How To Play Video Poker in New Zealand – Part 3 | Betting

Now that you have familiarised yourself with rules of the game and table layout as explained in previous parts of the video poker guide, we can move onto the betting routine. Regardless of what casino game you have decided to play, you will be required to practice a proper betting routine to ensure that you maximise your return. Failure to do so can lead to a quick cash burn out with minimal returns. It also makes sense to be fully prepared for every eventuality when playing at an online casino.

What are the proper number of credits to play with?

In casino table game, the number of credits you play with does not alter the return of your play. In game of standard American double zero roulette, you are set to lose 5.26 percent of every dollar you bet over the long run. If you spend NZ $10, you will lose $0.526, $5.26 if you play with $100 and so on and so forth. The point being that the amount you are putting down does not have an impact on the rate of return.

The same can be said for online slot machines, they all have a rate of return which does not change if you bet more. In the event that slot machines do make an exception to this rule and pay more, the logic dictates that the additional credits should be played. Some slots will have a terrible return, so it makes sense to always go for the maximum i.e the jackpot.

With poker as we have seen with the previous part of the video poker guide, poker games pay a bonus on a royal flush when you play the maximum credits which happen to be 5 most of the time. This is not a hard and fast rule and some casinos may ask for 10 credits to be played with in order to qualify for the royal flush bonus. The higher maximum credit games usually require lower denominations to play with so it important to know the maximum bet size before you start playing.

You might think you are playing $1.25 per hand on a quarter machine with a five credit maximum bet whereas in reality you could be spending $2.50 per hand on a 10-credit maximum bet. Always know what bet size you are playing to avoid any unnecessary surprises.

Bet Responsibly and Within Your Means

A rule that needs to be applied across all casino games – Bet responsibly and within your means. It would be a fantastic day for punters across the world if every bet they placed gave them a positive return. The reality is far from it and with video poker you need to be in control of your spend and need to decide whether you wish to play a slow, long term game with lower returns or a fast paced game with a potential to yield high returns and equally high losses.

Let’s put this into perspective. You might walk into a casino with a total of NZ $100 thinking that it will be sufficient for the night. You might think that this is dependent on the denominations you have chosen to play with. Five credits per hand on a dollar machine means that the $100 will cover you for only 20 hands. This might seem like enough to make a hefty return, but we have seen many poker games with 20 hands in a row without a win.

Even if you decided to play with a five credit maximum at $1.25 per hand, this will give you 80 hands and once again the win will not be guaranteed, and the game will be over before you even realise it. Case in point being that only you can determine whether you are comfortable letting go of that NZ $100 be it via the 25 cent or $1-dollar game.

The casinos have been designed to take your money and you are essentially going up against the house when you are placing money on the games be it roulette, slots or video poker. Some might be more comfortable with smaller returns while others might prefer the thrill of a short but potential high yield game. Think wisely before you sit down on a video poker machine as to what strategy you will be applying when playing.