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Is video poker rigged? Most experienced players have asked themselves that at one point or another. In this article, I leave no stone unturned to answer it.
I’ve been playing video poker for more than 10 years now, and I’ve experienced the highs and lows that often left me to wonder whether casino video poker games are rigged.
The short answer is no, not in most cases, but all games give the house a built-in advantage. Let’s take a closer look at the most common cases.
Why Most Video Poker Games Aren’t Rigged
There’s one very simple reason why most video poker games aren’t rigged; casinos don’t need to rig them to make boatloads of money. They make plenty of profits from running legit, fair video poker machines!
How do casinos ensure they make a profit on video poker? It’s called the casino house edge, and every game in the casino has one. This mathematical advantage is baked in, so no matter who wins or loses on a given day, casinos are sure to make money in the long run.
The house edge on all video poker variants is notoriously low (less than 1%), but due to the sheer volume of wagers made, the casinos still make good money. Also, the video poker house edge being low is dependent on players using an optimal strategy, but most don’t.
Let’s look at a concrete example to explain this concept better. One of the most popular video poker variants is Jacks or Better. The payback on this machine is 99.54% if you use a perfect Jacks or Better strategy. This means the casino makes $0.46 on every $100 wagered, guaranteed.
However, as I mentioned above, these numbers are based on expert players using a perfect strategy. In reality, most players aren’t math wizards and odds experts, so the real house edge is much higher.
So, now you understand the real answer to ‘are video poker machines rigged?’ Sort of, in that they give the house an edge in all circumstances, but not in the sense that they outright cheat you.
They make enough money from the house edge. Putting their credibility on the line by rigging the games would be far more harmful in the long run. That said, some casinos don’t care about the long run, which leads me to the next point.
Why Some Video Poker Games Are Rigged
The information presented above is true in most cases. However, unfortunately, there are some blacklisted casinos out there that do run rigged games, and if you fall into their traps, you’ll get rinsed for your entire bankroll.
Rogue casinos run outright fixed games with algorithms that switch things up when you’re winning to make sure you lose everything every time. Whereas the house edge on most legit video poker games is less than 1%, on rigged games, it’s much higher.
The other problem is that some casinos have no intention of paying their customers. They just take their money and go away. When that happens, it doesn’t really matter if the games are rigged because you can’t win.
Thankfully, you can avoid rigged video poker games and fraudulent casinos by playing at our safe online casinos. They’ve all been tested and verified fair by our team of experts with decades of experience in the casino industry.
How to Find Fair Video Poker Games
There are a couple of failsafe ways to make sure you avoid rigged casino games.
First, you can stick with games powered by legit, well-known software companies like Microgaming and RTG. These firms use third-party adjudicators to handle disputes and ensure game fairness, like eCogra.
Second, you can stick to legit casinos with good reputations. These are the sites that work with the legit software companies mentioned above. They’re focused on providing long-term value to their players rather than quick ripoffs that benefit nobody.
I recommend playing video poker at BetUS Casino. This casino site is US-friendly and is not only safe, but it offers special video poker promos you won’t find elsewhere. This casino also offers multiple popular video poker variants, so you’ll have hours of entertainment to look forward to.
So, is video poker rigged? Not at BetUS and other legit casinos. If you play with optimal strategy, this is one of the best games in the house with an extremely low house edge. Unlike many other games, you can get better at video poker and apply skills and strategy to make money more reliably!
