Video Poker Odds & Probabilities
From the glitzy, neon-drenched Las Vegas Strip to the keyboard and mouse sitting at a workstation, people all over the world love to play Video Poker. With the expansion of internet gaming sites, millions more are signing up to play online.
Among the advantages of playing Video Poker online are the generous bonus packages offered by the top online casinos. Another great advantage to playing Video Poker online is the abundance of information on Video Poker odds and payout rates. If you plan to play Video Poker and win, you must possess these crucial pieces of information.
But how many players really understand Video Poker odds? How many know the best means of finding a huge Video Poker payout? Some, maybe; but certainly not all.
The Casinobest.co.uk Video Poker odds page will change that. Below is the Video Poker odds information you’ll need to master your game and increase your wins. Good luck!
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Video Poker Probabilities – How to Calculate Odds
To calculate Video Poker odds, remember that each “deck” has 52 cards (fifty-three for “Jokers Wild”). You first receive five random cards, leaving 47 in the deck. You then discard and replace cards from your original hand. The cards you throw out are in the “muck”; they don’t come back into play.
To figure out the probability of hitting your desired hand you must first count how many cards there are that will make your hand. Divide this number of cards by 47 and you will know your odds of hitting that particular Video Poker payout. For instance, if you have four cards to a flush, then there are nine more spades among the 47 cards. Your Video Poker odds of making your flush are about nineteen percent (9/47 = 0.191). .
Video Poker Probabilities – The Random Number Generator
Whether you’re playing Video Poker online or at a high-end land casino, one of the integral parts of any game is its Random Number Generator. This piece of software, also known as the “RNG”, determines what cards a player receives in his initial hand. Each card is equally likely to appear; the computer doesn’t “play favorites.”
Video Poker Probabilities – “Expected Value” & Payout Rates
Another interesting aspect of how Video Poker odds work is the game’s “expected value.” Unlike most games, wherein the casino has a high “house advantage”, the Video Poker payout rate is very close to 100%. In fact, the “house advantage” is often less than 5%. At a “9/6” Jacks or Better game, the payout rate is 99.5%; at a “9/7” game, the player has a slight (0.7%) edge.
While the Video Poker odds don’t typically change from machine to machine for the same game, the pay tables can vary widely. Typically, the higher the numbers on the pay table, the higher the rate of return players can expect. A “9/6” machine will return a higher payout rate for flushes (nine times) and straights (six times) than an “8/5” machine for the same game.
The catch to these Video Poker odds is that, when betting, the player must use “perfect strategy” and bet the maximum number of coins. The lower house edges are determined based on players drawing to their best hand. This often means sacrificing a winning hand, such as two pair or three of a kind, for a better hand. The player may miss his draw, but the higher payoff makes up for it.
Most people who play Video Poker for the first time start off with “Jacks or Better”, a game in which a pair of Jacks is the minimum winning hand. A qualifying hand pays even money. The Video Poker odds of getting such a hand are about one in four hands. A Royal Flush, the highest possible hand in the game, has Video Poker odds of 1 in more than 40,000 and pays the biggest jackpot.
Video Poker Probabilities – Bet with Bonus Money
Another way to increase your return is to play with the bonus money offered by the top-flight online casinos. While playing online may not help (or hurt) your Video Poker odds of winning, you can still enjoy the convenience of playing online and the cash bonuses that build your bankroll.