he player aims to get the best hand possible. The payoffs are marked right on the face of the Video Poker machine. Betting is pretty straightforward. On any given machine you can typically choose $0.25, $0.50, $1, or $5 games. And the bets are 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x (or maximum bet) whichever game you're playing. So if you're playing a $1 game, you can place bets of $1, $2, $3, $4, or $5.

If you bet 5 coins, all winning hands are paid out multiplied by a factor of 5, except for the royal flush. This is a bonus amount designed as an incentive to play five coins. And those players who play less than maximum coins are setting up the best payoffs for those who do.

The first thing to note is that the game face shows you the payoff for each betting level. Invariably playing maximum bet pays off better, overall, than any of the lower multiples. Smart players pick the betting level they are comfortable with and choose their game accordingly.

So, if you are comfortable with a $5 bet, then pick a $1 machine and play at maximum bet for $5. In either case, you are getting the best payoff odds you can for that game. It is very important to know that the payoff ratios vary from game to game. These ratios do not necessarily reflect the true odds, so knowing your game helps you play smarter.

Pay Schedules
n a grouping of video poker machines, known as banks or carousels, all of which may look exactly the same, casinos will often 'mix-in' several video poker machines with inferior pay programs (short/partial pay). Most often in such a bank of regular non-progressive, non-bonus VP machines, only 1 or 2 may be the Deuces Wild 9/6 (nine coins for a full house, and 6 coins for a flush), while the rest are 8/5, 7/5, or even worse, 6/5.

This means that one player, on the 9/6 machine, will be winning more for the same hands than the other players. A 9/6 VP will generally hit the royal flush each 40,000 hands played, or every 80-100 hours of play, while the 8/5 each 45,000 hands, on average; the 7/5's each 50,000 hands; and the 6/5's only once about each 70,000 hands played.

DEUCES WILD STRATEGY

ollow this general strategy in order of preference:

• Hold any 5 Of A Kind or Royal Flush.
• Else, if you've got four 2's: keep them!.
• Else, if you've got three 2's:
  -hold any made 5 Of A Kind or Royal Flush
  -otherwise, keep the 2's and discard the rest.
• Else, if you've got two 2's:
  -hold any made Straight, Five Of A Kind or Royal Flush.
  -hold any 4 of a Kind.
  -hold any 4 of a Royal Flush.
  -otherwise, keep the 2's and discard the rest.
• Else, if you've got a single 2, keep any made hand EXCEPT:
  -hold four card Royal Flushes over made Straights, Flushes and Straight Flushes.
  -keep four card Straight Flushes of all types.
  -hold three card Royal Flushes .
  -do NOT keep two pair, keep only one.
  -hold four card Flushes.
  -hold four card Straights.
  -hold three card Straight Flushes, including gaps.
  -hold four card inside Straights.
  -hang on to two card Q or J high Straight Flushes .
  -discard two card Royal Flushes.
  -if you've come this low, discard everything and try again.

Some players are reluctant to throw away five cards, but that is a most important strategy. You want to make room for additional card(s) that could be a deuce(s), and holding that Ace or King is not going to help you if the next hand coming up could be four or five 7's.

Hard nut Jacks or Better players will throw away complete hands-5 cards only 3% of the time, while Deuces Wild players almost 20% of the time.

Inside straights should be held, if presenting the best possible return from your initial five cards dealt. Therefore, a 5, 6, 8, 9 hand can produce a 7 or wild card in Deuces Wild. Approximately every 5000 hands will hit four deuces - a secondary jackpot that will allow you to pocket some winnings in this game.