Video poker strategy - Fours, threes, full houses and pairs

As a rule you should always keep pairs unless they conflict with your chances of getting a Royal Flush, straight flush, flush or straight. If this is the case, refer to the guidelines on those pages.

Four of a kind comes up relatively frequently in video poker, approximately once in every 420 hands. This is more than 20 times as often as the Straight flush, yet the payout is more than one sixth, making four of a kind excellent value for money in comparison.

It is rare to get a full house on your first set of cards – more likely it will result from a pair, two pair or three of a kind being drawn to. Needless to say, you should always keep a full house if you get it.

Three of a kind is obviously more common, coming up an average of every 13 hands. It should always be retained regardless of your other cards, as it carried the chance of a full house or four of a kind.

If you are dealt two pairs, it is best to hold on to it, the only exceptions being when you have three cards to a Royal Flush or three to a Straight Flush (if you hand for instance, 8, 9, 10 of Diamonds and 8, 9 of Clubs).

High pairs allow you to recover the stake you placed on the game and help preserve your bankroll. You normally get these every four to five hands. You should always keep a high pair, unless you have four to a straight flush or Royal Flush.

Low pairs should be retained in the absence of any other hand, when you only have 3 to a flush and when you have 3 or 4 to a straight. Low pairs are discarded if you have 3 or more to a straight flush or Royal Flush.

For all other hands, you should keep in mind the Royal Flush, but after that your main priority is likely to be to recover your money. So if you have a hand of rags, but there are two high cards, retain both of them in the hope that you’ll pair one of them off and win your stake back. Don’t be afraid to get rid of your whole hand if there is really nothing in there that is likely to turn into a winner.