Pick’em Poker - The Highest Paying Online Video Poker Game
One of our favorite games here at Casino Guru, Pick’em Poker is a unique Video Poker game that combines probably the easiest and fastest gameplay with the lowest variance and the easiest to learn strategy we’ve come across, online or offline. When we add the highest available payout of 99.95%, it’s clear we have an excellent option for playing Video Poker online.
Pick’em is one of the newer Video Poker games. It was invented in 1997 and has remained unchanged in its current form. The game, especially at land based casinos, also appears under the name Pick a Pair Poker.
The game is very simple, probably the simplest Video Poker game. You get dealt two cards face up on the left side of the screen. Based on these cards, you pick one of two face up cards on the right hand side of the screen. There are two hidden face down cards below each of the cards up for choosing. And once you decide to pick one of these cards, these two cards will be revealed and the hand will be completed, with any winnings paid according to paytable.
Thanks to the simplicity of the game, you can play many more hands than when playing Jacks or Better, for example. You do not have to hold cards and press the Deal/Draw button. You just pick one of the piles, and the hand is automatically completed and paid.
Pick'em Poker is available online mostly in 99.45% or 98.74% RTP variations at RTG casinos. However, there are few RTG casinos that still provide full pay Pick’em Poker, like Grande Vegas.
Pick'em Poker Strategy
The strategy for Pick'em Poker is extremely simple and easy to learn compared to other Video Poker games. Pick'em also features the lowest variance, so you will get more playing time out of your bankroll than when playing other higher variance Video Poker games, such as All Aces.
Thanks to the simplicity of Pick'em it is easy to master the strategy in short time. However, the basic strategy chart below may seem a bit complicated at first sight. In fact, there are not that many tricky situations in Pick'em compared to other games. The best way to learn the optimal Pick'em strategy is by using a Video Poker training software like WinPoker. You can download this shareware here.
Pick'em Basic Strategy
Probably the least complicated strategy of all Video Poker games. Make sure to practice playing free games before playing for real money.
| Rank | Combination |
|---|---|
| 1 | Three of a Kind |
| 2 | 10 J Q suited |
| 3 | 10 J K, 10 Q K and JQK suited |
| 4 | High Pair (9 or higher) |
| 5 | Straight Flush Draw open ended (3 to J) |
| 6 | Straigh Flush Draw 1 gap (2 to Q) |
| 7 | Straight Flush Draw 2 gaps (2/3 high cards) |
| 8 | Flush (3 high cards) |
| 9 | 9 10 J, 10 J Q |
| 10 | Straight Flush Draw 2 gaps (1 high card) |
| 11 | Flush (2 high cards) |
| 12 | Low Pair (8 and lower) |
| 13 | Straight Flush Draw 2 gaps (0 high cards) |
| 14 | Straigth Draw 1 gap (3 high cards) |
| 15 | 8 9 10 |
| 16 | Flush (1 high card) |
| 17 | Straigth Draw 2 gaps (3 high cards) |
| 18 | Straigth Draw 1 gap (2 high cards) |
| 19 | 789 |
| 20 | Flush (0 high cards) |
| 21 | 3 high cards |
| 22 | Straigth Draw 2 gaps (2 high cards) |
| 23 | 6 7 9, 6 8 9, 7 8 10 |
| 24 | Straigth open ended (0 high cards) |
| 25 | 2 high cards |
| 26 | Straigth Draw 2 gaps (1 high card) |
| 27 | Straigth Draw 1 gaps (0 high cards) |
| 28 | 1 high card |
| 29 | Straigth Draw 2 gaps (0 high cards) |
| 30 | 0 high cards |
Free Pick'em Online
The best way to learn to play Pick'em Poker is to play free games online without registration or download required. Unfortunately, Pick'em is only available at RTG casinos in their downloadable casino software. RTG casinos do have free instant games available, but Pick'em is included only in their downloadable software.
So, be sure to pick one of the RTG casinos with a better reputation, based on our casino reviews. Register an account, download and install casino software and start playing for fun. Or take advantage of no deposit bonuses - most RTG casino allow Video Poker games when playing with bonus money.
