If you’re someone who likes to scour online casinos looking for the video poker game with the best odds, look no further. Bonus Deuces Wild features the lowest house odds, and that means you’ll win more when you play!

Like with all our online video poker games, the basic rules of Bonus Deuces Wild are super easy to learn. You’re dealt a hand of five cards. You choose how many you want to hang onto, anywhere from zero to all five, then re-deal. Then you win different amounts based on the best poker hand you were dealt. In Bonus Deuces Wild, like the name implies, 2′s are wild, which makes it easier to hit lots of big hands. There is some strategy to learn about what hands you should be trying for. It’s pretty easy though, and you can get all the basics with our free cheat cheat, available here.

If you prefer your video poker action fast and furious, then be sure to check out the multi-hand option available in this game. The idea is that you can play up to 100 hands at once, instead of just one. When you play multi-hand, you’re still dealt the original hand of five cards. You then choose which cards to hold onto, and which to discard, then hit the “Deal” button for the re-deal. At that point, the game deals you out the number of hands you’re playing. So if you’re playing 25 hands, for example, you’ll receive 25 re-deals on your single hand. It’s just as easy to play as single hand, and can pay off with some truly enormous wins!

So if you want a game with the best payouts, and options to play as fast or slow as you want, check out Bonus Deuces Wild. Good luck and have fun!

What’s the difference between playing Joker Poker with perfect strategy and playing Joker Poker with your “gut”?  $93 plus a 4 course steak dinner.

Allow me to explain…

The Video Poker Bet

I have a friend who is a professional poker player.  Let’s call him “Jimmy”.  I’m not exactly sure what qualifies someone as a “professional” poker player, but let’ just say he’s good enough to travel the world playing in poker tournaments for a living.

Last week I was telling Jimmy about the Video Poker strategy cards that I had been making.  I told him how I had figured out a video poker strategy for Joker Poker that allowed me to virtually eliminate the casino’s advantage altogether.

Since Jimmy had finished his poker playing for the day, winning several thousand dollars, and had begun celebrating with several glasses of wine, Jimmy felt a little cocky.  He clearly felt my video poker strategy could never stack up to his poker skills, even if video poker is a completely different game from poker altogether.

He was so confident, in fact, that he bet me a steak dinner that he could win more money in an hour playing Joker Poker than I could using my strategy.

The competition was on.

We each logged in to our accounts at Silver Oak Casino and started playing 25 cent Joker Poker.  I printed out a copy of my Joker Poker strategy card and Jimmy started playing with his gut.

The Results

After an hour of play, I was up $32 and poor old Jimmy was down $59.  Big win for video poker players!  While not exactly a scientific test, it’s a good indication that using this Joker Poker cheat sheet will improve your chances of winning at the online video poker machines.

Here is the exact same video poker card I used to beat Jimmy by $93 and win a steak dinner:

Download my Joker Poker Strategy Card in PDF

Once you have the Joker Poker cheat sheet in hand, download a free video poker game here and give it a shot:

Have you tried this Joker Poker strategy card for yourself? How did it work for you?  Win any steak dinners?  Let me know in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this video poker strategy card, you may also enjoy the Deuces Wild Video Poker Strategy Card, how to double your video poker winnings, the video poker strategy exception, the video poker glossary, or video poker risk of ruin.  For a list of all video poker strategy articles, see the video poker strategy page here on the Silver Oak Casino blog.

If you are a video poker veteran (or have read the video poker strategy articles on this blog) you are undoubtedly familiar with the video poker rule of thumb: always play maximum coins for the best odds.  Always.

You also may be aware of the difference between a full pay and a short pay video poker machine.  For those of you who aren’t familiar, a full pay machine pays what are considered to be standard odds for the game.  This is in contrast to a “short pay” video poker machine, which pays out players at lower odds.

For example, a full pay Jacks or Better video poker machine would pay you 9 times your original bet if you get a full house or 6 times your normal bet if you get a flush.  A typical short pay machine will generally pay you 8 times your bet for a full house or 5 times your bet for a flush.  This small difference in payout can have a significant impact on the odds of the game.

A Video Poker Quandry For The Ages

So what do you do if you find yourself in the following situation?

You have the choice to either play a SHORT PAY nickel machine, playing 5 coins every time, OR you can play on the FULL PAY quarter machine, playing 1 coin each time?

In other words, which is more important to the odds of the game, playing a full pay machine or playing 5 coins at a time? 

The answer may surprise you….

It turns out that over time, playing the full pay machine with one coin will always be your best bet.  In fact, playing the full pay machine with 1 coin will yield 50% better results over the long haul.  So the next time you are presented with the option, always take the full pay machine!

If you enjoyed this video poker strategy article, you may also enjoy the Deuces Wild Video Poker Strategy Card, how to double your video poker winnings, video poker myths, the video poker glossary, or video poker risk of ruin.  For a list of all video poker strategy articles, see the video poker strategy page here on the Silver Oak Casino blog.

Due to the popularity of our jacks or better video poker strategy card, we decided that our readers would love this one as well: the Deuces Wild Video Poker Cheat Sheet.

Since all of the video poker games have a unique set of rules, the best strategy to use for Deuces Wild Video Poker is much different than all other forms of video poker out there.

Download the Deuces Wild Strategy Card in PDF

The Deuces… They’ve Gone Wild!

Unlike Jacks or Better video poker, all 2′s are wild in Deuces Wild (hence the name), meaning they can substitute for any other card in the deck.  In other words, f you have at least one 2 in your hand, you are guaranteed to have at least a pair.

As you can see, having the 2′s is key to making big hands in Deuces Wild Video Poker.  Because the 2′s become so important to Deuces Wild strategy, the cheat sheet is broken down into 4 sections: four 2′s, three 2′s, two 2′s, one 2, and no 2′s.  By dividing the strategy card in this manner, you can quickly find the perfect play on the cheat sheet for your situation.

How To Use the Deuces Wild Cheat Sheet

Using the Deuces Wild strategy card is exactly the same as using the Jacks or Better strategy card.  All of the hands are ranked from the best hand to the worst hand on the cheat sheet.  All you have to do is find the highest hand on the cheat sheet, and choose to keep the corresponding cards through to the draw.

Here is a step by step breakdown:

1. Start playing a Deuces Wild video poker machine and receive your starting hand.
2. Once you have your hand, check how many 2′s you have.
3. Look to the corresponding section of the strategy card.
4. Find the highest ranked hand.
5. On the video poker mahine, choose to keep the cards that make that hand.
6. Click on “DRAW”.

That’s it!  You have made the best possible move based on the cards you were given to start the game.

For an illustrated walkthrough of how to pick the best hand, see the Jacks or Better video poker cheat sheet post.

What games would you like a strategy card for? Let me know in the comment section below and the top suggestions will be made into a free downloadable cheat sheet!

If you enjoyed this video poker strategy article, you may also enjoy online slots versus online video poker, how to double your video poker winnings, video poker myths, the video poker glossary, or video poker risk of ruin.  For a list of all video poker strategy articles, see the video poker strategy page here on the Silver Oak Casino blog.

Have you ever been playing video poker and wondered “should I keep this flush or take the risk and go for the straight flush?”  This Jacks or Better strategy card will be your new best friend.

Download The Jacks or Better Video Poker Strategy Card in PDF

How to Use the Jacks or Better Strategy Card

Video poker is always played the same way.  You are dealt 5 cards (your starting hand).  You tgeb choose which ones of the 5 you wish to keep, and then receive new cards to replace the ones you decided to discard.

When you download the cheat sheet, you will see that it is basically a list of possible starting hands labeled 1 – 16.  These hands are ordered from the best (number 1) to worst (number 16) possible starting hands.

When you sit down to a new game of Jacks or Better video poker, have your strategy card ready.  When you are dealt your first 5 cards, look to the cheat sheet and find the highest possible hand listed which corresponds to your cards.  Choose to keep those cards, and then draw.  You will have made the best decision possible given the cards you were dealt.

Real World Video Poker Example

For example, let’s say you are dealt the following hand:

If I look at the strategy card, I see that the best hand I can make out of this is “two suited high cards” using the Jack and the Ace of hearts.  Two suited high cards is number 11 on the video poker strategy card.

Let’s look at another example.  Let’s say you are dealt the same cards, except the 8 and the 4 aren’t diamonds; instead, they are hearts:

You still have the same Jack and Ace of hearts, but now because you have 4 cards that are hearts, you can now make a hand that is ranked higher on the strategy card than the two suited high cards.  If you notice, due to the 4 hearts, you also have a “4 to a flush”, which is number 8 on the video poker strategy card, out-ranking the “two suited high cards”.

Every time that you are dealt your starting hand, simply look to the strategy card and figure out the highest ranking hand you can make with the cards you are dealt.  Keep those cards, and you will always have made the highest odds decision given the situation.

Final Thoughts

How has this video poker cheat sheet helped you? What other games do you want a video poker strategy card for? Let me know in the comment section below!

If you liked this video poker cheat sheet, you may also be interested in online slots versus online video poker, how to double your video poker winnings, video poker myths, the video poker glossary, or video poker risk of ruin.  For a list of all video poker strategy articles, see the video poker strategy page here on the Silver Oak Casino blog.

Some video poker terms can be confusing to new players, especially if they are unfamiliar with poker.  For those of you who are looking for a definition for any of those tricky video poker terms you are in the right place!

Video Poker Glossary

• Bankroll · The amount of money a player has to play with. As a player wins or loses during the game, his bankroll increases or decreases as well. See the article on how to manage your video poker bankroll for tips on keeping your bankroll healthy.
• Bonus · Some video poker machines offer a bonus if the player gets a certain hand during play.
• Cycle · A cycle is the number of bets a player should expect to make before making a specific hand.  This is calculated as an expected average number of bets that need to be made, and is not to be used as a steadfast rule.
• Deuces Wild · A common version of video poker in which all 2′s are wild cards.
• Full Pay · A full pay machine is one that pays out what is considered to be the appropriate amount for common hands.  The pay table is different for every machine, but for a Jacks or Better video poker machine, it should pay 9 credits for a full house and 6 credits for a flush to be considered a “full pay” machine.
• Gutshot Straight · A gutshot straight is a draw for a straight in which the card needed to complete the straight is one of the interior cards.  For example, if a player is holding a 2, 3, 10, 5, and 6, this would be considered a “gutshot straight” because the card needed to complete the straight is in the middle of the straight.  The player would discard the 10 in hope of receiving a 4.
• House Edge · The percentage advantage the casino has over the player in a certain game.  The house edge in video poker is generally very low, often less than 1%.
• Joker Poker · A version of video poker which uses a 54 card deck which includes jokers.  The jokers in this game are wild, meaning they can be substituted for any other card in the game.
• Pay Table · The pay table is the schedule of credits paid to the player for winning a given hand.  The pay table is usually displayed above the video poker machine’s screen.
• Payout · The amount the video poker machine pays the player when he wins a hand.  How much a player wins for each hand is displayed in the pay table.
• RNG · Random Number Generator.  The RNG is a piece of software used by the video poker machine to ensure that every game is completely random and fair.  The RNG decides which cards are dealt to the player on every turn.
• Short Pay ·Unlike “full pay” machines, short pay machines pay players less than what is generally regarded as standard for the game.  When possible, players are advised to avoid short pay machines and look for full pay machines in order to receive the best odds.

What other video poker terms do you want defined?  Post the video poker terms in the comment section below to have them defined by our team of video poker experts!

Now that you know all of the video poker terms, check out these articles to improve your game: online slots versus online video poker, how to double your video poker winnings, video poker myths, why video poker is better than poker, and video poker risk of ruin.  For a list of all video poker strategy articles, see the video poker strategy page here on the Silver Oak Casino blog.

Is it possible to make one deposit in a video poker machine and never run out of money for the rest of your life?

According to statisticians, it is, and it’s less than you might think!

Play Video Poker For The Rest of Your Life… On One Deposit

As previous video poker articles have pointed out, the odds involved in video poker are some of the highest of any casino game; some games even have an expected payout of over 100%, meaning that over the long run, the player is expected to win more than the casino!

Due to these extraordinary odds, it is entirely possible for you to make a deposit into a video poker machine and NEVER lose the deposit, even if you played that video poker machine for the rest of your life.

Risk of Ruin

So how much do you need to deposit before you have a good chance of never losing your bankroll?  The answer lies in how confident you want to be when making that deposit.  Do you want to be 50% confident, or 99% confident that your money will never run out?  The more confident you want to be, the more you must deposit.

Let’s look at an example.  You are playing Deuces Wild Video Poker.  To be 50% confident that your bankroll will never dry up for the rest of your life, you must make one deposit of 5305 times the minimum bet.  To put this in dollar terms, if you were playing a penny machine, you would need to deposit only $53.05 to have a 50/50 chance of never running out of money.

Let’s say 50% confidence is not good enough for you; you want to be 99% confident that you will never run out of money after your first deposit.  To be 99% confident, you must deposit 35,240 times the minimum bet, or only $352.40 to be almost 100% sure you can play that machine forever.

Don’t believe it’s true?  Download Silver Oak Casino and give it a shot!

Hint: If you use this video poker bonus code, you’ll get $50 free to play video poker with!

Think it’s true you can really play forever for only a few dollars or am I full of it?  Let me have it in the comment section below!

If you’ve decided you like video poker, check out these articles to improve your skills: online slots versus online video poker, how to double your video poker winnings, video poker myths, why video poker is better than poker, and how to manage your video poker bankroll.  For a list of all video poker strategy articles, see the video poker strategy page here on the Silver Oak Casino blog.

• Poker is difficult and complicated… Video Poker is easy and fun. When I start gambling, I want to enjoy myself.  Whenever I step up to the poker table, I’m confronted with 8 guys each sporting 7-11 sunglasses, half a bottle of 7-11 cologne, that have had 7-11 drinks too many.  This is supposed to be fun?  Then if I don’t know any chip-stacking tricks or forget to ante up on the small blind, I’m some kind of insignificant loser.  Who needs that kind of pressure?

• Video Poker has bonus codes. Sure, some poker sites have bonuses you can use but most of them are paultry compared to video poker bonuses.  Who needs a 19% bonus when you can get $777 free just for signing up at Silver Oak Casino?

• In Video Poker, I know my opponent. As stated above, the gents down at the local poker hall aren’t always my cup of tea.  When I come home to my trusty online video poker game, I feel like I’m a winner already.  Who needs pets when you have Jacks or Better video poker?

As you can see, I’m not much of a poker person.  Give me a new bonus code and a trusted video poker machine any day.

What do you think?  Am I right here or is poker the superior game?  Let me know in the comment section below!

If you’ve decided you like video poker, check out these articles to improve your skills: online slots versus online video poker, how to double your video poker winnings, video poker myths, using video poker bonus codes, and how to manage your video poker bankroll.  For a list of all video poker strategy articles, see the video poker strategy page here on the Silver Oak Casino blog.

Thousands of video poker players are losing piles of cash this very second.  Why is money flying out of these players’ wallets?  Terrible bankroll management.

Video Poker Bankroll Management

Ready to stop bleeding money and keep your winnings in your wallet?  Follow these simple tips for bankroll management success!

• Use Bonus Codes- While obvious to many, there are still a huge number of players that still don’t take advantage of this free stream of cash.  The math is simple: if you start with $200 instead of $100, you’re more likely to leave the machine with more money in the end.  Check out all of the Silver Oak Casino bonus codes here.

• Make A Plan- As with most things in life, you’re more likely to be successful playing video poker if you play with a plan.  Making a plan is simple.  Write down how much money you will start with, what your profit goal is for the video poker session is, and what your maximum allowable loss is.  And here’s the most important part: FOLLOW YOUR PLAN!  If you make your profit goal for the video poker session, stop playing.  If you reach your maximum allowable loss, stop playing.  Follow this rule and you will never play too long.

• Take Breaks- Again, this may seem obvious to some, but is extremely important to video poker success.  Unlike most slot machines, being successful at video poker requires that you follow a strategy and you keep your mind sharp.  Humans can only stare at a video poker screen for so long until they go braindead.  PLAN your breaks and stick to it.  Not only does this keep your head clear, but it makes you video poker bankroll last longer as well!  Get some fresh air or grab a snack, but always take a break!

• Keep a Video Poker Journal- If you ever see me playing online video poker you will see a keyboard, mouse, and a pad of paper with a pen. I always keep a journal of my winnings and losses of each hand when I play video poker.  This helps me stick to my plan (see above) and also allows me to look back on my runs to see if I’ve been on a hot streak, cold streak, or if the game has been pretty flat.  If I have been on a long hot streak that is cooling off, it is usually time to call it quits and save my winnings for the next round.

What other tactics do you use to manage your video poker bankroll? Let me know in the comment section below!

If you found this article helpful, you may also like: video poker winning decisions, how to double your video poker winnings, video poker myths, using video poker bonus codes, and winning with common video poker hands.  For a list of all video poker strategy articles, see the video poker strategy page here on the Silver Oak Casino blog.

All casino games have historically been surrounded by various superstitions and myths ranging from the mundane to the extremely weird.  The one thing that they all have in common?  They’re usually not true.

Video Poker Myths

There are a number of common video poker myths that you may have come across in your time at the machines.  Let’s clear up a couple of these widespread myths.

• He stole my Royal Flush! After playing for 3 hours at one machine you get up to take a break.  When you come back 15 minutes later some guy is at your machine playing awful video poker strategy.  As you begin to scoff under your breath, he hits a lucky royal flush! He stole your jackpot!  NOT TRUE.  All video poker machines use a random number generator (RNG) to choose your cards.  The RNG changes the cards you will receive several hundred times per second before you press the button to deal.  Unless you would have hit the button at the exact hundredth of a second that he did, you can’t say that he stole your royal flush.

• Playing with bonus code money (or a slot card) makes the machine give me worse cards. Absolutely false.  As was stated above, the video poker machine (whether you’re playing online or not) uses a random number generator that is not affected in any way by whatever bonuses or slot cards you may be using at the time.  In fact, using bonus codes or slot cards is an important strategy for any serious gamer.

• Playing a game with a payout of over 100% is a guaranteed winner. Unfortunately for all video poker fans out there, this is false.  If it were true, I would be a recluse in my house playing online video poker all day.  The payout percentage of a video poker machine is calculated over the extremely long run (thousands of hands).  This means that in the short term or long term you may hit a very hot streak or very cold streak, but in the end you will come out slightly ahead after thousands of hands.

• Multi-hand Video Poker has better odds of winning. Once again, this is false.  Whether you are playing one hand or 100 hands at a time, the odds are equal.  However, it is true you will see more royal flushes playing multi hand video poker due to the fact you are playing more hands at the same time.  But still, over the long run you will end up winning the same whether you play one hand or many hands of video poker at the same time.  Just play whichever is more fun for you!

Have you heard any other myths that you would like debunked?  Let me know in the comment section below and I will put these myths to rest!

For more video poker strategy articles, check out video poker winning decisions, how to double your video poker winnings, the best video poker odds, using video poker bonus codes, and winning with common video poker hands.  For a list of all video poker strategy articles, see the video poker strategy page here on the Silver Oak Casino blog.

Download a FREE Video Poker Game!

Video Poker Double Or Nothing

When you win a hand playing some of the video poker games at Silver Oak, you will be presented with a compelling question: “Double or Nothing?”

If you choose “YES”, you will go on to the double or nothing bonus round.  This bonus round is a simple game of Pick the High Card. You will see a screen like this:

The dealer is holding a 10.  You get the option of picking any of the cards to the right, and if you pick a card higher than the dealer’s 10, you double your winnings!

What’s the Catch?

When it comes to the double or nothing game there is no catch!  It is one of the only wagers in any casino game that has true 50/50 odds.  It’s a coin flip!

Deciding whether to go for the double or nothing depends entirely in your style of play.  If you feel lucky or like playing aggressively, go for it!  If you wish to play more conservatively, just click on “NO” when presented with the option and skip the bonus round.

Final Thoughts

I personally change my strategy from time to time.  Sometimes I feel lucky and go for the extra cash and sometimes I decide to play it safe and just stick to the video poker game.

What do you like to do when presented with the option? Let me know in the comment section below!

For more video poker strategy articles, check out video poker winning decisions, video poker tips for beginners, the best video poker odds, using video poker bonus codes, and winning with common video poker hands.  For a list of all video poker strategy articles, see the video poker strategy page here on the Silver Oak Casino blog.

In video poker, knowing what to do with the most common hands separates the money-makers from the bankroll-wasters.  There are a lot of tricky situations that players find themselves in all the time: Do I keep the suited King-Queen or my low pair?  Do I keep my high pair or drop it for a chance at getting a flush?

Not knowing what to do in these critical situations could cost you THOUSANDS of dollars over the long run. So read on and don’t make any of these common mistakes again!

What To Do With The Most Common Hands

If you are dealt a video poker hand that puts you in more than one of the situations below, always play the one that is higher on the list.  For example, always keep a Poor Pair over two money cards.

• Two Pair or Better: ALWAYS keep hands that are in the money.  If you are dealt two pair or higher, don’t even think of drawing unnecessary cards.  Some beginning players think they should break up a straight to go for a flush.  DON’T DO IT!  This is like someone giving you $5 and you turning down the free cash for a better offer.  Take the money and run!

• Money Pair: Typical Money Pairs are Jacks or better or Queens or better (see the rules of the video poker game you are playing to find out what the lowest Money Pair is).  These are called “Money Pairs” because when you have one of these pairs, you are already making money on the hand.  As was said above, there are very few situations where you would want to break up a pair to draw for a different hand.  As a rule of thumb, always keep a Money Pair when you are dealt one.

• Poor Pair:Any pair that is not a Money Pair (see above) is considered a “Poor Pair” because this pair alone will not get you any money.  However, having a Poor Pair going into the draw often leads to bigger hands such as 3 of a kind, 2 pair, and sometimes even full houses and 4 of a kinds.  While these won’t make you money by themselves, they open up lots of possibilities for you on the draw.

• Two Money Cards: Money cards are single cards that when paired create Money Pairs.  As was said above, money cards are typically either jacks or better or queens or better.  If you have a two or more money cards that don’t make a pair (EG a Jack and an Ace), keep the two lowest money cards going into the draw.  Keeping 2 of them creates a greater opportunity for at least one of them to make a pair and also sets you up for a straight.  If you have the option to keep 2 suited money cards, always keep them to increase your chances of getting a flush.

• One Money Card: If you are dealt one money card, ALWAYS keep it going into the draw.  Holding this one money card increases your chances of getting at least a Money Pair.

• No Money Cards: If you are dealt no money cards at all, it’s time to dump all of your cards and draw new ones.  There is no advantage to keeping any cards that are out of the money unless you are close to a flush or straight.  As a gernal rule, if all of your cards are out of the money and you are more than 2 cards away from a straight or a flush, dump them all and draw new ones.

If you liked this article you may also like other video poker strategies such as video poker winning decisions, video poker tips for beginners, the best video poker odds, and using video poker bonus codes.  For a list of all video poker strategy articles, see the video poker strategy page here on the Silver Oak Casino blog.

What kind of video poker strategy articles would you like to see? Ask and you shall receive!  Let me know in the comment section below!