Video Poker tips and strategy

When it comes to Video Poker, Paddy Power Casino offers 12 different versions of these games, so for starters, our first tip is: Get to know your game! Whatever poker game you choose, become familiar with the game rules and payout structure. Bear in mind the following and you're on a winner!

  • Always read your cards carefully, before you draw! Some may say this is obvious however you will be amazed how many players have not held their intended cards, and had a winner on 2 pair as opposed to a full house. When you are dealt your cards, look and look again! You can take your time online as you are not face to face with a dealer or other poker players.
  • Card combination recognition - you need to know which cards to hold, and when. Reviewing what is a winning hand is paramount! Always check your game rules to find out if this particular game pays out on a pair etc. Some games such as Jacks or Better will only pay on a pair higher than the Jack (Jack, Queen, King or Ace) Knowing what you can win is better than thinking what you may win!
  • Holding on for the win... what should I do:
    1. Never keep a kicker with any pair. Holding a kicker to any pair reduces your possible return.
    2. Never draw four cards if you can draw three to a royal flush.
    3. Don't break a flush even if you can draw one to a straight flush
    4. Always break a flush to draw to a royal.
    5. Never break a straight to draw to a straight flush.
    6. Never draw five if you have a jack or better.
    7. Don't keep a 10 for a four-card draw.
  • Play each hand like a new game - Since you are playing on your PC try and forget about the last hand played. The machine has no memory of the last hand - the random number generator assures this, so don't fret over what happened with your last hand - focus on the next game.
  • Don't play tired - When playing long periods of fast Video Poker, it's easy to fall into a trance-like state of mind and become tired, which will affect the decisions you're making. When this happens, stop and take a break to keep your brain fresh for each decision.
  • Practice makes perfect - The more you play the better you'll be. Learning which cards to keep and which cards to discard is very important for basic strategy and winning, and as you become more experienced at it, you'll learn where to take the right chances.