Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
VIDEO POKER
Unlike slots, video poker is a positive expectation game, meaning good strategy
and the right machine can actually make you a consistent winner. Yes, here's a
game where it's possible to beat the house. There are a number of different kinds
of video poker, including Bonus, Double Bonus, Deuces Wild, Jacks or Better,
and more. Some machines offer a multiple-play option, meaning you're playing
between 3 and 50 games at once. (It sounds confusing, but it's actually quite sim-
ple. You're dealt a single hand and you select the cards to hold. Those cards are
held in every hand on the machine. So if you were dealt a 3-of-a-kind originally
and you're playing 50 hands, you now have 50 different 3-of-a-kinds. But when
you hit “deal,” the cards dealt to each hand are again randomized. So some hands
could get another 3 and have a 4-of-a-kind. Others could be dealt two of another
card, for a full house. Or you could be dealt trash on every hand—highly unlikely,
statistically speaking—in which case you'll still receive a nice payout for 50 3-of-
a-kinds.) And it's not uncommon for a single video poker machine to offer differ-
ent versions of video poker, in addition to video blackjack, slots, and keno.
Video poker is different from the poker game you play at the dining room
table, in that you're the only one playing. The goal is to get the best card combi-
nation possible.
The premise is simple enough: Once you insert money into the machine of
your choice and bet, you're dealt five cards. To hold the cards you like, press the
button directly beneath that card or touch the screen over those cards, and you
will see the word “Hold” on the screen. Once you've chosen all of your cards to
keep, hit “Deal/Draw,” and the cards you didn't hold are replaced with new ones.
This is the hand that determines how much you win.
Like in slots, you should always read the pay table printed on each machine in
order to determine which machine will give you the most return. On average,
returns vary from about 90% to over 100%.
Comparing pay tables on video poker machines is very important if you want
the best chance of winning. If you put a quarter into a Jacks or Better machine
and it pays nine coins for a full house and six coins for a flush, while another Jacks
or Better machine pays eight coins for a full house and five for a flush, you should
obviously opt to play for the one with the better pay table. The difference can
mean a significant amount of money in the long run, and, as you've hopefully
picked up on by now, the long run is what gambling's all about. So you can feel
Machine Databases
Need to know where to find certain video poker machines? Consult the
video poker database at
http://members.cox.net/vpfree/LV.htm
.
Looking for a particular slot machine? There's a searchable database for all
of Harrah's-owned casinos (including Caesars Palace, Paris, Bally's,
Flamingo, Horseshoe, and Harrah's) at
www.harrahs.com
.
