You can’t play any online video poker without applying a strategy on it. At least you will need to do a little search if you want to play video poker with success. But most video poker strategies you may find will vary and could be applied for one game only. But there are some general rules, which could be called video poker basic strategy, and these rules can be applied to any video poker you would like to play. Of course, all these rules can’t guarantee that you will be able tow beat an online casino or even make house edge a bit lower, because all deals are produced by RNG (Random Number Generator). But with strategy, even with general, you will play smart and could avoid all dumb moves which newbies usually do when playing not enough.

To start with, just try to remember, that the main goal of every casino game is not only to get fun but, and especially in video poker, to win some money from casino. Simply learning all video poker combinations is not enough for successful play, you also have to understand what actually you doing, why if you have got certain cards you should hold one and draw another. Without understanding the reasons there is no game, no fun and no possible profit. Any video poker will just suck out your money without giving away any penny.

For example, if you were dealt an Ace, Ten, Jack, King (all suited) and Five off different suite – you will have to hold first four cards and leave the last card (Five) for a draw, because you have pretty good chance to get the top winning combination – a Royal Flush. But if you have Five, Jack, Ten, Five and Three offsuited – you’d better to hold a pair of Fives, and your possible combinations after the draw will be: Two Pair, Three of a Kind, Four of a Kind. These combinations are more frequent than just straight flush or just flush. And these decisions will make your play.

The simplest video poker game to start with is Jacks or Better. There are no Jokers, no Wild cards, no bonuses and no additional combinations. Just plain and clear payout table with traditional combinations. Very easy to learn and understand. And if any moves could be applied to this game – they can be used in any video poker. That’s why it’s called video poker basic strategy.

Basic strategy chart for this game will be the following:

• Always keep Full House, Four of a Kind, Straight, Straight Flush or Flush;
• If you’ve got four suited cards to complete Royal Flush – hold them and draw fifth card;
• If you’ve got four suited cards for Straight Flush – keep them and draw the fifth card;
• If you’ve got Three of a Kind – keep them and change the rest two cards;
• Whether you’ve got two pairs or four cards to complete Flush – draw the rest card;
• If you’ve got any top pair (a pair of Aces, Kings, Queen or Jacks) – change the rest two cards to get possible higher combination;
• If you’ve got nothing but trash, i.e. offsuited cards without any high card – you may whether to draw all five cards, or leave the highest card and draw the rest four cards.