Online Poker

Online poker is skill-based in that the large majority of the hands win you nothing, so you need to carefully choose which cards to draw from the deal.

While about 1 of every 5 hands dealt your way will be winners, the rest of the time you'll want to draw a card or five, depending on your strategy.

Here are some quick online poker tips for those of you who aren't patient enough for a long explanation.

1. Keep on the lookout for Jacks or better machines that pay 9 coins for a full house and six coins for a flush. (i.e. 9/6 machines).
2. Progressive jackpots are only worthwhile if you play a progressive video poker machine that pays 8 coins for a full house and 5 for a flush, play on a progressive where the jackpot is over $250 on a nickel machine, $2,500 on a quarter, and $10,000 for the dollar.
3. Always play max coins (or max credits as the case may be) on a progressive machine to get the bonus for royal flushes.
4. Until you're at least beyond being a novice at the game, play at one of the lower denominations offered.
5. Holding the Jack (instead of the Ace, in particular) gives you more opportunities of making more lucrative hands than an other cards would.
6. Never keep a kicker with any pair. Holding a kicker to any pair reduces your return by 5%.
7. Never draw four cards if you can draw three to a royal flush.
8. Always keep five-card winning pat hands with on exception: if you can, draw one card to a royal.
9. Don't break a flush even if you can draw one to a straight flush.
10. Always break a flush to draw to a royal.
11. Never break a straight to draw to a straight flush.
12. Never draw five if you have jacks or better. < li>Don't keep a ten for a four card draw.