Video Poker Guide

As the popularity of poker increases, it stands to reason that every version of the game benefits from this boom, including the now-ubiquitous video poker machines. Video poker games combine the solo action and automation of slot machines with the skill and excitement of live poker. Instead of waiting for a table or dealing with the frustrations of unreliable or rude players, poker fans can now get their fix at the many banks of video poker machines accessible in every top online casino.

If you love poker for the playing alone, then video poker machines offer an enticing alternative to live play. The rules are the same, the odds are the same, and many times these banks are linked to a progressive jackpot that far exceeds anything you can win at a table in the poker room.

Types of Video Poker

Another attractive feature of video poker is the many variations available. Whereas traditional casinos only have the space and employees to offer two or three different game variations, you can find half a dozen or more different poker games in a single casino thanks to the various video poker machines.

Video poker varies depending on the style of the game and the structure of the payout. For example, one common game variation offered in video poker is to have a wild card. In” Deuces Wild” (one of the more popular wild card poker games) each 2 serves as a wild card making it easier to hit jackpot combinations.

Another common variation in playing style is multi-play, where a player starts with a traditional five card hand and then draws additional hands from a new deck. Multi-play started with simple Triple Play machines, but due to popularity has grown to include One Hundred Play versions.

Full pay video poker is popular for obvious reasons; full pay machines offer payback of over 99.5% with a perfect playing strategy. This percentage is far better than most other machines and even has a lower advantage than the house edge in live poker. Another way that video poker payout may vary is by base combinations. “Jacks or better” is the most common base for the pay schedule, though “Tens or better” are also common.

The addition of a wild card as with Deuces Wild affects the pay schedule accordingly (as a wild card obviously makes it easier to get combinations), but may also offer a hypothetical return of over 100% on some machines, adding to its appeal.

There are also “Bonus” versions of video poker that offer additional payout for certain combinations. The base Bonus game is simply called “Bonus Poker” and gives a higher payout for four of a kind. “Double Bonus” pays double on four aces, and “Double Double Bonus” pays higher for four of kinds with specific kickers.

How to Play Video Poker

Playing video poker is simple, perhaps more so even than live poker because it eliminates the need to learn the lingo (like call, raise, fold, etc) or to be able to read your fellow players. It also allows a player to pace themselves as necessary without heckling from the table, and lets them play directly against the odds, offering the same reliable game play every time. Video poker is a great way to improve your poker strategy, because the machines work off real odds, meaning that every hand you play is a real representation of the game and any improvements you make will carry over indefinitely.

To play video poker you need only find a machine, sit at it, and put cash, a casino token, or a credit receipt into the appropriate slot. The vast majority of video poker machines use a basic five card draw variation of the game, so once you have paid, hit the “Deal” button and your five cards will appear on the screen. You may keep or discard any combination of the cards then press the “Draw” button. After the draw, the machine will evaluate your hand and pay out as applicable based on a pay schedule displayed on the machine.

As with slot machines, you may bet as little as one credit (in increments starting as low as a penny and going as high as $10) or as many as ten or more credits, and with the automation feature you may be able to play several hundred hands an hour.

If you’re tired of poker rooms but still want to play the game, then video poker may be just the ticket.