Have you ever been on a video poker heater that fell apart? Performance issues happen to the best of us. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. However, the most expensive video poker mistakes aren’t always the hands that lose money in a single round. They’re decisions that consistently reduce expected value over thousands of hands. We’ll walk you through the most common video poker mistakes that players make, and detail how to avoid them. The goal is to make you aware of a few common landmines in video poker and show you how to avoid them.
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The Most Expensive Video Poker Mistakes Players Make and How To Avoid Them
Playing the wrong pay table
This common video poker mistake can set you up to fail from the beginning. Not all poker pay tables are the same. Choosing the wrong one means that you could limit your opportunities from the start.
9/6 Jacks or Better has a friendlier pay table than 8/5 Jacks or Better. The differences are small, and they’re often buried in the pay table, but they’re there. A 9/6 Jacks or Better game will pay out slightly better on full houses and flushes. Look for the 9/6 Jacks or Better game and avoid the 8/5 Jacks or Better game.
Consider the pay table a part of the game. Finding the right one will help you in the long run, and it’s a common video poker mistake that can limit how much you can make. Read the pay table before clicking. You’ll be glad you did.
Holding a high card instead of a stronger draw
This common video poker mistake is focused on in-game play. Have you ever thrown away a potential flush or straight draw to chase a hand that features a couple of face cards or an ace? Would you realize it if you did? The first step to avoiding this common mistake is to slow down and read your cards. Double-check what’s in front of you before making a decision. You may have a potential flush or straight draw that could pay out substantially more than ending up with a high pair.
A typical thought to have when playing video poker is, “I have an ace. I have to keep it.” You need to learn to avoid that thought. Try to think, “Which hold gives me the most value after the draw?” Adjusting your thought process will enable you to look for every possible combination and choose the option that returns the most value.
This is one of those mistakes that probably won’t feel like a mistake in the moment, but it may limit your payouts over time and impact profitability, especially if it’s repeated multiple times over your session.
Breaking up a made hand
This may feel counterintuitive, but it can make sense in the right circumstances. A key decision in video poker is knowing when to break up a made hand.
Let’s say you’ve been dealt a pair, straight, or flush and may assume that the correct strategy is to keep it. The hand already qualifies for a payout. Why shouldn’t you keep it?
Optimal video poker strategy isn’t about the certainty of the current payout. It’s about getting the most value over time. In some situations, the expected value of breaking up a made hand and drawing new cards is higher than keeping the guaranteed payout.
For example, let’s say you draw an Ace of Spades, a King of Spades, a Queen of Spades, a Jack of Spades, and a Jack of Diamonds. Do you keep the pair and the tiny payout, or do you shoot for the moon and try to catch the Royal Flush? If you’re looking to maximize value, you’ll throw away the Jack of Diamonds and chase the Royal Flush. Most decisions won’t be as obvious as this one, but it goes to show that there are scenarios in which you would throw away a pair for a chance at a larger payout.
Treating all video poker games the same
It’s a common video poker mistake to assume that all games are played the same way. Most players assume that they’re staring at the same set of cards. Why wouldn’t you play it the same? The answer is simple. You should adjust your play according to the rules of the game you’re playing. The ideal decision is based on the cards you’re holding, the game’s rules, and the pay table.
The way you would play Jacks or Better should be different from how you approach Deuces Wild. In Jacks or Better, there are no wild cards. A pair of jacks or better is generally the lowest paying pair. In Deuces Wild, twos are wild, fundamentally changing the probabilities of making different hands. The value of winning hands is dramatically different between the two games and how you need to approach each is also very different.
You shouldn’t be asking yourself, “What do I normally hold?” The question you need to consider is, “What does this game’s mathematics say I should hold?” Pay attention to the rules and the pay table, and you’ll understand the difference. Adjust your play accordingly, and avoid a systemic video poker mistake that will likely impact profitability over the long term.
Remember, playing video poker online is meant to be a fun diversion. If you find yourself stressing over poker, the advice is simple. Just take a break, put on headphones, and listen to the latest episode of the Sports Gambling Podcast. Sean and Ryan have got you covered, even if online poker seems to have turned on you.
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