Video Poker is very similar to straight poker with the one exception being there are many different versions. The odds with playing Video Poker are very much alike of playing the regular poker game. One might ask, what is the main determinant in winning at Video Poker? We will take a look at some of the ways to increase the video poker odds.

Let’s take a look at two of the main factors. First and foremost you must play the perfect strategy. The strategy that would be used for a Jacks or Better video poker machine would be different from a Deuces Wild machine. The payout table is the second main determinant in speculating the odds and win. This table is the key part to any video poker game as it displays all of the winning combinations and the returns back to the players. One of the exciting things that video poker games offer is that some offer a bigger and better return back to the players, just like with playing different slot games. It is very simple to choose which game has the higher payouts from the pay tables.

Here are some of the more basic things to keep a look out for. Always pay attention to the numbers that are in the first column on any pay table. For an example, if the pay table shows for a Jacks or Better game, that a Full House pays 9 credits and a Flush pays out 6, then you know the return percentage for that game is around 99.5% making it a real good bet. The ideal thing to do would be to find a machine that is 10 to 7 or 9 to 7. For the simple reason being that these machines have a payout percentage of over a 100. But this means that they don’t always pay out more than they take in of course. With playing most table games, there are only a small number of players that are skilled to play with the expectation of winning, since they know the game 100%.

To make money in the long run playing an online video poker game, you need to master the basic strategy and find a game that has the best video poker odds. This means that after about maybe 50,000 hands the odds indicate that you will have won every possible hand combination, including the Royal Flush. Yes this does sound like a lot of hands, but within a game of poker the hands are played at a decent speed. It is very common for a skilled video poker player to play 750 hands an hour. The odds show that the player will get a Royal Flush every 40,390 hands, but this doesn’t always happen. One could go about five times that many and never see a Royal Flush. Video Poker is a game of chance and luck.

Royal Flush	1 in 40,390	pays out 4,000 credits
Straight Flush	1 in 9,148	pays out 250 credits
Four of a kind	1 in 423	pays out 125 credits
Full House	1 in 86	pays out 45 credits
Flush	1 in 90	pays out 30 credits
Straight	1 in 89	pays out 20 credits
Three of a kind	1 in 13	pays out 15 credits
Two pair	1 in 7	pays out 10 credits
Jacks or Better	1 in 4	pays out 5 credits

The above chart shows the payout of for 9 to 6 Jacks or Better game playing the maximum of five credits. So the main reason one should always wager the maximum number of coins is to go for the 4,000 top win of the jackpot if it is offered. If one was to get a royal flush playing only one or two credits, then the payout would be much less. Most online casinos offer bets in multiple denominations ranging from $.25 all the way up to$20.00 per credit.

From learning how the Jacks or Better payout odds table works from above, you may notice a lack of balance between the real odds and payouts of the defined hands. In spite of the reality that a full house is more likely to happen 1 in 86 other than a flush or a straight, it indeed has a larger payout. In regards to the payout percentages, there is a wide variety with video poker machines just like there is with slot games. Always keep in mind that the lower paying 8 to 5 video poker games are going to be more commonly seen at online casinos.