Video Poker Enjoyment

For the past 6 years, my game of choice has been Video Poker. Why? Because it does challenge me in some ways. There are a mulititude of different games and each game requires a different strategy. I believe that Video Poker is a game of skill and luck combined. And lately, I've seen an upswing in the number of Video Poker players. I suppose many do not take the game seriously and that's okay. That's their choice. However, I can tell you from experience, that once someone learns the basic strategy of even Jacks or Better, the Video Poker world has found a new player.

Video Poker allows me the opportunity to use my brain. Depending on which game I play, I have to know which cards I'm going to hold before the re-deal, which means I need to understand the probability of which cards might be re-dealt. I can tell you there are numerous professionals that write on this subject and many books and online forums to discuss how to play the various Video Poker games. It's fascinating to try and understand, based on a deck of 52 cards randomly distributed, how statistically the game of Jacks or Better vs. Bonus Poker vs. Dueces Wild, etc. will pay out. I'm not a math expert by any means, therefore chose the route of reading up on the various games and practicing each day on my computer. Other Video Poker players will understand just how I feel. The excitement and adrenaline that one experiences during play is amazing. And many of us can play for hours, just in hopes to have that Royal Flush or 4 Aces with a Kicker.

I encourage you to try your hand at Video Poker; however, I also encourage you to understand the game(s) before you sit down at a machine. If you don't understand the hierarchy of the cards, you can lose your money pretty quickly.

If you have an interest in learning to play at home, there are two software CDs I would recommend. One is Jean Scott's Frugal Gambler which you can purchase at www.lasvegasadvisor.com. The other software would be Bob Dancer's Video Poker for Winners which you can purchase at www.BobDancer.com. I have used both of these versions and actually like both, so really do not have a preference or favorite.

If you prefer reading over using the computer, Bob Dancer's site has a variety of books on the various games. Also, www.lasvegasadvisor.com has a store with books on the subject. Southern Gaming magazine has Linda Boyd's articles on Video Poker. And www.tunica-ms.com has a specific forum which discusses various topics of video poker.

Wishing you much gambling success!

Paula
www.TheGamblersBoutique.com