Biggest Misunderstanding about Video Poker

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The biggest attraction to video poker is the fact that players can actually beat the house in certain situations. This being said, it's not uncommon to hear novice gamblers exclaim how they can't wait to play video poker because they want to win some big profits.

But what's funny is that these beginners don't even realize how most video poker games don't offer over 100% payback. Instead, it actually takes some skill just to find the top games and we'll explain why.

Full Pay Machines

Every video poker variation has a "full pay" version - a.k.a. the maximum payback offered by a certain game. For example, full pay Deuces Wild games offer 100.8% payback when perfect strategy is used. And Deuces Wild is a big reason why inexperienced players think all video poker machines feature 100%-plus payback.

However, the truth is that full pay games aren't as common as players think - especially when it comes to Deuces Wild! Casinos don't like giving up their advantage to players, so they're less likely to offer full pay machines. Instead, they'll feature full pay on games like Jacks or Better (99.54% payback), where even perfect players can't earn a positive long-term return.

Where to find Full Pay Games

While full pay video poker games with over 100% payback are rare, they do exist at some online and land-based casinos. As for the latter, you can find full pay options in downtown Las Vegas casinos, which need a way to sway players from the more glamorous Strip area.

Games you should be focusing on include Deuces Wild, Double Bonus (100.2% payback) and Double Double Bonus (100.1% payback). At full pay, these machines all give excellent players a chance to realize long-term profits. Just be aware that coin denominations won't always be really high in order to keep professionals from making tons of money. 

Don't Forget Strategy

Just finding a full pay machine isn't good enough - you have to take advantage of it with perfect - or near perfect - strategy. The big thing to understand here is that different variations have their own subset of video poker strategy, so apply the right tips to the correct game.

As for practicing strategy, you can find programs on the internet, read articles, or buy books from experts. The key is that you take some time and make sure you know what you're doing before trying to win long-term profits.