Successful punters at video poker are strategic. Being strategic is all about knowing how to respond when presented with different hands. Less experienced players might have to keep a strategy list. Each video poker variant has a unique strategy, based on the winning hands and pay tables.
But overall, a strategy helps the player decide on the action to take depending on the set of cards they receive at the begging of the round. If a player is dealt with a royal flush, he or she should hold or cards. If they receive a Straight Flush, they might go for the Royal, but it is advisable to keep it in most instances.
For instance, if a player is dealt with a king, a queen, a jack, a ten and a five of the same suit, he or she might consider holding all high cards and dropping the five. If one is dealt with three similar cards at the beginning, the best thing to do is to hold the three and wait for a possible four of a kind.
Video poker strategies are all about improving the chances of winning and avoiding the possibility of risking a secure win for a 'potentially bigger win'. The key to being strategic is to keep learning, considering that some strategies take time before they are understood. Understanding video poker odds is vital for the professional poker player.