The title of this post is test your skills at video poker.
But it would be equally useful to discuss qualities and personality traits.
Both are vital to long-term success in video poker.
And devoted video poker gamblers should develop or master as many of these as possible.
Once you’ve mastered them, you’ll find the house edge dropping and your overall win rate rising.
This test your skills at video poker post has been completely updated for 2021.
Table of Contents
1- Memorization of Video Poker Strategy
To reduce the video poker house edge as low as possible, you must use “perfect strategy” or “optimal play.”
This gives you the best long-term chance to win.
The best strategy for every video poker machine has already been developed . All you have to do is find it online and memorize it. That might be easier said than done — memorizing the best play for every hand can be a painstaking process.
Start with a simplified strategy. Once you’ve mastered this, you can expand to the more complicated decisions.
Your effort is bound to pay off. With optimal play and the right promotions, it’s not unheard of for a video poker player to enjoy a mathematical advantage over the casino.
2- Focus
Whether you play video poker online or at a brick-and-mortar casino, you’ll be subjected to distractions.
These might be chain-smoking senior citizens sitting next to you.
Or they could be neighbors blaring Metallica at midnight.
Either way, expect your concentration to be tested early and often.
Between the carcinogens and a second helping of “Master of Puppets,” it’s easy to lose your focus.
Guard against this. Not keeping your eye on the prize results in errors and losses.
The best way to combat distraction is to buy and wear noise-cancelling headphones. When your playing session begins, plug them into your iPod and let your favorite tunes do the rest.
3- Comparison Shopping
Not all video poker machines are created equal. In fact, two seemingly identical games sitting together on the casino floor can be wildly different based on the pay tables. Choose the wrong one, and you could be leaving behind thousands of dollars in long-term profit.
So, shop around before settling on a video poker game.
And don’t be afraid to comb through multiple gaming establishments.
The Internet can help. Resources inform players on the most lucrative games and where they can be found. The best of these is vpFREE2.
Grocery shoppers are known for searching multiple stores in search of the best deal.
As a gambler, shouldn’t you be willing to do the same?
4- Discernment
Don’t waste your time and money playing every video poker machine you come across.
Instead, only gamble on those that deliver the biggest jackpots or provide the best long-term expected returns.
Be picky. The casino doesn’t expect most patrons to do that. You’ll cull out lesser games and make room for superior options.
Think of video poker like dating, but with better graphics and payouts.
5- Endurance
Novices often think it’s easy to sit in one place for hours.
But many veterans disagree.
Between the tendency towards bad posture and the immense concentration required, VP players challenge both their minds and their bodies.
To prepare for the rigors of the game, start with 30-minute sessions. Then slowly increase the volume as you get more comfortable. Stand up and take a 10-minute break every hour for circulation, too.
If you get sleepy, don’t fight your body. Instead committing a string of costly mental errors, walk away. Get some rest. Once you’re refreshed, restart your session with renewed vigor.
6- Clipping Coupons
Brick-and-mortar casinos love issuing coupons to draw in customers. You can find these in flyers and magazines. If you’re a valued player, the casino will mailed coupons to your home address.
Don’t underestimate the importance of coupons and other promotional offers. They further reduce the house edge. In some cases, they eliminate it completely. Advantage players love this.
VP legends such as Jean Scott and Bob Dancer sing the praises of coupons. That should be reason enough to give them a try.
Hoard as many as possible.
And always look for opportunities to combine multiple offers on the same game.
Even if a coupon has expired, the casino might extend the deadline for any player with the guts to make such a request.
7- Manual Dexterity
The world can get fuzzy when you’ve been pressing buttons for hours.
Combine this with a desire to get in as many hands as possible.
Doesn’t that create a scenario where your reflexes and hand-eye coordination can be tested?
To reduce the chances of hitting the wrong button after hours of intense play, practice to improve your manual dexterity.
Playing marathon video game sessions are a great way to hone your skills.
Video poker seems like child’s play after enduring repeated matches of Mortal Kombat or Overwatch.
8- Networking and People Skills
One way to succeed at video poker is to interact with others. The most obvious candidates are fellow gamblers. They can provide tips such as which machines have the best pay tables, which online casinos are dishonest, and which places offer the best comps and coupons.
Do you play at land-based casinos much?
Get to know a few folks at the casino.
Most casinos have a person on staff who sees to comps and overall player satisfaction. This is a good place to start.
Anyone working in areas with lots of video poker machines is also a good candidate, from management to waitresses.
You might wind up with a few new friends, too.
Many online gambling forums exist for this reason. They allow players to trade tips and secrets while bonding over a mutual love of video poker.
You’ll have to weather occasional trolls, but that’s the Internet.
In fact, if you’re interested in playing online, the forums at Casinomeister.com are essential if you want to avoid crooked online casinos.
9- Using a Computer or Mobile Device
If you grew up around computers, you will feel right at home at a virtual casino. Several generations remember a time before the Internet, though.
For them, even turning on a laptop can be an exercise in frustration.
Do you fall into this category?
Buy a beginner’s guide to using computers.
Or take a class at a local community college.
Besides playing online video poker, being able to use a PC or mobile device grants you access free tips and strategies.
If you want long-term success, you need every advantage you can get.
10- Reading the Fine Print
Reading fine print is a skill unto itself. It comes into play especially when gaming at an Internet casino, where terms and conditions matter a lot.
These sections of gambling sites are often written in legalese. This bores most customers out of their minds. The print itself can leave even those with perfect vision bleary-eyed.
With practice, though, you’ll be able to decipher the text. You’ll also be able to look for hidden predatory terms. Not only should this skill enable you to locate the most reputable casinos, but you might even be able to spot weak points.
11- A Little Patience
Playing successful video poker is a marathon, not a sprint.
While the average slots novice might crave a jackpot on every spin, the seasoned VP player knows that big payouts only come to those with the patience and persistence.
A royal flush hits an average of every 40,000 hands.
To endure the financial ups and down between these jackpots, you’ll need to be able to keep moving forward when lesser players would quit.
Beginners should limit their play to no more than a couple of hours. From there, you can slowly increase the volume of play as you grow more accustomed.
Before long, you’ll be engaging in marathon sessions and jumping from one royal flush to the next with relative ease.
12- Doing Your Taxes
Most people dread tax time, and this is especially true for successful gamblers.
After a year spent accumulating wealth at the video poker machines, it’s time to turn around and give a big chunk of it back to the government.
Besides actually paying your taxes, make sure that everything is correctly figured and documented. You never know when an audit might be in your future. And even a simple mistake can have major financial implications thanks to cumulative penalties.
If you just can’t get the hang of this skill, don’t pull your hair out. You can always pay an accountant. That’s what most profitable players do to stay sane.
13- Spinning a Good Yarn
Being able to tell a good story is valuable skill.
And it will serve you well once the wins start coming in.
Sure, you can also weave narratives that focus on big losses and near misses, but the most captivating tales are always going to involve major payouts.
Such stories can be told face-to-face or over the Internet. The former require more facial expressions and hand gestures than the latter.
If you’re especially skilled at storytelling, you could also write a book about your experiences.
14- Knowing When to Quit
There’s an old saying that goes, “He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day.”
The original quote from Tacitus relates to warfare.
But this wisdom also holds true for the world of gambling.
Knowing when to walk away from a VP machine can make a major difference in your success and mental health. Stay too long, and you risk a case of serious burnout financial ruin.
The best way to cultivate this talent is to set a loss limit prior to each session. Once that limit is reached, stop playing.
This requires a lot of discipline.
But it’s worth it.
15- A Sense of Perspective
Making money at video poker is a bonus. Passing the time and having should always your primary objective.
This requires a unique sense of perspective.
And it’s something that often comes easier to older players.
Whether you’re a senior citizen or barely out of your teenage years, always ask yourself the same questions before inserting coins into the machine:
“Am I enjoying playing video poker?”
“What do I hope to gain from this experience?”
If you have trouble coming up with a suitable answer, then maybe you’re involved in the wrong hobby.
Finally – Test Your Skills at Video Poker
Video poker skills aren’t easy to master, but they’re essential if you want to enjoy long-term success.
While some of these skills involve raw brainpower or physical attributes, others relate more to character traits and modes of thinking.
No matter which category they fall under, though, these items will help you navigate the choppy waters of video poker.
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