Intermediate Video Poker Play

If you’re reading this, you’re already familiar with the basics of video poker already, and we can get right into the intermediate strategy. Keep in mind that this is general intermediate poker strategy and it is not meant to serve as a guide for all video poker games. You will have to follow the strategy in conjunction with optimal poker strategy in order to be successful. The strategy discussed below can also be used for all variations of the game.

The most important thing to note in video poker is that you should never discard any hand that is already made. That means that if you’re dealt a pair or anything better, you should never discard those cards. Often, the chance of you hitting what you need is rare since most video poker machines pre-select 10 cards. This makes is difficult to make your decision but an intermediate level video poker player has to learn to trust his or her instincts.

If you hope to make the transition from intermediate poker player to advanced poker player, you’ll want to constantly increase your bankroll. Although playing small levels for hours at a time isn’t what you have in mind, you must remember that the more you play, the better you will get. If you abide by the goals and limits you set for yourself, you will be playing higher limits in no time. The key to building your bankroll is realistic expectations. No skilled poker player intends to win every hand because he knows it’s important to win in the long run.

If you consider your video poker skill level to be intermediate, you should be playing higher levels at this point. Even if you’ve only increased from the nickel machines to the quarter machines, it is considered major progress in the game of video poker. Although this rule is mostly true for live poker games, it’s a good rule of thumb for video poker players as well; 100 hours of play at your old limit should prepare you to play at the next limit.

More than anything in video poker strategy, you should make sure that you have realistic expectations regarding your earnings. If you’re playing at the $0.25 levels, it isn’t realistic to expect that you will make $5000 in the first week. Unrealistic expectations lead inexperienced players to play at levels which they aren’t ready for, and bet money they cannot afford to lose in hopes of getting that one hand that will change their lives. Unrealistic expectations will change your life in ways you could never imagine.