Video Poker What VP game should I be playing?

As a newbie to serious gambling, I want to learn video poker. But which is the best game to learn? I see a lot written about "Ultimate X", what's important about it? Which game (JOB, DDB) has the best odds in your favor? I'm a slow learner so it's best for me to focus on one type of game to master before branching out.

 

Ultimate X is not a video poker game as such. It is a way to make a game more interesting by increasing the possible payout on a winning line for the next hand after a win. Downside is that the payouts are a little lower overall.

Learn video poker by learning JOB (Jacks or Better). Here is a link to a simple strategy sheet that will teach you what to hold: http://wizardofodds.com/games/video-poker/strategy/jacks-or-better/9-6/simple/ The Wizard of Odds also has a good general introduction to video poker here: http://wizardofodds.com/games/video-poker/

 

Yup, bardolator is right - learn Jacks or Better. Get yourself a training program for your computer or smartphone. I use Winpoker. These will let you play the game on your device and make a hold, and then show you if you'd made an error. You can also explore why one hold is better than another.

 

I would also suggest Jacks Or Better or else single Bonus Poker with 2 payout on 2 pairs. You'll get more frequent payouts, but of course none of the huge-huge payouts for 4 of a kind. I like those games because they are a lot of fun to play and don't run your bankroll down very fast. Sometimes, of course, you hit a big one and walk away with far more than you started with.

 

truthfully, as long as you're having fun and are lucky. youll win.. doesn't take "knowing the strategy" or "best paying odds"...unless you're playing 40 hours a week.

 

Knowing how to spot a bad pay table helps with the lucky part.
Knowing the strategy helps too.
Has someone taken-over Tim's account?

 

As a follow-on, learn to pull up the pay-table and look at the pay-out. We played at Down Town Grand last week. They had full pay JoB but only for quarters, 50 cents was like 7/6 and dollars 8/6, My numbers might be off a bit but I'm sure the quarter's paid 9/6 and the half-dollar and dollar were less than full pay.

 

While I agree you can have fun with VP just playing JoB cold; I think as with a lot of games in Vegas, a little education goes a long way. If nothing else, learn the basics from the Wizard of Odds website. It will make the game that much more enjoyable by making some better holds and winning more. Also, make sure you understand the pay table at the LEAST to ensure you're getting the most bang for your buck.

If you want to become really knowledgeable, I took Flusher's advice and downloaded WinPoker for my iPhone. It was $10, but in my opinion, it will save you that much by playing correctly. It has the games for JoB and MANY others on it. There is also an iPad edition for the same price. I love it. I'm not sure if it's available for Android.

Also, I got a couple Strategy Cards from Las Vegas Advisor here: http://www.shoplva.com/collections/video-poker/strategy-cards They are great to keep in your pocket or even take a picture of with your phone and use it as reference (Although using your phone may be frowned upon by the casino).

I'm starting with JoB and working my way up. With JoB strategy, you could also play Bonus Poker if you so choose.

Chris

 

That's weird because it usually gets better the higher you go.

 

Must have. That's not like Tim.

1 hour or 40 hours - knowledge is power. There is nothing to be lost by learning the correct strategy and playing the best machine odds available.

But I agree that JOB is the place to start. And Win Poker is a great program. But if you want to try your strategy skills in Video Poker for free, this is a pretty good program and it shows you the errors you made. You can change games too.
http://www.freeslots.com/poker.htm

 

Here's another good site for practicing your VP skill. Play ten hands and it tells you what you held and what you should have held.
Just hit P5 to refresh and play over and over.

http://www.videopoker.com/test/?game=DDB

 

Agree with others that game to start with is JOB. I would go to www.freeslots.com and find their free video poker training program. You can practice JOB as well as DDB, DW and other games and it will let you know on each play whether or not you made the correct mathematical play. And if you make a mistake it will let you know how big of a mistake it is. The better you can learn accurate strategy the longer you can play and the better chance you have to hit a jackpot. Luck plays a major part in whether you win or lose but at least you can make decisions along the way that effect the outcome much like when you are playing blackjack or other table games. Good luck to you.

 

Not always. I have seen other casinos do this outside of Vegas. They'll offer full pay at dollars or possibly $2, but lower it at $5. They don't want to gamble when bigger stakes are on the line.

As for Tim, he's just jealous of big wins. He shouldn't be considering his wedding trip. Lol

As for the OP, I wouldn't worry about ultimate X as a new player. The game is more difficult strategically because future multipliers are based on the current hand's results. Like others have said, I would focus on learning JoB first which can also be used to play Bonus Poker.

Also read the first part of my bartop sticky in this section for more general info on what to look for on a VP game.