If you have not yet joined the legions of fanatically devoted video poker fans who populate every single nook and cranny of this blue marble known as the planet Earth, its probably a good idea to take a look at some possible reasons why you are depriving yourself of so much gambling pleasure.

Lets start with the basics: is it possible that you are what is known as a poker slob? In case you dont have a firm grasp on the meaning of this term (which is intended as a pejorative, by the way) let me enlighten you. A poker snob is a person who thinks that unless you are sitting at the green felt engaged in a battle of no-limit Texas Holdem in the main event of the World Series of Poker, with a televised audience of millions chanting your name as you go on a full-throttle charge to the championship, then its really not worth your time to play the game of poker. Thats just one variation of the poker snob, the type of woefully misguided individual who mistakes the glory of winning for the appeal of the game itself.

Another subspecies of the poker snob is far more prevalent in our society. You probably know one or two of these people (perhaps you can even look in the mirror to get a good look at one.) This type of poker snob thinks that the game of poker absolutely must be played in a room of living, breathing people, with opponents seated across the table close enough to touch. No exceptions are allowed to this maxim in the mind of a poker snob, so video poker is thus strictly verboten.

Well, Im here to tell you that if you are a poker snob of the type described above, youre really cheating yourself out of one heck of a good time. There has never been a better moment in history to jump on the video poker bandwagon, so just give up those nagging inhibitions and join the party, OK?

Before you begin this transformational leap, however, you probably realize the wisdom in gleaning a few essential tips that will assist your rise to greatness in the world of video poker. Fair enough. Lets go over a few.

First and foremost, never keep a kicker with any pair. This rule is fundamental to success in video poker. Holding a kicker to any pair reduces your return by 5%, so dont be a chump.

Secondly, always be sure to bet the maximum amount of coins on a progressive machine to get the bonus for royal flushes. Building on this theme, remember that if you choose to 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. This payout structure is designed to boost your success.

Finally, never underestimate the Jack. Many players mistakenly think the Ace is the most important card in the deck. Wrong. Holding the Jack over the Ace gives you more opportunities of making lucrative hands. Dont forget it!

Now youre armed with good information, so get out there and play some video poker!