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Pick ‘em Poker: Essential Rules & Winning Strategies
Pick ‘em Poker is a unique version of video poker that challenges you to make quick choices for every hand. In this article I’ll explain the rules, strategies, and how to play so you can get started right away and make the most of every round.
Pick ‘em Poker is one of the easiest video poker games to learn because you only have two choices to make, instead of several options like in most versions.
This game is based on the Nines or Better version of video poker, but the main difference is in how the cards are dealt, which is explained below.
Pick ‘em Poker Rules
How Betting Works
- Start by placing a bet. You can adjust both the coin value and the number of coins you play.
- For the best payouts, always play with the maximum number of coins, even if that means lowering your coin value.
- Example: If you want to bet €1 per round, set your coin value to €0.20 and bet 5 coins, instead of using a €1 coin with just 1 coin.
Hand Rankings
Hand rankings are the same as other video poker games:
- Royal Flush (A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠)
- Straight Flush (8♣ 7♣ 6♣ 5♣ 4♣)
- Four of a Kind (J♦ J♠ J♥ J♣ 3♠)
- Full House (Q♣ Q♠ Q♦ 6♣ 6♥)
- Flush (K♠ J♠ 8♠ 4♠ 2♠)
- Straight (9♣ 8♦ 7♠ 6♥ 5♥)
- Three of a Kind (A♦ A♠ A♣ 10♣ 7♠)
- Two Pair (K♥ K♠ 5♣ 5♦ 3♥)
- Pair of 9’s or better (9♣ 9♠ Q♦ 6♥ 2♠)
- Aces can be high or low.
- The minimum winning hand is usually a pair of 9’s.
How to Play Pick ‘em Poker
- After placing your bet, click the Deal or Draw button.
- You’ll get two cards on the left side of the screen—these must be kept.
- On the right side, you’ll get two more cards. You must choose one to keep and discard the other.
- Once you make your choice, you’ll have three cards: the two on the left and one chosen from the right.
- Two more cards are then dealt to complete your five-card poker hand.
- If your final hand contains a pair of 9’s or better, you win a payout according to the paytable.
Example Round
- You’re dealt the 6 of clubs and 3 of clubs (these are kept).
- You must pick between the 6 of hearts or 6 of diamonds (choosing one gives you a low pair).
- After your choice, two more cards are dealt to finish your hand.
- If you end up with a pair of 9’s or better, you win.
Take a look at the screenshot below:
Why Play Pick ‘em Poker?
- Simple and easy for beginners to learn.
- Less skill is needed compared to other video poker games—just one decision each round.
- Still fun for experienced players and offers a fresh take on video poker.
Payouts
Payouts in Pick ‘em Poker may differ slightly between casinos, but the table below lists the most common payout amounts you’ll find online.
Most casinos offer very similar paytables, but if Pick ‘em Poker is your main game, it’s smart to compare options and find the best payouts available.
Notice that betting 5 coins increases your payout ratio for top hands like a Royal Flush, Straight Flush, and Four of a Kind. For this reason, we suggest always betting the maximum number of coins if possible.
| Final Hand | 1 Coin | 2 Coin | 3 Coin | 4 Coin | 5 Coin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 1,000 coins | 2,000 coins | 3,000 coins | 4,000 coins | 6,000 coins |
| Straight Flush | 200 coins | 400 coins | 600 coins | 800 coins | 1,199 coins |
| 4-of-a-kind | 100 coins | 200 coins | 300 coins | 400 coins | 600 coins |
| Full House | 18 coins | 36 coins | 54 coins | 72 coins | 90 coins |
| Flush | 15 coins | 30 coins | 45 coins | 60 coins | 75 coins |
| Straight | 11 coins | 22 coins | 33 coins | 44 coins | 55 coins |
| 3-of-a-kind | 5 coins | 10 coins | 15 coins | 20 coins | 25 coins |
| 2 pair | 3 coins | 6 coins | 9 coins | 12 coins | 15 coins |
| Pair of 9’s or better | 2 coins | 4 coins | 6 coins | 8 coins | 10 coins |
Pick ‘em Poker Strategy
The strategy for Pick ‘em Poker is pretty basic as there are only 2 choices you can make – holding card A or card B.
In a standard version of Video Poker, as you can hold between 0 and 5 of 5 cards, there are a lot more options.
Having said that, there are some basic rules that you can follow to try and maximize your chances of getting a payout.
Check the table below and go from top to bottom, when you find an option that suits your own choice, that is the one to go for.
If you get to the bottom but haven’t found one, hold either card as there is no increased chance of winning with either card.
| Hand | EV-Value of expected payouts |
|---|---|
| 3-of-a-kind | 10.59 |
| Q J 10 Suited | 3.17 |
| 3 to a Royal Flush – King high | 2.83 |
| High Pair – 9’s to A’s | 2.63 |
| 3 to a Royal Flush – Ace high | 2.44 |
| 3 to Straight Flush – no gap | 2.00 |
| 3 to Straight Flush – 1 gap | 1.54 |
| 3 to Straight Flush – 2 gaps | 1.39 |
| 3 to Flush – no gaps, 3 High cards | 1.36 |
| 3 to Straight – no gaps, 3 High cards | 1.23 |
| 3 to Straight Flush – 2 gaps, 1 High card | 1.20 |
| 3 to Flush – 2 High cards | 1.16 |
| Low pair – 2’s to 8’s | 1.14 |
| 3 to Straight Flush – 2 gaps, 0 High cards | 1.09 |
| 3 to Straight – 1 gap, 3 High cards | 1.04 |
| 3 to Straight – 0 gap, 2 High cards | 0.99 |
| 3 to Flush – 1 High card | 0.97 |
| 3 to Straight – 2 gaps, 3 High cards | 0.92 |
| 3 to Straight – 1 gap, 2 High cards | 0.88 |
| 3 to Straight – 0 gap, 1 High card | 0.84 |
| 3 to Flush – 0 High cards | 0.77 |
| 3 High cards | 0.76 |
| 3 to Straight – 2 gaps, 2 High cards | 0.72 |
| 3 to Straight – 1 gap, 1 High card | 0.68 |
| 3 to Straight – 0 gaps, 5 to 8 high | 0.60 |
| 2 High cards | 0.57 |
| 3 to Straight – 2 gaps, 1 High card | 0.52 |
| 3 to Straight – 1 gap, 0 High cards | 0.48 |
| 1 High card | 0.37 |
| 3 to Straight – 2 gaps, 0 High cards | 0.33 |
| Anything else | 0.18 |
The optimal Pick ‘em Poker strategy can deliver a return of 99.95%, making it one of the highest-paying games you’ll find at any casino.
My Experience Playing Pick ‘em Poker Using the Top Strategy
I played Pick ‘em Poker using the most popular strategy, which meant always betting the maximum number of coins, five per hand. To manage my bankroll, I set my coin value to $1, keeping each hand at a total of $5. The main focus of this strategy is to select the better of the two right-side cards. I always chose the one that offered the highest chance of building a strong poker hand. This includes aiming for pairs of nines or better, three of a kind, or hands that could develop into straights or flushes. I avoided risky picks that wouldn’t improve my odds according to the paytable.
There were stretches where I only hit small wins, like pairs and two pairs, but I stuck with the strategy. Luck turned when I landed a full house and a straight flush, boosting my winnings. After about ninety minutes, I finished with $250, feeling confident that sticking to the max-coin, smart selection strategy made a real difference in my results.
Pick’em Poker Tips
- Pick’em Poker is different to other versions of Video Poker so it is more important than ever to stay close to the strategy in this article in order to maximise your chances of winning.
- Like other versions of Video Poker, the payout for a Royal Flush when playing with 5 coins is significantly more than when playing with 4 coins or less. Therefore, ensure you play with 5 coins whenever it is possible even if it means dropping down a coin size – the total bet amount may be the same but if the payout is significantly higher, use it to your advantage.
- Pick’em Poker can be found at many online casinos, whilst most have the same payouts, it is worth checking a few places before you start playing to ensure you are getting the best payouts possible, just a few extra coins can make the difference between winning big or not winning at all.
- Some versions have the chance to gamble any winnings on a random turn of a card. Whilst you can sometimes add extra winnings to your bankroll by doing this, we strongly advise against it as the odds are stacked in the favour of the casino.
- Lastly, like any form of gambling, it is important to stay within your budget and not gamble more than you can afford to lose. Playing games at a casino should be an enjoyable experience, if the fun goes out of the game, stop and walk away.
Video Poker Related Articles:
Aces & Faces Tips
Aces and Eights Video Poker
Tens or Better Rules
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