How to Play Video Poker

Since the time video poker made its entry in the scene of casino back in the 1970s, video poker has kept gaining momentum. In fact, video poker turned out to become of the most famous gambling games in a casino. Do you know the reason? Video poker is one of those few casino games that not just offers the highest odds in casino games but also provides you with a chance to influence the result of the game.

This is why your skills will make a difference. Video poker is also famous due to the fact that it brings in a mix of low house edge to the casinos while still giving you a chance to win a big amount. It also offers you the anonymity that you craved for. You can play alone and without any type of psychological pressure that you may face in a live poker game.

Basic Rules of playing Video Poker

  • The first step is to choose the denomination of the game that you want to play by touching the areas on the screen of the video.
  • Next you have to choose the game that you wish to play from the games that are available. You will get them by touching the game on the video screen.
  • Hit the ‘Play Max Credits’ button and start playing a hand.
  • Choose the cards that you want to hold by hitting the Hold/Cancel button or by touching the card on the screen.
  • If you want to cancel the hold, hit the button that lies below the card or touch the card once again.
  • Hit the Deal/Draw button to save chosen cards and replace other cards with new cards.
  • In case your game asks you whether you wish to Double Up while winning the hand, choose whether or not you wish to try to double the win.

With anything that we do in life, there are few inherent basics that we have to follow during the process. If you want to know how to play video poker, here are the few tips that you should keep in mind. Scroll down for more.

PLAYING VIDEO POKER

  • Choose a poker machine

You can play this game online at your favorite casino and hence you have to find out the best machines that offer you great payouts. A payout for a Full House can vary from 1-5 credits. This information will be mentioned on the payout table that you can reach from the main menu of the video poker console. Search for good machines that offer high payouts. Settling down with machines that offer a low payout will make you lose money faster.

  • Choose the poker game

There are several types of poker games to choose from while playing video poker. Among them, the most popular one is ‘Jacks or Better’. This game is also great for beginners as the payout percentage is comparatively high. In case you don’t find a machine that reads ‘Jacks or Better’ in the title, watch out for a Game King machine. These machines usually provide better payout options for Jacks or Better.

  • Insert money within the machine

Insert dollar bills, coins, credit cards or casino club membership cards. This money is usually applied towards crediting on the video poker machine. This credit can be used to bet. When you’re done with gambling, your remaining credit can be returned as your winning amount.

  • Place your bet

You don’t have to bet all the money at once. Press the buttons that are found at the bottom portion of your screen to add money to the bet. In order to bet the maximum amount that is possible, press the ‘Max Bet’ button. The more is the money that you bet, the higher will be the amount that you receive if you win. When you bet a higher amount, you’ll make more money.

  • Press the ‘deal’ button to start the game

The machine will let you deal with 5 cards. Click on a card to keep it and if you click on it again, unselect it. In case you don’t have any pairs or other winning combinations, you can unselect all the cards to discard them. For each hand, you will press ‘deal’ twice. You also have to bear in mind that unless you enable ‘Auto Hold’, the machine won’t hold a winning hand for you. Make sure you cross-check your hand before pressing the ‘deal’ button.

  • Collect the winning amount

When you have a winning hand, the machine will flash ‘winner’ through the screen and give you the money that you have won. Your payout will be highlighted on the payout section. The money will reach towards your credits and when you’re done, you can disburse the winnings all together. In case you used coins, you will collect coins from the machine or a paper with the credit amount that is written on it.

Playing Jacks or Better – The most popular game

The most famous video poker game variation is called Jacks or Better. In the game, you may have thought, you should have a pair of Jacks to get paid. Any hand of inferior value to that of a pair of Jacks is useless while any hand of superior value pays out based on a pre-decided scale. The typical payouts for a Jacks or Better game are as follows:

  • Royal Flush – 250 x (bonuses of 4000x or more when betting maximum credits)
  • Straight Flush – 50x
  • Full House – 6x to 9x
  • Three of a Kind – 25x
  • Pair of Jacks or Better- 1x
  • Two Pair- 2x

While you get paid, you can only be paid for the highest hand value that you hold. For instance, hitting a full house can pay you 6x-9x your bet, depending on the payout scale and the actual machine. You won’t get paid for the full house, three of a kind along with a pair!

Therefore, if you’re intrigued about the playing video poker, you should take into account the tips and tricks that are mentioned in this article. Make sure you choose the right machine for playing video poker so as to boost your earnings.

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