I still consider myself a beginner when it comes to playing video poker; I enjoy the game and am determined to learn as much as possible about it. I've been talking to other players and have heard a variety of conflicting statements and strategies on the game. So I picked up the The Video Poker Edge: How to Play Smart and Bet Right as a guide.

Linda Boyd's 150 pages on video poker turned out to be a helpful book for beginners. The book is concise, clear and filled with easy to follow mathematical examples, it helps you quickly grasp concepts of how to play VP perfectly. Boyd covers the most common types of video poker machines found in casinos, clearly explains the difference between expected return (ER) and expected value (EV) and touches on Risk of Ruin (ROR), but doesn't extensively cover it.

The book also includes tear-out strategy cards, which you can take with you to the casino for a quick reference during play. The cards tell you how to play the game, by having a different card for each game. As a newbie they've certainly helped me along the way! And you can also purchase the cards separately from online dealers for about $5 each.

If you were interested in video poker, I'd recommend you also read Million Dollar Video Poker by Bob Dancer, which has more of a personal story of one man's determination in winning a million dollar fortune in video poker machines.