Video Poker

Video poker is an electronic game similar to the slot machines and it’s based on the five card draw poker variant. In this article we will break down the basics of casino and online video poker as well as equipping the reader with some video poker playing tips and strategies. There are a lot of video poker variants in the bricks and mortar casinos, where they were first introduced in the first place, as well as in the online casinos. The video poker game was introduced in Vegas in the seventies and since then it has gained enormous strength and popularity as a game. This comes from the fact that it’s returns are higher and the players has a saying in influencing the outcome of the game. Part of this popularity also it’s attributed to the simplicity of the game The game became commercially viable in the same time as personal computers were invented, and it’s clear that the gambling industry didn’t let the chance go away and seized the opportunity. Nowadays video poker has top spaces reserved on the casino gaming floor and enjoys a very high popularity.

Play Video Poker

The modus operandi it’s not the same as in table game poker. In online video poker the player always plays against the house. In the classical version of the game, after inserting the banknote or the coupon in the video poker machine, a bet it’s placed of ono or more credits and five cards are dealt. The player decides then what to do with the given hand. He can choose to keep some of the cards hoping for a better draw or to discard all of them and start a new hand. After the second draw is dealt the machine automatically assigns the payout according to every hand. After the cards have been dealt the machine pays according to the pay table. Usually a pair of jacks or better will be lowest paying hand but there are versions of video poker that start form a pair of tens. All the hands hierarchies in video poker are the same as in classical poker, a pair, two pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush and royal flush. A single pair pays usually one to one and a royal flush pays usually x4000 the initial bet. Full information about each paying can be obtained at the payout table. We will get in details the winning hands and the basic rules but first and foremost we advise to try the free video poker demo versions that we have here at Betzest and only after you have checked the hands and the winning possibilities you can switch to real money video poker. Even expert players might get confused first let alone the newbies. This game is based on luck of course, but unlike slots, in video poker the player has the advantage of using strategy and special knowledge to improve his chances to win. Articles like this are written having the player in mind and give the player the best of knowledge and advice in order for him to get the most of his investment. The rules as we already mentioned are very similar to table poker. The game is played with a 52 cards deck, but in video poker and in online video poker there are special versions where Jokers come in to play and they substitute cards for a five of a kind etc. There are variants of the game which have higher returns than others and this are called full pay and low pay.

Casino Video Poker Terminology

A natural hand is called usually when the first deal it’s a winning hand right away. If the players choose some card to keep, that is called a “hold”. There are versions of video poker when the hold is computed automatically and the machines automatically selects the most valuable cards to hold. A pair is called each hand with two same cards. A three of a kind when they are three same cards. A straight refers to five cards in a sequence and a flush to five cards suited the same. A full house refers to a hand with a three of a kind and a pair. A four of a kind refers to four same cards. A straight flush refers to any suited straight and royal flush refers to the sequence ten, jack, queen, king and ace in the same suit. Discard refers to the cards that aren’t kept but instead are thrown. Deal refers to the first five cards that are dealt and draw refers to the second deal after some cards are kept.

Video Poker for Real Money

Full and Short Pay Video Poker Games

There are variants of video poker machines that have a higher return than others. These are called “full-pay “while others that are offering lower RTP rates are called “short pay”. Casinos in general do not advertise the RTP rates and in many cases of video poker the machines are programmed in a way that the theoretical return is higher when playing at a maximum bet. Consequently, lower bets have a lower theoretical RTP in video poker games. Let’s have a look

Jacks or Better

This is the classical version of the of the full pay video poker game. Payout starts at a pair of Jacks or higher. This video poker game is also known as 9/6 since the full house pays 9 times the bet and the flush pays 6 times the bet.

Bally's All American

This American version of the video poker game is based on Jacks or Better but has better payouts for many of the top hands like flush, straight and straight flush

Tens or Better

This version of video poker has the exact same rules as the above mentioned except that the payout starts from the pair of tens

Joker's Wild

This variant of video poker game as suggested by the name has a Joker as wild card which is substituting for each card and in this game the concept of five of a kind was first introduced.

Deuces Wild

In this version of the full pay video poker game the deuces are wild cards and they substitute each card

Bonus Poker

This version of video poker offers a higher return on the four of a kind

Double Bonus

This video poker version of Jacks or Better offers a higher return on four aces and there are also versions called double “double” bonus in which 10/7 variant offers a theoretical return of 101% when played in perfect strategy.

Short Pay Video Poker Machines

In many video poker machines casinos use pay tables that reduce maximum payouts in order to increase the house edge. These are variants of Jacks or Better are 9/5, 8/6, 8/5, 7/5 and 6/5. The payouts of the full house and the flush are reduced and most casino s compensate by adding promotions for this machines in order to keep them competitive

Video Poker Tips

Let’s continue with a series of tips and advice on how to get the most by playing video poker. This particular game, in contrast with slot machines, offers a chance to influence the outcome and the skills of the player can make a difference. As mentioned earlier, video poker has a relatively low house edge so compared to slots the chances to win are logically higher in these game and besides, the chances of winning a jackpot are the same as slots. Even better, with the right video poker playing strategy, smart and with patience each player can improve his chances to win. It is true that the house has an advantage but statistically a player has five times more chances to land on the jackpot (Royal Flush) in video poker than in any other slot games that can be on the casino floor. If a player like winning often and playing without hassle he should consider video poker. We suggest to learn the video poker rules and those are very simple. As we said above video poker uses a 52 card deck and when the players hit the deal button, five random cards are dealt to him. The player can choose which cards to keep and which to discard and he has to hit the hold button for the cards he has to keep. After the player hits the deal button the discarded cards will be replaced and the machine will pay out the winnings according the pay table. It is necessary to know very well which cards to keep and which to discard and this decision can influence greatly your chance of hitting the jackpot. One of the biggest mistakes that players make in video poker is to play by random chance or just by guessing. Another important factor is to choose the right pay table and to choose the video poker machines that offer the right payouts that were mentioned above and that the machine has the right pay table. Always consult basic strategies for each video poker game. For instance, Deuces Wild has a different strategy that jacks or Better. It’s not possible to learn by heart all the basic strategies of video poker tables but it’s worthy to have them in front of you and learn as much as possible from them. In Jacks or Better video poker always play the maximum coins if you are after the Jackpot. The bonus for the Royal Flush it’s achieved only when playing maximum coins. A player can also play with a low bet, but he won’t play for the maximum jackpot bonus then. Players should never keep a kicker in hop to get a winning hand out of it, or to keep three cards hoping for a straight or a flush. Also never trade a winning hand for a possible better hand. There are endless video poker charts online that show the perfect playing strategy and we highly recommend to consult those charts. Always consider the 9/6 when playing Jacks or Better even if you see that other video poker machines have more promotions etc. Those video poker promotions are built to compensate the relatively lower theoretical return on those tables. Players should take it slow and don’t rush. They should take breaks from time to time and always do a reality check.

Video Poker Bonuses

Players should always keep an eye on video poker bonuses and special incentives the casinos offer as they are very good possibilities to enhance the winning chances. By making use of the right promotions the chances of winning big are higher and higher since you add in the mix the free money that the casino offers. Players Never should never be afraid or shy of asking live chat or support if there is any special offer for them personally. Just ask, you won’t lose nothing!

Free Online Video Poker

As we always mention, before to try video poker with real money, players should play for free. There are endless video poker games that can be tried for free. After having known the game thoroughly, optimizing the strategy and getting comfortable then the player is ready to try for real money. But always be careful. Play responsibly, never play with essential money and always have fun!