John Brokopp of The Herald-News of Joliet, Illinois (USA) had a great article with gambling tips to make 2011 a better year for players at the casinos.

From The Herald News:

There are many reasons for slot players to learn how to play video poker, but one of the very best is the transparency of video poker games. Whereas the individual payback percentages of traditional spinning reel and video slots are proprietary information, video poker is an open book.

The payback percentages of video poker games are based on a mathematical formula using information from the game’s pay table, which is in clear public view. The standard way to determine the percentage is based on the number of coins paid back for each one wagered for a winning hand of a flush or full house.

The general rule is that games with the best returns on those hands are the best ones to play.

In addition to the video poker tips, Brokopp offers some additional insights about the wisdom of the “free odds” bet in craps, remaining aware of the monetary value of the credits you have in a slot or video poker machine, and avoiding the “sucker” side bets on certain table games.

Continue reading here.

I was just a video poker newbie when I hit my first Royal Flush online at Spin Palace Online Casino in 2003!

So you’ve stumbled upon the Free Video Poker UK guide, but maybe you’ve never played video poker before.

If so, you have arrived at the right place. We have listed the basics of how to play video poker below. Once you understand the basics of video poker, you can play several free video poker games on our web site to hone your skills before you risk your money playing video poker, whether at an online casino or a land-based casino.

The Basics of Video Poker

The game of video poker requires the player to try and end up with a winning hand combination, such as a full house, three of a kind, straight or Royal Flush. The natural Royal Flush is the absolute best hand in nearly all video poker games.

The video poker game begins when a bet is made on the video poker machine, after which the player is dealt five cards. Then the player chooses the cards they wish to keep by pressing the hold button beneath each card. The cards the player does not hold will be taken away and replaced with new ones. Your best video poker hand’s payoff will then be tabulated by the video poker machine.

In video poker, the following combinations pay off starting with the worst, the one-pair hand. A winning pair on a “Jacks or Better” video poker machine may consist of two aces, kings, queens or jacks. A hand consisting of two pairs of cards of the same value and one other card, such as 5, 5, 8, 8, and 3, is considered a two-pair hand.

A hand consisting of three cards of the same value and two non-paired cards makes three of a kind.

A straight is five cards in order but consisting of at least two different suits. For example, a straight may contain a two of clubs, a three and four of spades, and a five and a six of hearts.

A hand where five cards are all the same suit would give you a flush. Three cards of one value and two of another in a hand gives you a full house; for example, three jacks and two queens is a full house in poker games, including video poker.

A hand with four same-valued cards and one other card is considered four of a kind.

A hand with all cards in order of the same suit is a straight flush and also the second ranking combination in poker.

A hand with a 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of the same suit is a Royal Flush, which is considered the highest hand in most video poker games.

While these are the general hand rankings in video poker games, you should always look at the paytable on the video poker machine you are playing before you begin. Depending on the game, there may be some variation in video poker payouts.

Now that you know the basics, check out our home page for free video poker games where you can practice before playing video poker for real money.