Video Poker Forum

Hello all.

I started playing here last month, trying to learn more about video poker strategies so that when casinos (finally) come to my state, I can try it out and see if I can win. I've stuck mainly with Jacks-or-better and deuces wild to learn holding strategies, etc. But I'm wondering which of the variants (such as bonus, double bonus, joker poker, double double ultra bonus, etc.) gives the best chance to more consistently have a winning session?

Hope that made sense.

Thanks,
Eric

Unfortunately, there are no video poker variants that produce consistent winning sessions. Even those ones with the lowest variances will produce two to three times the losing sessions per winning one. You have to accept that.

Of the ones you listed, bonus poker and joker poker have the lowest variances. Once you get into double bonus, double double bonus and the like, the consistency is even less, and the road much more rocky.

Those with the highest payback combined with lowest variance. If you can find and play >100% games perfectly you should have more wins than losses over time.

For some real-life ideas, go to vpfree2 and click Casinos - Browse. Then select your region from the pulldown menu.

You can see what's available now, and think about which games you would choose to play.

Eventually you'll want to evaluate player's clubs and promotions. New casinos in new jurisdictions probably won't offer any 100% games, but slot club benefits could potentially push you up near or above 100% total.

I haven’t found any playing millions of hands for over 40 years. My personal favorite is Deuces wild with a 98.91 percent pay table. I cannot find a pay table locally for Deuces Wild in Ct higher than that. With free play, I can get up to about a 99.3 return and on certain days with additional player’s club awards maybe 4 a month, I can get up to right about 100 percent. The biggest problem is you will find days where you lose 25 percent of coin in and other days a windfall into the thousands to the upside on quarter or dollar play. If you are like me and most players with discipline issues, you may give back the bulk or all of the winnings on the windfall days. I would just choose the highest best pay-table you can find on a game you enjoy playing

Thank you all. I think I'll keep playing on here, try all the different games and variations and see which one I like best and then see what's available when the casinos come to town.

Eric

TigerGuy19 wrote: ↑

Sat May 21, 2022 12:34 pm

...when the casinos come to town.

Eric

Those are true carnival games!

Eric,
Welcome to the site. Like several others here, I prefer to play the highest return/low variance games whenever possible. As a result, I generally play more Deuces Wild, DW Bonus, Bonus, and JOB than many others. My approach, knowing in the long run VP is generally a losing proposition, is to stay in the game with a low variance until a large winning hand comes about. "Slow and steady wins the race!" Maybe, too many of those Aesop's Fables when I was a kid.

best wishes,

LL

Same games for me LL with a smatterig of Joker Kings thrown in if I can catch the 940 for 1 Royal pay table.
Speaking of Aesop, I constantly remind myself of “ The Fox and the Grapes “. I have to remind myself to maintain discipline and even though the top hands may be “out of reach” for any given moment, they will come along. Most importantly, enjoy the day and the company around you and try and avoid ending a losing session with “sour grapes”. There is always a sweet one somewhere in the bunch!