Should You Hold a High Card or Low Pair in Online Video Poker?

The high card versus low pair debate is a key conundrum at our online casino South Africa.  When you are dealt both options to the same hand in video poker, which is the best play?  Do you hold the potentially powerful face card… or do you settle for the lowly pair instead?

About a Low Pair at Our Online Casino for South Africa

If you have played video poker online at Springbok Casino, you will be aware of the rules.  One rule that has a direct impact on the high card vs low pair debate pertains to the paytable.  In most variations of video poker, payouts start for a pair of jacks or better.

Does that mean any pair with a ranking lower than that of a jack is a blow out?  The quick answer is ‘no’.  The reason being the draw.

In video poker, you have the opportunity to improve your hand.  After the initial deal, you have the option to hold the cards you think have the best chance of forming a winning hand.  The remaining cards are discarded, and new ones are dealt in their place.

What that in effect means is you have a chance of accumulating a better paying hand from a low pair.  In this scenario, there are four possibilities – two pair, three of a kind, full house and four of kind.

What the Stats Tell Us About a Low Pair in Video Poker

The best way to settle any debate at our online casino for South Africa is through statistical evidence.  When it comes to a low pair – and a high card, by the way – there are 16,125 possible draws.  Of these draws, 11,559 are losing hands.

Of the 4,656 possible winning hands, you have a chance of hitting one of the following:

• Two pair - 2,592 out of 4,656 or a 16% chance
• Three of a kind – 1,854 out of 4,656 or a 11.4% chance
• Full house – 165 out of 4,656 or a 1% chance
• Four of a kind – 45 out of 4,656 or a 0.3% chance

Compared to the 71,3% chance of drawing a losing hand, the figures are pretty dismal.  That is until you take the potential payouts into account.

Let us take a look at the Jacks or Better paytable at Springbok Online Casino South Africa.  These are the actual odds when there is a 1-coin wager in play:

• Royal flush – 250 to 1
• Straight flush – 50 to 1
• Four of a kind – 25 to 1
• Full house – 6 to 1
• Flush – 5 to 1
• Straight 4 to 1
• Three of a kind – 3 to 1
• Two pair – 2 to 1
• Jacks or better – 1 to 1

Hold a Low Pair for Higher Payouts

As you can see, a low pair can generate payouts of 2 to 1, 3 to 1, 6 to 1 and 25 to 1 for a two pair, three of a kind, full house and four of a kind, respectively.  As the odds correlate with the probability, there is a significantly better chance of forming a three of a kind or two pair.

In fact, when you hold a low pair, you will hit a two pair or three of a kind 27.4% of the time.  In other words, you win around three out of every 10 hands.  Although the individual payouts won’t be worthy of a celebration you could expect from the sprightly athletes starring in Cheer, you will bank up to 10 and 15 credits, respectively, with a maximum 5-coin bet in play.

When it comes to the average return of a low pair in online video poker, you will get around 3.65 coins for every 5 coins wagered.  Those are the facts and figures pertaining to a pair of tens and lower.  How about a single high card?  What do the stats tell us in that respect?

Win More Often with a High Card

The first thing to note is a jack, queen, king or ace is a lot more versatile than a low pair.  A high card has the potential to form all the combinations on the paytable, from a paying pair to a royal flush.  As can be expected, a whopping 5,015 out of the possible 6,154 winning hands are high pairs.

This is where it gets interesting.  As is evident from the paytable above, a high pair pays out at 1 to 1 odds.  That is even money and half that of lowest paying hand that can potentially be formed by a low pair.

The upshot of all of this is the average return of a high card is around 2.85 coins.  That is not nearly as attractive as the 3.65-coin return of a low pair.  What does all this mean in the greater scheme of things?

When you elect to hold the high card, you will win more often.  Choose the low pair instead and you will win more money at the online casino South Africa. That is a fact you can rely on!

Sign Up at the Best Online Casino South Africa and Choose Your Strategy

In reality, it is up to you to decide which strategy best suits your risk profile and enjoyment factor.  If you are the type of player who gets an adrenalin rush every time you win, the high card tactic is probably more suitable.  If, on the other hand, you are prepared to wait for better returns, holding the low pair is the way to go.

Whatever you decide, you have to be a signed-up member of Springbok Casino to benefit.  That way, you can play any of our online video poker variants for real money.  Registering an account only takes a few minutes, so join the number one ranked online casino South Africa now!