Video Poker

How to Play Queen of the Decks VideoPoker

Queen of the Decks Videopoker is extremely popular because it is easy and quick to play but still contains an element of strategy. To begin you choose what denomination of coins you wish to use, ranging from 5 cents to $5. You then deposit coins into the machine and bet up to five coins on the hand. Once the cards are dealt you may select which cards to keep or "hold", and the remaining cards are replaced in the second deal. After the second deal you are paid out based on the rank of the resulting poker hand.

Queen of the Decks deals from 5 52-card decks. As a result there is a much higher probability of drawing matching cards, and you can achieve 5 of a kind! The minimum payout hand is two pairs. If you can collect 5 queens of hearts on 5 coins you win the progressive jackpot!

VideoPoker Tips

Pay close attention to the all important "hold" button. Some people hit it too fast or not hard enough and a card meant to be held is discarded. Make sure all the cards you want to hold are held before pushing the draw button.

Check each machine you play. Some have hold buttons, others discard buttons. Don't push any buttons before you understand what you're doing.

Pick a strategy and stick with it. Are you going for a big money Royal Flush, with the biggest payback but odds of 650,000 to 1? Or do you want to play a long time with the best payback? Conservative players would keep a pair, for instance, while others might break a pair if there was a chance for a Royal Flush.

Never keep a "kicker" -- a high card in addition to a pair. The odds are against this strategy working out for you.

Cash out your credits frequently.

VideoPoker Hands

Here are some of the hands of VideoPoker that you should know which will put the odds more in your favour:

1.  Three To A Royal Flush vs. Four Flush

In this situation, if you were to throw away your single card and go four the flush, all you could hope for is a flush paying off 6-1.  However, if you were to go for a Royal Flush, not only do you have a chance at a huge payoff with the Royal (as high as 800-1), but if you don't get the hand you're looking for, you can still walk away a winner if you improve Even though you'd have two chances at a high pair, you'll still want to go with your low pair here.  You'll have a chance to improve your hand to three of a kind, four of a kind, or even a full house.

2.  Three To A Royal Flush vs. Four Straight

Again, in this situation we hold onto our three to the Royal Flush and toss the rest.  Again, not only because you have a chance at the Royal, but because you have a chance to improve your hand to several other payoffs as well.

3.  Four Flush vs. High Pair

This is a very common hand, which is often times misplayed,

Here you'll want to dump your four flush and hold onto the high pair.  With the pair you are guaranteed at least your mo ney back, plus you have a chance to improve your hand to a high payoff.  WIth the four flush, you are looking for one specific card.  If you don't get it, you'll lose.  Always go with the guarantee here.

4.  Four Straight vs. High Pair

Again, with your high pair you are guaranteed a payoff plus a  chance to improve your hand.  It's no contest here, keep the high pair and toss the rest.

5.  Four Straight With Low Cards vs. One High Card

Go with the straight here.  Although you'd have a chance at a high pair (or better) with the high card you aren't even guaranteed that.

6.  Low Pair vs. Two High Cards Not Paired

Go with the straight here.  Although you'd have a chance at a high pair (or better) with the high card you aren't even guaranteed that.

Even though you'd have two chances at a high pair, you'll still want to go with your low pair here.  You'll have a chance to improve your hand to three of a kind, four of a kind, or even a full house.

7.  Low Pair vs. Four Straight With High Cards

This is a close call.  Mathematically (although only by a narrow margin) you should keep the low pair and hope for an improvement here.

8.  Two High Cards vs. One High Card

This hand comes up quite often.  In regular poker, you'd keep the higher of the two.  However, in video poker you're not sitting across the table from your best friend.  You're playing against the machine and only certain hands will pay you off.

In this situation, it is best to keep both high cards, hoping that at least one of them will get paired or better.

9.  Three To A Straight vs. Low Pair

This hand again brings up the value of a low pair.

Despite the fact that the pair is low, you'll want to keep these two cards and hope for improvements to a better hand.

10.  Four Flush vs. Four Straight

This hand will likely make you stop and think for a moment, and if you do think about it, it's quite simple which hand to chase after.  In this particular case, your chances at the flush are very close to your chances of getting that straight.   Therefore, you'll want to go after that flush.  After all...It pays more.