Video Poker Tournaments

But there are some games which the astute player can get involved in where there can be a more optimistic expectation of a financial return. Finding these opportunities involves careful game selection, practice, and particular attention to the correct playing strategies.

If you’re a regular casino player, you’ll already be aware that playing video poker is up there as one of the games which can give you realistic winning chances. Unlike slots, craps, and others it does give you a percentage chance of at least getting close to beating the house edge.

There are a couple of ways you can practice and develop your video poker strategies to further improve that edge. One way is to practice on free to play websites where you’ll be able to find pretty much any video poker version. Another is on this useful membership site at videopoker.com which carries a wealth of video poker training material.

The way I want to tell you about here though is one of my personal favorites.

I’m talking about tournaments - a perfect way to get competitive experience with low risk and at low cost and with the chance of taking away a cash prize at the end.

On this page we’ll take a high level look at how video poker tournaments work, where you’ll find them, and any strategies you can use that will enhance your chances of finishing in the money positions on the leaderboard.

What Are Video Poker Tournaments & How Do They Work?

Anyone who plays in slots tournaments will already be aware of how casino game tournaments work. Video poker tourneys work in a very similar format to those slots contests. But if you’re new to casino gaming and haven’t come across tournaments before, here’s a basic definition:

A video poker tournament is one in which you play against multiple opponents, all with the same allotted time and starting bankroll, on the same type of machine, and with a target of getting a high score which will either put you at the head of the leaderboard or at least in the top positions.

You can enter tournaments in a number of ways. As examples these might include:

By paying a buy-in (a preset amount to allow you to play in the event)
By entering a freeroll (a free to enter contest which might be run as a promotional activity by a casino)
By entering a satellite tournament ( a low cost or free entry tourney that carries a prize that gets you entry into another event, normally one with a higher value prize than normal and where the buy-in would be proportionally higher)

You can see from the definition and the types of entries that our subject looks to be fairly straightforward, but as with anything when you start to dig deeper there are some complexities you’ll want to be aware of. In video poker tournaments, many of those are centered on strategies for successful play.

There’s no doubting that playing in video poker tournaments will give you great fun for your money, and at a basic level anyone could enter one and enjoy playing. But there are a few things to learn about strategy before you play to put you in a good position to do well in one.

You’ll need luck to do well either way, but getting a firm footing before starting is highly advisable.

Strategies, Hints, & Tips
The strategic approach you’ll need to take to do well in video poker tournaments does have some complexities.
This is mainly due to there being a wide variety of different video poker versions, added to the fact that different tournament operators will have different rules. For that reason I’m going to keep this section brief for now - the subject is best presented on a dedicated page where we can cover the scenarios in depth.

The main strategy to be aware of though - and this stands for slot tourneys too - is that speed is going to be your best ally in most situations and most contests. Normally there is an allotted time for each player to use up their credits and get the biggest score. You need to be fast while also taking into account the rules of the particular event you’re involved in, and the type of game and the way that hands are scored.

This balance of speed, knowledge of the games, and understanding of the specific rules applying to any tournaments is going to be critical to your chances of success.

Read this page for some useful examples.

Where to Play Tournaments?

Finding a video poker tournament to play online is a rarity, but the excellent training site at Videopoker.com does run online weekly contests where cash prizes or player club points are awarded to winners. If you’re lucky enough to win one, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to play up your winnings and improve your play still further by taking a look at their home training programs.

If the Videopoker.com contests don’t grab you, then most likely you’re going to need to watch out for contests in a land based casino. I’ve been unable to find any websites offering schedules across multiple bricks and mortar casinos, so your best bet here will probably be able to search online for local casinos in your area and check with them direct for schedules of any events.

To finish up for now, don’t forget there are other casino games which will give you equal entertainment value to video poker - and where playing correct strategy can lower the house edge and give you more games for your money.
It’s unlikely you’ll find too many which will give you equal winning opportunities as our focus game does, but 3 card poker is one which does offer significantly better chances of beating the house than many other casino games.