Top Video Poker Books of the 2000s

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Evaluating the best video poker strategy books of the millennium.

Gambling strategy books used to be all the rage. Anyone hopping on a flight to Vegas would pick up the latest edition of a pro-authored tutorial to read along the way. In those days, the world’s most renowned gamblers – people like Edward Thorpe, Stanford Wong, and Doyle Brunson – were the best selling authors in the business.

Times have changed so much since then, as have the games they wrote about. Thorpe’s blackjack theories have been expounded upon. Stanford’s card counting seems almost primitive today. Brunson’s poker strategy could be picked apart by a college student going on three days of Monster energy drinks in place of sleep.

But there’s one game that hasn’t changed; one game that’s been strategically documented throughout the decades. And it just so happens to be the highest paying game on the casino floor – if you visit the right casino, that it. I’m talking about video poker machines. And while it’s true that the strategies in the older video poker books remain valid today, the way the machines are built has changed. And for that reason, today’s evaluation will only include guides written in the current millennium.

Best Video Poker Strategy Books of 2000+

In order to remain entirely fair and unbiased, I’m basing the following evaluations on the opinions of actual readers of these books – readers who bought them with the sole intent of improving their skills at the casinos.

Please note that, while I have provided links where you can purchase each book, I am not receiving any kickbacks for doing so, and cannot guarantee the price or availability of the books via those links past the publication date of this article.

The Video Poker Edge, Linda Boyd (2005)

Linda Boyd published her second edition of The Video Poker Edge: How to Play Smart and Bet Right, in 2005. I’ve picked this book for two very important reasons. First of all, it’s written specifically for beginners. It starts by teaching you everything about the game, its history, proper etiquette, etc., then moves into the strategy department, detailing how to identify the highest paying games and how to play the most commonly profitable hands. Secondly, she is 100% honest about the nature of the games. She does not pretend that you can beat them – not without finding that one-in-a-million machine with an above 100% RTP. (Yes, they do exist). Ms. Boyd teaches players to be realistic, conveying that probabilities dictate you will lose in the long term, but that you can make your bankroll last a lot longer playing the “right” way.

Video Poker for the Intelligent Beginner, Bob Dancer (2009)

Bob Dancer is the world’s leading authority on winning video poker strategies. His success stories are known far and wide. His authoring of Video Poker for the Intelligent Beginner is aimed at players who want to learn the ABCs of the game, as well as the XYZs of becoming a video poker master. What impresses readers most is how easy Dancer makes it to identify games with a positive expectation. Most casinos don’t have them, of course, but when you find one, following his advice can net consistent profits. Strategy charts are provided for all the most common games and pay tables.

As for becoming a video poker master, this book comes highly recommended. If you want to learn more about Bob Dancer himself, check out his previous best-seller, Million Dollar Video Poker (2003). Any true enthusiast will enjoy the read.

“A Winner’s Guide to…” Series, Bob Dancer (Varies)

Starting in the early 2000’s, Bob Dancer wrote and published a 6-volume series on video poker games that’s since become known as his “Winner’s Guide Series”. Each book covers the precise game play strategy and charts for a single game, covering all known pay tables for each.

If you’ve already read a beginner’s guide and are looking to expand your knowledge about a particular game – maybe one that’s specifically available at your local casino – these volumes are lauded as the best video poker strategy books in the literary realm.

The complete series includes:

• Vol. 1 – A Winner’s Guide to Jacks or Better
• Vol. 2 – A Winner’s Guide to Double Bonus Poker
• Vol. 3 – A Winner’s Guide to Full Pay Deuces Wild
• Vol. 4 – A Winner’s Guide to NSU Deuces Wild
• Vol. 5 – A Winner’s Guide to Pick’em Poker
• Vol. 6 – A Winner’s Guide to Double Double Bonus Poker