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Strategy may not have the major impact in video poker that it has in full-on table poker, but any game that involves skill will benefit from some level of strategy. Video poker strategies are more like simple discard tips; they generally fall into two categories: gameplay discard tips and pay table discard tips.

• Gameplay discard tips are broadly the same as they would be in a standard game of draw poker, but there are machine-specific guidelines (approaching ‘strategy’) and things that the video version allows that table poker does not, and vice versa (like replacing all of your cards rather than folding when you get a garbage hand).

In a game of Jacks or Better, for instance, it may go without saying that there is no need to hand on to any single numbered card (i.e., 10 or below), unless you see a very good possibility for a strait or flush.

In a game such as “Deuces Wild”, a pair isn’t ever a winning hand (except as 2/5ths of a full house), so a lone face card will be even less helpful.

Also, Deuces Wild and Joker Poker and all ‘wild card’ video poker games will increase your

• Pay Table discard tips are basically little more than “know thy jackpots”. If you are looking at five cards that could win two different ways depending on what you discard, you may want to take a risk and try for the highest possible jackpot. You are basically giving up an easier win for a better-paying long shot, which may or may not be worth it depending on how good that jackpot really is.

It’s almost always riskier to go for a possible four Aces over a possible full house…but when you’re playing Double Bonus Poker, for instance, the increased jackpot helps to make up for the higher odds.

And game that uses ‘wild cards’ (Joker Poker, Deuces Wild, etc.,) will usually pay less for the same hands compared to other non-wild video poker machines, to balance the fact that there are better odds to win and more paying combination of cards (5 of a kind, for instance).