong ever since simply because it’s one of the few games where players have high odds while also having a chance to influence the game’s outcome. Unlike a game like roulette where you don’t have much say over where the ball will stop, players can use their skills to create winning outcomes, which is likely to happen given the low house edge.
Another reason why real money video poker has been a staple of both brick-and-mortar and online casinos is due to the lack of psychological warfare that is a key component of live poker games. Being an expert at reading body language is not a prerequisite for success in video poker. You don’t have to worry about hiding tells or calling bluffs in these popular casino games. There will be no pit bosses, dealers or players breathing down your neck. It’s just you versus the machine to claim a big fat jackpot.
And because your only opponent in video poker games is a machine, it makes each hand very winnable. All you need is a little bit of skill, strategy, knowledge of the game and, of course, luck and you are, on average, five times more likely to hit a royal flush when playing online video poker games than you are in just about any other kind of poker game.
How to Play Online Video Poker
The first step to playing, and winning, real money video poker is creating an account at our online casino. Once your account has been verified, you will be eligible to claim an exclusive welcome bonus and you can start playing any video poker, slot machine or classic casino table games on our dime. Whether you’re a new or experienced player, there’s nothing better than getting your feet wet on someone else’s bankroll.
Once your account is created and your welcome bonus has been collected, playing real money video poker is just a few simple clicks. It’s important to note that we offer many variations of video poker. And it’s a good idea to use the cushion of our exclusive welcome bonus to figure out which video poker variation you like best since your Jacks or Better strategy will be different from your Deuces Wild strategy.
Even though we offer a huge variety of real money video poker games that will require different approaches, virtually all video poker games are built on the mechanics of five-card draw poker. So, whether you want to play a popular variation like Jacks or Better or something a little bit more obscure, the first thing you should do to start winning at our real money video poker games is to understand these mechanics.
Video Poker
The objective of 5-card draw poker is to make the best five-card poker hand. For those of you who don’t know, these are the combinations from weakest to strongest:
High card One pair Two pair Three-of-a-kind Straight Flush Full house Four-of-a-kind Straight flush Royal flush
In real money video poker games, players will first place their wager and then press “Deal”. When they do, they’ll be given five cards at random. At this point, players must choose which cards to keep and which ones they’ll throw away.
Once players have selected which cards they want to keep, players will hit the “Draw” button and their cards will be replaced. Most games only allow for one round of discards, so choose your cards wisely.
After the discard, the amount players win is determined by the poker value of their hand and the posted paytable of that specific poker game. If you want to make real money playing video poker, the first thing you need to do is review the paytable. The paytable allows players to know the expected return before they are dealt a single card. And this is crucial information for all players since you’ll know whether or not any given video poker game is worth your time.
How to Play Jacks or Better Video Poker
There are tons of video poker variations on our online casino, but the one you’ll find no matter where you play is Jacks or Better. It is probably the most popular video poker variation, which is why it’s worth going over how to play so you’re equipped to win wherever you’re playing video poker.
Jacks or Better remains one of the most popular variations because it’s one of the simplest video poker games around. It’s perfect for new players to get a feel for real money video poker games. With Jacks or Better, players will receive an extra point for every pair of Jacks or higher they receive. It may seem insignificant on paper, but the fact is that just by receiving a bonus for any pair of Jacks or higher can dramatically increase player’s earnings because the probability of getting a hand of at least a pair of Jacks or better is a lot higher than you might think.
Like any other kind of video poker game, it’s critical that you take a look at the paytable as well as get familiar with any kind of bonus you might be eligible for as it may influence which cards to keep and which ones to throw away. The reason this variation has become standard is that it offers players better odds. With better odds at a game that already offers some of the best edges over the house, Jacks or Better is the perfect place for newcomers to get familiar with the flow of the game and develop a strategy to win big.
How to Win at Video Poker
At the end of the day, the reason we all play is to win. Video poker, of course, is no exception. And so, how do you win at video poker? There are a number of ways to do it. As we’ve mentioned several times, winning begins with reviewing the paytable, going over the specific rules of any given variations and making sure you’re familiar with the bonuses you might be eligible for. Play with these principles and you’re set up for success.
That said, there are a few more tips that new and experienced players can benefit from.
Never discard a winning combination. If you have a pair of Jacks, but you throw it away for the chance at a flush, you are guaranteed to regret it. We all want to catch that white whale, but there’s no shame in playing it safe and building up your balance incrementally.
Never discard a wild card. If you’re playing Deuces Wild or some other kind of game that contains wild cards, it’s foolish to get rid of any card that can make your hand stronger, no matter what it ends up being.
Never keep three cards to chase a straight or a flush. Keeping three cards with the hope of grabbing a straight or a flush will leave you in a losing situation. The only time you should keep three cards is when you have a chance to get a straight flush or a royal flush. Otherwise, you’re better off discarding more or less cards. Getting rid of three cards to chase a straight or a flush puts probability against you, which is never a good thing in any kind of gambling.
Go slow. It’s important to remember that no one is going to call a shot clock violation on you when you’re playing video poker. A lot of players make the mistake of thinking that this is like any old poker game where other players or the dealer will push you to make timely decisions. You’re up against a machine who is always on the clock, so if you’re not sure what to do, take your time. Panicked, rushed decisions are rarely good ones, so make sure to slow down from time to time and make sure you’re making smart, deliberate choices on how to play.
Practice makes perfect. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that if you want to win at video poker, you have to invest some time into learning the minutiae of the game. You can read all the articles and books on video poker strategies you want, but eventually, you’re going to have to play. Ultimately, the best teacher is experience. So, if you want to win real money video poker, you need to play.
Video Poker Casino Jackpots
Of course, not everyone wants the process of getting familiar with a particular online video poker game to cost them. That’s why we offer players free play modes where they can get a feel for the interface and pace without risking a dime.Video Poker Casino Games
This is just one of many features we offer our players to ensure that they are having the most enjoyable online gaming experience possible. If there is anything we can do to improve upon your gaming experience, please do not hesitate to contact us. Otherwise, please sign up for an account today, collect your welcome bonus and start enjoying our games responsibly. We are proud to offer a huge variety of casino staples, including real money video poker games, that are compatible with desktop and mobile platforms.