Video poker is a game of cold, calculated exactness. A pitting of man against machine, the often daunting mathematical odds prove that only the very brave step up to face the sickly, menacing glow of screen of the online casino video poker game.

And some are willing. A few brave souls rise, unwavering, to the task, and with mathematical prowess, offer tangible human challenge to the terrifyingly alien and inhuman stare of the video poker game.

But for those without that mathematical prowess, there are ways to meet the video poker machine head-on.

You know you're brave enough, and the day is far in the future where you succumb to a mere machine.

The Tips

The first rule to besting video poker is to know the fundamentals of the game. You may be battling an entity devoid of emotion, a cold steel box from which you cannot pluck an inkling of feeling, or a bluff or a give-away. Knowing the basics of the game will help with this factor. As it is only when we know the basics that all other aspects are disregarded and the game becomes raw, stripped and real; which the only way a computer knows how to play.

Next, use those like you. Join a players' club and practice the fundamentals. A human-being can conduct thought patterns which transcend those of a randomly generating machine brain. Practicing with fellow poker enthusiasts will open you up to those levels, and if mastered, will help you operate as a poker player, far beyond the linear capabilities of the video poker machine.

Check card combinations online. There are websites available that have on-hand, an array of possible video poker card combinations. If you know the combinations which favour retaining certain cards and discarding others, you automatically stand a chance of better anticipating the machine's next move. These card combinations can obviously be used with many hands, and it's up to you to decide whether to 'stand' or 'fold' as these combinations come at you. Memorising these combinations can only stand you in good stead, whatever the hand.

Adding to this, each game comes with certain pay tables afforded to it and knowing these pay tables, gives you another distinct advantage when deciding on cards. Remember, you need to retain the cards that improve your hand, and discard those that don't. Knowing the pay tables allows you to decipher which combinations match with which paying structures, and gives you a head start advantage over that stationary opponent.

At the end of the day, though, it's always best to cut your losses. Decide on a total loss and stop playing when you reach that total. The Online Casino video poker machine can never be the true winner, as it cannot turn from the challenge and live to fight another day. As you practice, memorise combinations, get familiar with different hands and pay tables, and build your poker assault with practice and the knowledge of the basics, you'll triumph...you'll triumph in the glow of that inhuman stare, and you'll be laughing all the way to the bank.