The drawing above represents a typical video poker machine and some of its key components. Most games have roughly the same components, although they may be arranged in a slightly different way depending on the machine's make and model.

The game machine itself resembles other types of slot machines. It has a bill validator to accept your money, a ticket printer to print your cash-out ticket when you are through playing, and various buttons for drawing and holding cards and cashing out.

Arguably, the most important feature of a video poker machine is the game's pay table. The pay table determines how much any winning hand will pay and ultimately determines the return, or "payout", of the game. Strangely, in spite of its importance, the pay table may be one of the most frequently overlooked components by uninformed players.

Video poker machines, when played with the correct strategy, will return a certain percentage of the amount played to the player. The percentage is determined by its pay table. But they do so over a very long period of time -- millions of hands. The ups and downs -- winning and losing "streaks" -- all figure in to this percentage return. Over the game's life, it is a statistical certainty the game will return the percentage dictated by the game's pay table (given perfect play, and keeping in mind that pay tables for a machine can be changed over its life, but not while you're playing the game). But in any one session, day, or week, there can be streaks of wins or losses, which are what creates the excitement in playing the game.

Unlike traditional slot machines, the expected return of a video poker game can be determined by evaluating its pay table. That, of course, doesn't mean you won't win or lose money on that day, but the pay table determines with precision what the game can be expected to pay out over time. In some casinos, pay tables are relatively consistent, but in others there are huge variations. It is not unusual to find a 9/6 Jacks or Better returning 99.54% sitting right next to a 6/5 Jacks or Better returning 95.00%. While on any one hand this difference may not amount to much, over thousands of hands played, it sharply reduces the likelihood of finishing as a winner.

This is why the pay table is important to the player. If you consistently play games with higher returns, you are almost certain to win more money (or at least, lose less) than the uninformed player who plays lesser paying games. Perhaps not on any one given day, but over time it will make a significant difference in your results.

Here is a sample pay table:

Each numeric column in the pay table represents the number of credits bet, starting with 1 credit on left and in the example above, up to 5 credits on the right. It shows that if you have bet one credit and get two pair, you will receive two credits back. If you bet five credits and get a four of a kind, you will receive 125 credits back. If you bet three credits and get a full house, you will be paid back 27 credits. Notice that if you bet four credits and get a Royal Flush, you will be paid 1,000 credits; however, if you have bet five credits and "hit the Royal", you'll be paid 4,000 credits -- four times as much for playing one additional coin. This "bonus payout" generally only applies with the royal flush as an enticement for you to play all the credits in the game.

The game for the above pay table, with perfect play, will return 99.54% over time if you bet the maximum number of credits each hand. This is determined solely by the pay table; no other information is relevant. When you visit our "Games" page, you will learn, for example, that the game with a similar pay table, but having the full house reduced from nine to eight credits and the flush reduced from six to five, will return only 97.30%. Although it doesn't seem like much, there is a vast difference between these two pay tables.

If you plan to play very much video poker, it is essential that you are able to identify those games having the best pay tables and avoid those that don't. Once you know which pay tables to look for, you can get on to learning the strategy that will optimize your return for a given game.

The game of video poker is based on the traditional draw poker card game. The player makes a wager consisting of some number of coins or credits. The machine then deals you a hand, or "flop", of five cards. By pressing buttons or touching the game screen, you choose to hold from zero to all five of the cards. Then, you are dealt replacements for your discards -- analogous to "drawing" cards in a traditional poker game. The game then determines what your final best "hand" is and gives you credits according to its pay table.

Hands are classified using the same terminology as traditional five-card draw poker. However, it is important to note that which hand beats another is immaterial in video poker. All that matters is how many credits are awarded for a given final hand.

Following is a list of the hands in video poker:

Royal Flush		Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten of any suit.
Straight Flush		Any five consecutive cards of any suit that isn't a Royal Flush.
Four of a Kind		Four of the five cards have the same rank.
Full House		Three cards of the same rank with two cards of a different rank.
Flush		Five cards of the same suit.
Straight		Five cards of sequential rank in at least two different suits.
Three of a Kind		Three of the five cards have the same rank.
Two Pair		Two cards of the same rank plus two cards of a different rank that match each other.
Jacks or Better		A pair of jacks, queens, kings, or aces.
Nothing		Five cards not matching any hand above.

If you are just starting out and aren't familiar with the list of hands above, it isn't too much of a problem if you play slowly, as the machine will identify winning hands for you by highlighting the appropriate line in the pay table display (and often by providing a sound cue). It is still up to you to hold the correct cards.

Modern video poker machines usually have a button that indicates "Bet One Credit" and a separate button indicating "Bet Max". By repeatedly pressing the "Bet One Credit" button a player can bet precisely the number of credits desired. Since it is common for players to want to bet the maximum number of credits on a hand, the "Bet Max" is a convenient shortcut.

Once you have made your bet and hit the "Deal" button, five cards are dealt. If your initial hand contains a winning hand, the game will generally indicate you have a winner with both sound and by highlighting the row in the pay table that corresponds to your hand. At this point, it is up to you to use the "Hold" button to hold the cards in the winning hand before hitting the "Deal" button. The object is to try to better your initial hand on the draw. For example, if you were dealt a pair, you would discard the other three cards hoping to be dealt three or four of a kind or a full house.

For most initial hands, the cards to hold are obvious. For example, if you are dealt three of a kind, you clearly are going to hold them in hopes of getting a fourth card of the same rank making four of a kind, with a higher payoff. Alternatively, you could get a pair of a different rank making a full house -- not as good as four of a kind but still an improvement over three of a kind.

The decisions as to which cards to hold can become far more complicated than the obvious example above. Suppose you are dealt a full house. Are you better off to throw away the pair and go for four of a kind? Suppose you are dealt a flush, but four of the cards are sequential. Should you throw away the non-sequential card and go for a straight flush, or just hold the flush you already have? There are many decisions like these to be made during the course of a typical video poker session. Playing video poker is a different experience from playing ordinary slot games where you push the "Spin" button and wait to see what happened.

Many players prefer video poker specifically because they like the challenge and associated skill required for playing the game. Rather than just pressing the "Spin" button repeatedly as with traditional slot games, your decisions have a significant effect on the outcome of each hand.

There are many varieties of video poker today. As a result, the kinds of basic hands shown above has been extended to accommodate some games. For example, in "Deuces Wild", it is possible to receive "Five of a Kind" (four of a kind plus a deuce) or a "Wild Royal Flush" (a Royal Flush comprised of at least one deuce, which receives a lesser payoff). In certain games, the amount of your win for Four of a Kind depends on the makeup of the hand -- Four Aces pays more than Four 5s, for example. In some games, the fifth card in a four of a kind can make a difference. All of these rules quickly become apparent once you understand the concept of the pay table.

While hands are referred to by names similar to those in traditional poker, it is important to keep in mind that some of the strategies used in traditional poker have no application at all in video poker. Since you are playing against a machine, there is never a value in "bluffing", so you would never hold cards for that purpose. Similiarly, a full house pays the same regardless of its makeup; you aren't trying to have a "higher" full house than someone else's.

The variety of video poker games now available is staggering. Over the more than three decades of its existence, video poker has expanded from simple Jacks or Better draw poker to numerous varieties, each with its own characteristics that make it attractive to certain players. Over the last ten years, those games have been augmented with features to provide the possibility of much larger jackpots and, not accidentally, to encourage players to play more money on each hand.

We discuss the most common games on our games pages in some detail. Here, we provide an overview of some of the basic games and their variants that are common today.

Early video poker games were considerably different from the modern game. They have evolved into highly sophisticated computers with modern features that are designed, not only to make playing more convenient, but to maximize returns to the casino. Over the years, the manufacturers have discovered the features that keep players playing, longer, faster, and with bigger bets. They have eliminated the use of coins, which was a major improvement, since coin-handling within the casino was not only expensive but consumed the time of both casino staff and the player. And today, owing to better computers and software, a single game machine can contain a huge variety of games and denominations allowing the player to play any number of different games without changing machines.

It is common to find a single machine with three or more denominations -- perhaps 25 cents, 50 cents, and $1 -- and a dozen or more different game varieties. In addition to Jacks or Better, the most common games are Bonus Poker, Double Bonus Poker, Double Double Bonus Poker, Deuces Wild, Joker Poker, plus many others. Each game has its own pay table which creates a different playing experience from the other games on the machine. If the player wants to play a different game or denomination, it takes only a second or two -- without ever leaving his or her seat.

The pay table of the game determines its "return", or the average amount it will pay out over time. It also determines the game's "variance", which is a statistical measure of the extent to which the game adheres to its average return. Manufacturers have found that many players prefer games with higher variance; players are willing to tolerate more frequent and deeper downward swings in exchange for more opportunities for larger wins. As a result, games like Double Double Bonus provided a reduced payout for more common hands (like two pair) and increase the payouts for less frequently occurring hands (like Four Aces). This provides about the same return to the casino, but enables the game to have not only the Royal Flush jackpot, but smaller "mini-jackpots" that occur with some frequency.

For comparison purposes, we will present the tables of returns with five credits played (like a pay table, but with more detail) for a typical Jacks or Better game followed by that for a typical Double Double Bonus game:

Perhaps the most evident feature in our comparison is that the Double Double Bonus (DDB) table contains more lines than the one for Jacks or Better (JB). A closer look reveals why: JB has a single payout of 125 credits for any four of a kind, while DDB has five different payouts for five different "types" of four of a kind. Looking at the payouts in credits one can also readily see that the most rare four of a kind -- Four Aces with a 2, 3, or 4 (usually known as "Four Aces with a Kicker") -- pays 2,000 credits, half as much as the Royal Flush. The JB game has no other payout that even comes close to this. In addition, DDB has increased payouts for all others fours of a kind -- Four 2s, 3s, or 4s with a kicker pays 800 credits, Four Aces without a kicker pays 800 credits, Four 2s, 3s, or 4s without a kicker pays 400 credits, and all other fours of a kind pay 250 credits.

So, how is it DDB (with a 98.98% average return) can pay these higher amounts for fours of a kind than JB, yet JB (with a 99.54% return) actually has a higher return? The answer is in the payout for two pair: the JB pays 10 credits for two pair, while DDB only pays 5 credits. If you look carefully, you'll see that two pair comprises 25.86% of the total return from JB, while two pair only amounts to 12.31% of the return for DDB.

The average returns of the two games are close but not identical (about 0.6% different). However, the "feel" of the two games is totally different. Jacks or Better tends to have mild swings and can often be played for a long period of time with neither a significant win nor loss. Some would consider it "boring". Double Double Bonus, on the other hand, tends to have considerable swings, with bigger losses when you're not hitting anything and bigger wins when several fours of a kind cluster together.

The point of this has been to illustrate how changes in pay tables can alter the character of a game, even if the average return is only mildy affected. The transition to the "bonus" games were an early recognition that players appreciate having more frequent larger payouts even if they suffer greater losses in between.

During the 1990s, the "multi-play" concept was developed where three hands could effectively be played at once. The player receives a shared "flop" of five cards, chooses the cards to hold, then draws replacement cards. Each of the three hands then plays out separately, each with its own final hand and payoff. A player can play three hands in about the same time frame as is required for a single hand, a fact that isn't lost on the casino, which is earning three times the money from the player's losses. This concept has been extended to five, ten, fifty and even 100-hand multiplay games. From the player's point of view, the possibility of winning three jackpots at once is a great enticement to play three times as much money.

In the last ten years, video poker has moved to an entirely new level with "bonus multiplier" games and other varieties which offer the possibility of multiplying player's wins. Game manufacturers have found that players really appreciate having an opportunity, after the hand has played out, to multiply their wins -- and they're willing to pay for that chance. "Super Times Pay" capitalizes on this desire by requiring players to play an extra credit per hand in exchange for an occasional (one in 15 hands) "bonus" multiplier that can range from 2x to 10x (and averages around 4x). If one gets a four of a kind for 250 credits with a 5x bonus, that's 1,250 credits, not a bad win. Multistrike Poker provides four successive hands with payouts that double on each hand in exchange for playing four times as many credits. Other games (Ultimate X) allow you to bet twice the money in exchange for higher payoffs on the subsequent hand. Clearly, video poker has entered the race for added complexity with some of the newer games, but all aimed at giving players an opportunity to have a "bonus" payout that multiplies winnings.

In the end it continues to be essential that players be aware of the pay tables of the games they're playing. Casinos will be motivated to offer better games only when informed players choose to avoid games with poor returns in favor of those with the highest returns. Our "Where to Play" pages attempt to identify casinos having the best games so that players can easily avoid those offering lower returns while patronizing the casinos that offer the best gaming values for the player.

While we have focused on the game pay table as being of critical importance, it should be clear that pay tables represent only a piece of the puzzle. Over time, you will realize the stated return of a game only if you know how to play correctly. Depending on the particular game, this can be more difficult than it sounds.

The gold standard in determining video poker strategy is "VPSM" (Video Poker Strategy Master), a program available at Zamzow Software Solutions Serious video poker players will want to own this software as it allows you to generate a perfect strategy guide for most common video poker games. If followed precisely, these guides will enable you to minimize losses or maximize profits for the game. The Zamzow site also offers "WinPoker" which is an excellent program that helps you learn the correct strategy for the games you are interested in playing.

Strategy guides, generally, are a listing of the hands you can possibly be dealt, from best to worst. They are used by looking down the the list and choosing the first (best) hand that matches yours, then holding those cards. As an example, following is a portion of the VPSM strategy for 9/6 Jacks or Better:

Using the example above, if you are dealt three cards of a royal flush (for example, A-Q-J of clubs) plus another club, you would choose to hold the three of a royal over the four to a flush, because "3 Royal" is higher on the list than "4 Flush". If you were dealt four of a royal with a fifth flush card making a pat Flush, you would throw the fifth flush card away to go for the royal flush.

The entire listing for this game is 44 lines. Obviously, this is a lot for the casual player to take in, particularly, considering the multitude of games in existence. Fortunately, these strategies can often be abbrievated to a more manageable list of essential components without sacrificing a substantial portion of the game's return. This is because, for certain decisions, the effect is so minor as to have no material affect on the game.

The Wizard of Odds website is a great resource for some of these abbreviated guides, as well as being an absolute authority on the statistics of video poker (and gambling, in general). If you are interested in the statistical underpinnings of video poker there is no better resource.

If you will be playing much video poker, it is important to learn the correct strategy and not play on intuition. Over time, your playing on intuition alone will cause you to develop costly bad habits that can be difficult to break. While making an occasional mistake may not be harmful, making the same mistake time and again will add up to reducing your overall return on playing the game.

Video Poker is, at its core, a game of science, statistics, and mathematics. If you feel compelled to play the game based on your intuition as to what you think may be a winning draw, that's fine -- it may work out in the short run. But pay tables and your method of play control your wins and losses in the long run. If you consistently mis-play hands, over time it will cost you money.

If you suspect your chances of winning are improved on a game for any reason other than playing the best games and playing them correctly, you are not understanding the game. Here are some common misconceptions:

• One game "hits" more often than another

• You win more when playing without your player's card

• Casino personnel can "control" your winning or losing from the "back room"

• You just hit a Royal Flush, so you need to leave this machine because the "odds" of it hitting another are slim

• You haven't hit a Royal Flush, so you need to leave this machine because it must be a loser

• I'm having a lucky streak. Don't talk to me now.

The common thread here is that none of these myths have anything to do with the game's pay table or the strategy you use to play -- and these are the only two controllable factors which determine the outcome of the game. If at any time you suspect your game is being influenced by factors other than the game's pay table and your strategy, you are falling victim to a myth.

None of this is to say that "streaks" don't occur. Anyone who has played the game is aware that they will experience both "winning" and "losing" streaks. But these streaks occur within the statistical parameters of game, not due to any external influences. The hands in a video poker game are what statisticians refer to as "independent trials". This means there is no connection, not even a little one, between the hands. If you received a Royal Flush on the last hand, the probability of receiving one on the very next hand is not affected in any way: that probability is precisely the same as it was on the hand before. This is among the most difficult concepts for many players to comprehend.

Today, almost every casino offers some kind of "Player's Club". For video poker players, participation in the player's club is essential. When entering a casino for the first time, your first stop should be at the player's club booth to get a player's club card (many casinos offer some benefit as an enticement to getting a player's card, for example, a free buffet). There is no charge for the card and it should be inserted into the machine's card slot on every game you play. The casino's computers then track your play and generally provide "points" depending upon the amount you play. These points are the basis for cash back, casino "comps" and other benefits.

Slot clubs offer many benefits, but the most important are listed below:

Cash back. Many casinos have some kind of "cash back" provision, so that you get some percentage of the amount you play back in cash. The amount of cash back varies from one casino to another, but it is based on "points" that are accumulated as you play. Always cash out your card at the end of a casino trip -- should you not return to the casino for an extended period, your points can be erased (many casinos maintain points on a card for some predetermined period, like three, six or twelve months, then erase them).

In the past, to cash out your points it was necessary to go to the player's club, wait in line, then take a cash out slip to the cashier's cage to get your cash back. Today it is common that you can use a pre-assigned PIN with your card to cash out your points at your game; the cash balance is simply added to the credits on the game you're playing. It is fast, easy and efficient.

Comp meals. Casinos will often provide free meals after some amount of slot (or video poker) play. Some will provide a buffet comp after a few hours of play, others require a certain number of points, etc. After you have some playing time, go to the player's club booth and say, "Could I get a buffet comp, please?". If you don't have enough play, they'll tell you. Just remember -- if you don't ask, you don't get.

Comp Lodging. If you play enough, casinos will provide a "comp" room, and if you play even more, a suite. Lodging obviously requires more play than just getting a free buffet, but depending on the season, how busy the hotel is, and numerous other factors, you may be surprised.

If you call the hotel for reservations you are asked for your player's club card number which enables the hotel reservations specialist to determine your eligibility for a comped room. After your play has reached a certain level many casinos will assign a "casino host" to your account, a person who can be contacted directly for reservations and generally has more ability to be flexible in providing comps.

If you are advised you don't have enough play to receive a comped room, ask whether they can provide a casino rate -- this is a room at less than the going rate for the night. If it is your first trip to the particular casino, don't expect to be comped up-front. However, if you have a lot of play during your stay, ask a casino host about comping you after-the-fact.

If you talk to a reservations specialist and they indicate no rooms are available, provided you have enough play you will often find a casino host can be helpful. Just remember the host usually has more authority than the reservations personnel.

Making Reservations Online. It is often more convenient to make your reservations online. If you are traveling with another player, some casino hotel websites allow for you to enter a second player's card number. This will often help you get comped for a room that you otherwise might not qualify for. Also, some casinos do not put their best rates on their websites and often the website will indicate no availability when a casino host can arrange one. If you try booking online but are refused a comp or the website indicates no availability, it may be worth a phone call to ask a casino host directly if a room can be arranged.

Mail Offers & "Free Money". After you've visited a casino and played on your player's card, you can expect them to send "offers" in the mail and by email. You will receive mailings that contain coupons redeemable for food, rooms, and even money. Generally, the coupons are limited as to the dates they are valid. Based on your level of play, you may get a discount or free room for a weekday. If you play quite a bit, you may get a prized free room on a weekend or even an upgrade to a nicer room or hotel suite. Casinos with great hotel and meal offers may pay a lower cash back percentage; casinos with minimal hotel properties may comp more meals and provide more free money. Casinos with a really good selection of first-rate games may be very stingy with comps. And casinos with really bad (low-paying) video poker games may be more forthcoming with comps.

Gift Shop and Other Comps. You can generally elect to "spend" your comps at the casino's gift shop, spa, for event tickets, or other casino facilities.

Before you begin playing any game, be sure you have your player's club card properly inserted in the slot and that it has been accepted (most will display your name once the card has been read properly).

The ways in which casinos accumulate "comps" vary from one casino to another. Frequently, "points" are used for computing cash back benefits only, while other measures are used for determining the casino "comps" you qualify for. The casino tracks how much time you spend playing, how much money you win or lose, your total "coin-in", and anything else they care to track. From this information, they can determine with some degree of accuracy how much you should be comped. Most casinos today award points based on some amount of "coin-in", i.e., money bet. For example, you may receive one point for each ten dollars played. Typically, the amount you win or lose is tracked but is not a factor in awarding points to your card.

When you are issued your player's card, take a moment to ask whether cash back benefits are available. At one time, cash back was almost always available. It may not seem like much but if you get back 1/2% of your money played, that can significantly increase your overall return from your casinos visit.

Couples may want to consider playing on a single card in some circumstances. While the casinos often frown on this practice, it does give the appearance that one player is spending more money. If you are just visiting the casino for a brief period, you may have no chance at getting comped for a buffet if playing on two separate cards; but if both are playing on a single card, you may at least get one of your buffets comped. If you're unsure, you may just have to try both methods and see which works best at a given casino.

You will generally find casinos to be much more accommodating on weekdays than on weekends -- obviously, this is because they want to encourage weekday customers when the casinos are less crowded. Also, the busier casinos naturally will be less free with comps on weekends.

The important point is that you should take advantage of whatever is offered; failure to do so is leaving money on the table.

You should be aware that casinos cannot change the way your game plays based on having or not having a card in the game. Some players are hesitant to play with a card in because they feel it influences whether they win. This doesn't happen. There is a built-in barrier between the player's card and the game machine; the game software cannot "adjust" the way the game plays based on whether your card is in the machine. The free food, lodging, and other services make it worthwhile to always play on a player's card.

Almost anything can be comped if you have enough play. Most casinos have a buffet and many have cafes, steak houses, and other restaurants. Basic rooms, suites, hotel services like spas and casino even parking in some locations. If you play enough, you can often get comps for nice rooms and restaurants off the casino premises.