Video poker has become one of the more popular forms of casino play these days, because a lot of people don't want the psychological interaction of a full fledged poker table and prefer the one on one interaction that they can have with a machine and their own thought processes. With the fantastic advances we have in technology today, the general public can enjoy the immense fun there is to be had playing this game once you learn how to win at video poker.

Video poker has become one of the more popular forms of casino play these days, because a lot of people don't want the psychological interaction of a full fledged poker table and prefer the one on one interaction that they can have with a machine and their own thought processes. With the fantastic advances we have in technology today, the general public can enjoy the immense fun there is to be had playing this game once you learn how to win at video poker.

The first thing you must get under your belt and keep foremost in your mind when you are learning how to win at video poker are the rules and regulations that apply to the game. A video poker game is based on a simple 52 count deck of cards, with some games using the jokers as well as the other cards. 5 cards are dealt randomly to you and you decide which cards you want to hold, and discard the ones you don't. The machine then replaces your discarded cards with randomly chosen replacements and you are paid according to the poker value of the cards now remaining in your hand.

Strategy is important in many card games, but poker is right up there at the top of the list. If you want to become a good poker player and learn how to win at video poker, then you have to have a strategy in mind when you sit down in front of the machine----just going with the flow, or winging it won't get you anywhere except broke. Firstly, always bet the maximum amount allowed in coins on any machine you play---all the big winners in video poker play are the ones who always bet the max. Then, do some reading and find out what the play strategy is for every kind of hand you could be dealt, and learn what to play or hold depending on what cards you are holding----knowing how to play your initially dealt hand is crucial to the outcome of the game. And find a liberal pay table to play, so you can make the most out of your betting strategy.

Betting the max in coins allowed makes perfect sense when you apply the old adage: the more you wager, the more you win. The win for any given hand of cards is directly proportional to the amount bet; except for one example----when the payouts are tallied on various boards around town, you will notice that learning how to win at video poker depends on how to read the boards and bet accordingly; because in the case of Royal Flushes----you may be shortchanged on your payout of getting a Royal Flush if you don't bet the max. Most boards will list the payout of such as: you will win 1000 if you bet 4 coins, but you will win 4000 if you bet 5 coins (the max). What a difference a coin makes. This little burp in the board declarations is called "An Economy of Scale".

Learning how to win at video poker is not that hard, really; it just takes serious application and lots of practice until you have all the winning factors learned and can apply them to your advantage no matter what the machine hands you. And to keep track of all this play and money spent, you should always use a player card and make sure the machine you are using is tallying everything you spend point for point. The reason for this is that the house has no way of knowing what you are spending unless you provide a money trail for them to follow and calculate; and it is only then that you can take advantage of all the perks and comps that the house offers the bigger players. Every penny that you spend on any machine is rewarded with points, and these points can be turned in for free play or other comps. And, as opposed to what a lot of uninformed folks out there will try to sell you; using a player card does not make the machine payout worse---it has no effect on the odds whatsoever.

When you are perfecting your performance as a winning video poker player and you have learned your lessons well on how to win at video poker, there is a site online that you should check out that will help you interpret the payout tables found on the various machines, and what those tables mean. The site is vpfree2.com and it has loads of info above and beyond the payout tables that you may find very useful. As you become more familiar with the world of video poker, you will begin to see the relationships of the payout tables to the play and how you can make the most of the more liberal tables; for example, the payouts vary very little except when it comes to dealing with a flush or a full house----the middle hands seem to have more variance than the others.

Poker is a hands down, knock 'em dead, great card game----the most beloved in the world----and its spinoff-video poker---is just as much fun and just as challenging without the psychology of the other players messing up your thought processes. For outright fun and good times with just you and the machine going at it face to face, learning to win at video poker is a must to truly get the most out of the whole experience, not to mention some money as well.