Electronic gambling machines in casinos are vastly becoming popular in today’s world. These devices provide a variety of games and offer the most profitable form of gambling in the establishment. Video poker is quite similar to slot machines and has the lowest overall online casino advantage. Most experienced players choose to play this game in the electronic machine platform mainly because a casino edge can be easily determined if you know the key information you are searching for.
Unlike slot machines, video poker allows players to have control on the outcome of their hand during the game. The players are able to implement their element of skill. Video poker has different versions and it is important to learn the appropriate strategy of each version. Just pay attention to the type of video poker machine you are using and apply your chosen strategy in order to win the best odds in the game.
Video Poker Expert Strategy
Mathematics is the real reason behind the strategic game of video poker. In this game-play, you are dealt with 5 cards wherein you get to have two choices for each card. You either keep the card or discard it. Just like the mathematics of probability, there are 32 possible decisions in this game. You can either throw away the 5 cards in your hand or you can keep one card and discard the other 4 cards. The best decision among the expected returns of video poker is to select the highest expected return.
You have the choice to play each hand in an optimal way despite being precognitive. A standard deck of cards has the same probabilities as the ones used in the game. Just select the option that results in the biggest win and smallest loss. However, the results may or may not be what you wanted and that is the nature of the game— it consists of random elements.
Optimal strategies can highly affect your game-play. Casinos least expect that you would use this kind of strategy mainly because they assume that you will lose 2% to 4% by making mistakes. Although the house edge of the game is 0.5%, Jack or Better is a standard game of video poker that is expected to lose a bet ranging from 2% to 4% in an average long run. However, some players tend to make decisions in an evident way but not all of them.
Players make use of video poker softwares to find strategy charts. Here, they search for feasible strategies and select the highest expected return in order to have better odds in the game.
The Difference of Expected Returns Based on the Given Situation
An expected return is an average profit received by the player that is only available in video poker machines that possess Random Number Generators. The certain amount of money can be won or lost for every decision made by the player.
The odds of the game depend on the number the player had placed. You cannot determine the expected value of the game unless you know the payoff for each hand. For example, in a game of Jack or Better you get these following cards: 3 of hearts, 7 of hearts 8 of clubs, 9 of hearts, and 10 of hearts. There are 4 cards possible for both a straight or a flush.
A full pay machine pays 6 for a flush, meanwhile a straight is 4 for 1. You can calculate the possibilities of your hand if you decided to select the choice of holding onto your suited cards.
9 out of 47 cards are suitable to complete your flush. By multiplying the payoff of a flush (6 by 9/47), you get 54/47. That is approximately 1.15, which is a positive value of expected return. The same calculations will be applied when drawing a straight. 8 cards will be drawn to complete your hand and that is 8/47. Since the payoff for a straight is 4, multiply it to 8/47 and you will get a 32/47, which is 0.68. Therefore, since 1.15 is better than 0.68, it is appropriate to draw a flush.
Short-Term versus Long-Term Implications
The numbers will be different from the expected values if you decide on implying the short-term approach. However, when you choose the long-term method, the values will start to look similar to the expected number you anticipated.
In terms of playing with real money, there are good and bad decisions in the game. Based on the given situation above, you are able to hold 5 cards. However, the expected value for choosing that option will result in you losing all your money. Holding a losing hand will have lesser chances of winning the game.
If the given example has included a face card such as a jack or a queen then you would have more probabilities in the game. By practicing and understanding these given situations, you can improve your calculation skills and make things easier. Soon enough, you might go through an experience wherein you miss a straight or a flush but would still hit a pair at the end.
Video Poker decisions are certainly not that easy to make. Most individuals consider the expected return as the final step of the game of video poker. However, it just signals the beginning. In terms of making the best optimal decision, a player must follow and memorize the effective strategy given by the software program. This method is considered to be the last step by most players.
The goal of making a good decision is to select a play that loses the least amount of value during the long-term implication of the game. This kind of decision can be applied if you have a negative expected return in your hand. Of course, you must never forget to choose the right strategy for the game. Choosing the right decisions are the key to increasing your chances of winning the game.
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