Like all casino games, video poker has given birth to an array of myths over the years that has almost become the stuff of legends. There are literally thousands of different tales that people spin about various ways of increasing the chances of winning and beating the machine. Some myths even have to do with magic and good luck charms that might influence your game play. The origin of video poker myths comes from the way people rationalize events in their lives. We like to think of ourselves as intelligent people who can figure things out, even when we don't no much about any of the things in question. This is where video poker myths come from; a person sits down at a machine and has a winning streak in the middle of a giant loosing streak. That person might look back on that occurrence and say that the only thing different about that day was that he had a different pair of shoes. This might lead the person to believe that their shoes had something do with the fact that they won a lot of money that day. But in fact, most of us know that this is impossible. Whether it's shoes, shirts, food, or key chains, nothing else can influence the chances of winning no matter how much you believe it will.
Below are a number of myths that have become popular over the last few years. Have a read through and see if any of them are myths that you previously believed in.
Not true. The fact is, a 52 card deck has a set probability that each hand will turn up each round. All video poker machines, not unlike any other casino games, all use a computerized random number generator to produce an electronic version of a 52 card deck. Since these machines are made out of digital electronics, the chances at any given machine is going to be exactly the same as any other machine. No matter what casino you're in or what machine you're playing, the chances of getting a royal flush are going to be exactly the same. If you want to find a machine that's going to give you more money, all you have to do is go to a machine armed with a good strategy, and you'll have an edge that other people don't.
For some reason this myth cropped up in the mid nineties. People started to think that the more they bet, the greater their chances were of getting bad cards in the deal. This simply isn't so. Again, the random number generator reigns king. Each hand that is dealt has exactly the same probability of producing the same cards. And the amount that you bet does not change that. In all video poker machines, there is no way for your amount of bet to influence the chances of getting good cards in each hand.
Wrong again. The number of times that a machine pays out is totally random. Even if a machine gave a huge payout moments ago, the machine has exactly the same chances if giving the same payout immediately after. So you don't need to go walking around a casino looking for a machine that has been vacant for a while. Your game odds are always the same. Just find the game you want to play, and play it, and be sure to remember good money management skills.
For some reason one of the most popular myths out there has to do with the speed at which you play. The idea is that the more rounds, or hands, of video poker that you can fit in, the more you'll be able to win in the long run. Just examine the logic of this myth; if each hand has exactly the same odds of winning as another, then how could fitting more of those hands in a given time period yield more wins? The fact is, it can't. Whether it's 5 hands or 110 hands in an hour, the fraction of hands that you win is going to be exactly the same.
This is one of those myths that truly borders on the supernatural. There is absolutely no way that a machine that is simply standing next to yours can affect your chances of winning. The only way this is possible is if the person playing at the machine next to you is singing a really annoying song causing you to lose your concentration. Other than this, there is just no way that any other machine in the casino can affect your chances of winning, unless the two machines are linked through a progressive jackpot.
This is perhaps the most popular of all the myths that exist for video poker. There are also many different variations of this myth. They all have to do with people being able to predict the chances of getting various cards. Other than in a magical act, there is no way this is possible. No matter how good your math, or your memory, there is nothing a person can do to predict what cards are going to appear. The random number generator makes sure that video poker is a perfectly fair game for everyone, and that applies to fortune tellers, magicians, and warlocks alike.
Back To Top