Nobody sits down to a video poker game hoping that a three-of-a-kind is the best they'll do all night. Instead, players want to eventually get that elusive royal flush hand, which leads to a jackpot. Of course, if winning video poker jackpots was totally easy, then you'd never be able to find a seat at these games. So it's important to keep a few important things in mind when playing for a top video poker prize.

Winning Video Poker Jackpots takes Time

While the ideal/fabled scenario for winning a video poker jackpot usually involves somebody hitting a royal flush within 10 minutes, the reality is that winning a jackpot takes time. To illustrate this point, consider that your chances of hitting a royal flush in the average game are 40,000-to-1. Sure you could win a jackpot much sooner, but based on the odds, you need to be patient when playing.

Make Sure your Bankroll is well-funded

Expanding on the previous point, you'll need to have a sufficient bankroll to chase a video poker jackpot. Now there's no set amount of money that you need to have for the game, but a good number to start with is 5,000 max bets. So if you needed to bet $1 to have a chance at the jackpot, you should have a $5,000 bankroll if you're a really serious player. The reason for the large bankroll is so that you can survive big negative variance periods when they arise.

Know the Game you're playing

There are plenty of different video poker games available, and every game has its own set of correct strategies. For example, the strategy you use to achieve optimal payouts in Jacks or Better is going to be slightly different than what you'd use in Deuces Wild. And doing your best to play with optimal strategy is quite important when it comes to eventually winning a jackpot because you need small wins to sustain your bankroll.

Realize that the Jackpot isn't Everything

When going after jackpots, some players make mistakes by dumping small, but winning hands. And while this might seem like a good idea, you should only relinquish small wins if optimal strategy dictates you do so. The overall point is to stick with good video poker strategy, and know that your jackpot will eventually come if you keep playing well.