Video Poker combines both the luck of the draw and the skill of the player. Luck comes into play when the video poker machine randomly deals out the players cards. Skill on the part of the player is needed to know which cards to keep and which cards to discard. Although luck is a big factor in the game, the likelihood of winning increases based on the amount of skill the player possesses.

No matter what the skill level the player has, its important to know what to keep and what to discard if you want to end up with a winning hand. Its essential to know the types of winning hands that are available in video poker if the player is playing to win.

The smart player knows the patterns to look for, which will make the difference between them winning big and losing it all. Here is a listing of the most common combination of video poker hands ranked from the highest possible to the lowest.

Sequential Royal Flush: This is a hand which occurs when the cards fall in exact order and suit, like 10 Spades, J Spades, Q Spades, K Spades, and A Spades. Remember this is video poker, and that the Sequential Royal Flush is different from the Royal Flush.

Royal Flush: This is when you get a same suit flush with the cards 10 Hearts, Q Hearts, J Hearts, A Hearts, and K Hearts in any order. As long as all the cards are there, the order is not an issue.

Straight Flush: The Straight Flush occurs when all five cards are in sequence, and all five cards are of the same suit 4 Spades, 5 Spades, 6 Spades, 7 Spades, and 8 Spades.

Four of a Kind: Four of a Kind is when there are four cards which all possess the same rank 5 Diamonds, 5 Spades, 5 Clubs, and 5 Hearts.

Full House: The Full House is three of a kind plus a pair. Suit does not come into play with a Full House. A good example of a Full house would be 5 Diamonds, 5 Clubs, 5 Hearts, 7 Clubs, and 7 Spades.

Flush: The Flush is when the player gets five cards with all having the same suit. Rank makes no difference with this hand. Its the suit that is featured in the Flush. For an example; 2 Hearts, 4 Hearts, 5 Hearts, 7 Hearts, 10 Hearts.

Straight: A player holds a Straight when all five cards held are in rank sequence. With the following hand, the player would have a Straight; 2 Hearts, 3 Clubs, 4 Spades, 5 Hearts, 6 Diamonds.

Three of a Kind: When a player is dealt three cards all of which have the same rank, they have Three of a Kind. The remaining two cards do not count as anything in the hand. The suit of the cards does not matter with this hand. An example of this hand is 4 Hearts, 4 Clubs, and 4 Spades.

Two Pair: Two Pair is when the player has two pairs of cards, each set of a different rank. An example of this hand is 3 Diamonds, 3 Clubs, 5 Hearts and 5 Spades.

One Pair: One Pair is two cards of the same rank, regardless of the suit. An example of this hand is 7 Diamonds and 7 Hearts.

The game of poker is arguably the most popular aspect of modern gambling. The intricate skill level and variety of hands and strategies entice even the most seasoned players to get involved in the game of poker.

There are many considerations as to what makes a good poker player, but the core concepts in the gambling realm are similar. The things that make a good poker player are usually the things that will assist you in the world of gambling as a whole.

The first thing that makes a poker player good is probably the most agreed upon consensus with those involved in gambling worldwide: quick and accurate decision making skills. A good poker player will be able to think quickly and apply the decisions they make at the proper time to succeed in the game of poker. Almost comparable to a quarterback on a football team who must possess good decision making skills, a good poker player is put in a similar situation when gambling. They have to think on their feet and quickly. This is the single more important aspect of succeeding at gambling and becoming a good poker players.

Another aspect of a good poker player is the ability to change gears at a moments notice. Poker, like gambling as a whole, is always changing and when playing a poker game, things can change quickly and the ability to adapt with those changes is what makes a poker player good.

Yet, another consideration of gambling, especially in particular poker, is knowing the game really, really knowing the game. A good poker player or gambling enthusiast in general, will know all of the ins and outs of the game. They will know poker history, popular poker players, online poker rooms, different hands, strategies and more. A good poker player will study the game of poker like a craft and cultivate it accordingly. The good poker players are the people who have a genuine love of the game and have an acute desire to continue to learn developing trends in poker and in gambling as a whole.

Finally, a good poker player will posses the most amount of confidence a human being can have. Gambling requires not only brains, but confidence and poker is no exception. Some of the worlds best poker players win because they are confident in their decisions and dont second guess themselves. Confidence will make a good poker player as surely as any of the other traits mentioned above but the combination of all of the skills makes a good poker player and a great student of gambling as well.

Video Poker seems to be one of those games that people are a little dubious about until they give it a whirl, and the concept of it being worth it, of being able to gain an advantage is the biggest cause of this dubiousness.

I was recently assured of a way of gaining the advantage in a progressive jackpot video poker game: Of course strategies vary from game to game, particularly between wild and no-wild games. However, on a machine that pays out 8-1 on a full house and 5-1 on a flush, there is, or so I’m assured, a means of gaining the advantage.

First, locate a progressive jackpot machine whose jackpot is greater that the maximum bet x 1750; the reason that this is important is because it is only once the jackpot gets this high that the game is even with the house, therefore if the game isn’t even there is no way of gaining an advantage. Now, in theory, or at least this is what I’ve been told; with each 350 x max bet addition to the jackpot, the players advantage increases by 1%. Therefore if you come across a progressive jackpot with a jackpot 2100 x the maximum bet, you have a 1% advantage; if you find one with a jackpot 2,450 x the maximum bet you have a 2% advantage.

Unfortunately, getting to this stage of play requires a lot of time and a lot of money; more of both than most people have. Therefore short of building up the advantage as suggested above, it might be best to simply be familiar with the frequency of video poker hands, and from that determine the likelihood of gaining an advantage. The following statistics were given to me a by a guy in the industry, who claims they are the average frequency of video poker hands:

A royal flush, which is of course what we all want appears once ever 32, 680 hands; a straight flush every 10, 163 hands; four of a kind every 425 hands; a full house every 87 hands; a flush every 90 hands; a straight every 89 hands; three of a kind every 14 hands; two pair every 8 hands; and a pair every 5 hands. Now, in terms of timing, based on these statistics the average video poker machine will therefore produce a royal flush ever 60 hours of constant rapid play; a straight will appear every 6 hours or so, as will a flush; whilst a 4 of a kind will pop up on a more or less hourly basis.

Therefore the majority of the time the video poker player is playing at a disadvantage, however this will be somewhat compensated for by the more regular smaller hands. Is it possible to manipulate the outcomes, to create an advantage? In all honesty probably not, but isn’t it fun trying?

Using Poker Odds Calculators: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Poker players are always looking for ways to improve their game strategies, or little hints and tips they might be able to apply to their own games to make them more successful. One thing that can be very useful is to know the true odds of the particular game you are playing. Knowing your chances will sometimes prompt you to make changes in your game that you ordinarily might not make that could be the difference between winning and losing. Many players adjust their betting methods as well, so that they can better optimize their winnings. More experienced poker players can do this by observing the other players and making guesses as to what their odds of winning are against those particular players. They change their hands or playing styles according to what they determine their odds are. Some players are very experienced with calculating their odds in this method, but there is a more exact way to determine your poker odds. Poker odds calculators can be found as free downloads and for sale on the internet, and many poker players are starting to use these to get more exact odds.

Some poker players opt to use hand odds calculators by entering the player and the board cards, then hitting a calculate button to get the odds for that particular player. The calculator will list how often that player will win the game, tie with other players, or lose altogether. These calculators can also be used to compare different hands with each other to help you determine the best poker hands. The only downside to using these calculators is that they dont factor in the fact that some players will inevitably fold, and that extra money will be added to the pot with each round of bets.

Many poker players who play in poker tournaments have also begun to use tournament equity calculators. These calculators are used to determine the average amount of prize money each participant should win based on the number of chips each player has during the tournament. The value of these chips will be less as the game progresses and players earn more chips. Some players will decide to sit out a tournament is they decide the prize pool isnt large enough for them. The only bad thing about using this type of calculator is that it automatically assumes all players are of equal skill levels, and it doesnt account for size and position of the blinds in the game, so it isnt always one hundred percent accurate.

Odds calculators are used by many poker players today, and are increasing in popularity. They can be very helpful in making decisions when it comes to many aspects of game play. It is important that players who use these calculators keep in mind that these calculators do have limitations and that the information they offer should never be the sole basis of how you play your game. There are too many variables to be factored in to make any calculation be totally accurate, and sometimes you just cant beat good ole human intuition.

Poker Hands: Best and Worse Starting Hands in Texas Holdem

The basic poker lesson is when to hold and when to fold. Knowing whether your initial deal is worth staying in the game or if you should call it a day, is one of the most important decisions to make at the beginning of the poker game. One of the most common beginners mistakes is holding onto the worst pair of hole cards instead of folding and protecting your money.

Therefore, if you are a novice poker player, one of the first things you should memorize is which initial hands are worth holding and which hands leaves you no choice but to fold. Since Texas Holdem is the most popular poker variation, here you can find lists of the best and the worth Holdem poker starting hands.

Best Poker Hands

If you are lucky to be dealt one of these initial hands, you are definitely having an excellent beginning:

Pair of Aces: as known as American Airlines or pocket rockets, it is the best possible Texas Holdem starting hand.

Pair of Kings: not as good as a pair of Aces but still an excellent way to open a game of Texas Holdem.

Pair of Queens: if you want to look at the bright side, you will be beaten only by Kings and Aces.

Ace and King: if they are of the same suit, your condition is even better, since you can form the nut flush at ease.

Pair of Jacks: unless the flop shows either a Queen, King or an Ace, you have decent chances of winning with this promising starting hand.

Ace and Queen: the same as Ace and King, a suited hand would increase your chances of stepping out as a winner.

King and Queen: unless the community cards contain an Ace, you are in a good shape with this starting hand and even better if it is suited

Ace and Jack: even if appears unsuited, this starting hand is still worth holding.

King and Jack: still one of the best Texas Holdem starting hands, but be careful with it, especially when unsuited.
Ace and Ten: the Ace upgrades it to a pretty good hand, although requires a cautious play since it can be beaten by any of the starting hands mentioned above.

Worst Poker Hands

These hands would suit you well if you play some of the lowball variations, but if you play traditional Texas Holdem poker, the best advice would be to fold.

2 and 7: if you are dealt this hand, especially unsuited, you cannot even make a straight. Even if suited you should be so lucky to form a low flush or the lowest pair. In one word: fold.

2 and 8: same as the previous hand; pair of 8s is still a low pair.

3 and 7: although it can beat the previous hands, it still a worthless pair of cards

3 and 8: again, hardly even a low straight.

2 and 6: only if the community cards will feature 3, 4 and 5, you will have a chance of forming a straight. However, do not count on it, especially if there are more than 3 attendances in the game.

2 and 9: thanks to the presence of the 9 you are in better shape than with the former hands, still you cannot form a straight and even a pair of 9s would be beaten by pairs of 10s, Jacks, Queens, etc.

3 and 9: the same thing: higher than 8 lower than almost any other hand.

4 and 9: as mentioned above; foldem.

2 and 10: even though Doyle Brunson had won two WSOP bracelets with this starting hand, unless you have the talent and experience of Brunson, do not hold this hand.

5 and 9: also known as Dolly Parton, this hand would get you nowhere near the final table.

It takes more than understanding poker hands and how they rank in order to be a successful poker player. You should also be fluent in the most common nicknames that poker players give these hands. Knowing poker hand nicknames will help you fit in at a poker table and insure that you understand what is going on.

While understanding the nicknames for poker hands is important keep in mind they may vary regionally. In addition, the may become obsolete or modified over time.

A pair of aces is often referred to as pocket rockets because it is the best starting hand in Texas Holdem. This hand is also called American Airlines because of the abbreviation AA used to describe both the airline and the pair. Some poker players also refer to two aces as bullets.

In Texas Holdem a pair of kings is often described as cowboys or King Kong. Some players call two kings ace magnets. This nicknames sarcastically points out that with this hand the last card you want to see is the ace, which means it is bound to come up.

Most of the most common nicknames used to describe a pair of queens are derogatory. These include four tits, bitches, Sigfried and Roy, or Canadian Aces.

A pair of jacks is considered the highest medium pocket pair. This hand is referred to as fishhooks or hooks because of the visual appearance of two JJs. Another common nickname for this hand is J- Birds.

A pair of eights has several nicknames. It is called snowmen or dog balls because they both look like the number eight. It is also called a little Oldsmobile because Oldsmobile had a model number 88 used to describe a model that was smaller than a 98.

A pair of sevens is sometimes called mullets or hockey sticks because of the similarity to the shape of a number seven.

A pair of cherries has been given the nickname cherries due to the similarities between the shape of the fruit and the number six. Other poker players will refer to a pair of sixes as Route 66 for obvious reasons.

A hand containing a pair of fives is often referred to as presto or speed limit at a poker table.

A pair of fours has a few clever nicknames as well. It is often referred to as sailboats, playing in the fact that the number four resembles a sailboat. It can also be referred to as a magnum, paying tribute to a .44 magnum handgun.

A pair of threes is sometimes called treys after a three pointer in basketball, or crabs because of their similarity in shape to the number three.

A hand with a pair of two is often called ducks. This nickname is due to the likeness of the number two and a duck.

A hand with an ace, king combination is often called an Anna Kournikova because it looks good, but never wins. It also goes by the name big slick or Santa Barbara, referring to a devastating oil spill of the cost of Santa Barbara.

An ace, queen combo is nicknamed a big chick as a play on the nickname for an ace, king hand.

A hand containing and ace, jack combination is commonly referred to as black jack. However, jackass and ajax are also popular nicknames for phonetic reasons.

An ace, ten combinations is sometimes called bookends or a Johnny Moss, based on the assumption that Moss has been playing poker since the age of ten.

Almost any combination of cards that makes up a hand has at least one nickname, if not more. It is important to familiarize yourself with these nicknames in order to be a successful poker player.