Winning Tips for Video Poker

Every now and again, we all need to try something different. And after hours, perhaps days in the poker room at a major casino, that something different just might be video poker. I know, it’s not real poker, but if you’ve got a couple of $20 dollar bills burning a hole in your pocket, there are worse ways to spend a couple of hours.

Here are some tips to keep you from getting fleeced by the five-button bandit.

Winning tips for video poker

· Take your time. There’s no time limit on a video poker machine, so take the time to study your hand closely. Make sure you’re drawing the cards you want to draw, and the holding the ones you want to keep!

· Always bet the maximum. The only way to get a great return when you hit a top hand is to put in all five coins at the start. This is not the time to penny pinch. Your money may go a little faster, but you’ll kick yourself if you hit that Royal Flush with only two quarters in play.

· The Jack is more important that the Ace. One of the most important, yet overlooked truisms of video poker is that you can make more good hands by holding on to the Jack than you can with the Ace.

· Practice makes perfect. A $10 handheld video poker game lets you perfect your skills with no risk factor. Pick one up at your local drugstore, and then whip that bad boy out on the plane trip to Vegas. It should help your game immeasurably!

· Get yourself a comp card. Most casinos will give you perks according to the number of hands you play at the video poker machine. Sure, it looks a little dorky, but if you’re going to plant your butt at the machine for several hours, shouldn’t be rewarded for it?

· Go for the Royal Flush. If you’re making a decision between drawing four random cards or drawing three to get the big-mama Royal Flush, always go for big hand. You’re not there to break even right?

· Never draw five cards if you have a Jack or higher in your hand. You always want to do everything possible to turn a bad hand into at least a break-even proposition.

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What the heck is Omaha poker?

Many people hear the word Omaha and flee in fear. After all, what’s the deal with that crazy game that looks like Texas Hold ‘Em on steroids? The truth is, Omaha is played by millions of players, both at home and in the highest level tournaments.

Here’s a little primer course on this big-time poker variant that will help introduce you to the world Omaha:

· Omaha is like Hold ‘Em in that it is a community card-based game
· The game is dealt the same way as Hold’ Em with a 3 card flop, the turn and the river
· One of the major differences in Omaha comes in the hole cards, where each player is dealt 4 cards instead of 2.
· To complete your hand in Omaha, you must use 2 of your hole cards and 3 cards from the board. This is what makes Omaha unique – and will greatly effect your betting and play strategies.
· You can play Omaha in all the ways you play Texas Hold ‘Em, including limit, pot limit, and no limit and even high-low.

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