We'll show you all the different types of video poker and where you can play them. Includes a look at the rules and how each game works and how to win it.
Video Poker Games
Aces And Faces Poker
Deuces Wild Poker
Jackpot Deuces Poker
Video Poker Bonus
Play Video Poker Online
FAQ
Popular Video Poker Games
Playing Video Poker Online
So how exactly is video poker played? It’s set out like a traditional slot, except that there’s only one row. There are five reels and instead of various different symbols appearing on them, it’s playing cards that appear on them. The game uses a single deck of cards, with the cards on all five reels coming from this single deck. The aim of video poker is to end up with as good a poker hand as possible.
You place your bet, which is typically of between one and five coins. Then, you spin the reels and they soon come to a stop, revealing your hand of five cards. If you’re happy with your hand as it is, you can go ahead and claim any payouts you’re due if you’ve got a poker hand. However, if you’re not happy with your hand, you can exchange your cards.
For each card, you can choose to keep it or exchange it. You need to make decisions for all cards before any changes are made. Once you’ve made your decisions, any cards you’ve decided to swap out will be exchanged for new ones at random. Then once all changes have been made, you’ll have a new hand and any payouts will be made accordingly.
In a single game, you can only ever have two hands: your initial hand and the new hand once any cards have been swapped. It’s important to remember that no matter how many cards you choose to exchange, all changes are made at the same time only after you’ve made decisions for all five cards. Swapping cards can improve your hand, though there’s a chance you’ll end up with a worse hand. You’re allowed to exchange all five of your initial cards, if you so wish.
Before you come to play video poker online, it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with poker hands. Each poker hand has a rank; basically, the better the hand is, the higher its rank is and the higher the payout associated with it is. So in video poker, you should try to get as high-ranking a hand as possible in order to receive as big a payout as possible.
The highest ranking poker hand is the royal flush (10, J, Q, K and A, all of the same suit). If you’re lucky enough to score a royal flush, you’ll more often than not receive a bonus payout if you’re betting with five coins.
Let’s say you’re playing a video poker game that pays out 250 coins for a royal flush with one coin bet. You’d expect the five coin bet payout to be 1,250 coins (250 x 5), but the game may you for scoring the best hand with a higher payout of 4,000 coins, for example. The actual payout amounts vary from game to game, though pretty much every game will reward you with a bonus payout for scoring the highest-ranking hand with the highest bet.
The number of coins you bet with affects your payout. If you bet with a single coin and win, you’ll win the standard payout. Bet with two coins and you’ll win the standard payout multiplied by two. Bet with five, the highest number of coins you’re usually allowed to bet with, and your payout will be multiplied by five. Bear in mind that while the higher payouts seem attractive, trying to secure one of these payouts can be quite expensive given their higher cost.
Aces And Faces Poker
Just like any other casino game, with video poker there are many different variants, each with slight changes in the rules and gameplay. The third highest-ranking poker hand is the four-of-a-kind, which is four cards of the same rank and one card of another, e.g. 10 of hearts, 10 of diamonds, 10 of spades, 10 of clubs and 9 of diamonds. Most video poker games offer the same payout no matter what the four matching cards are.
In Aces and Faces Poker, you receive payouts for four-of-a-kind hands, though if the four matching cards are aces or faces (jack, queen or king), you’ll receive higher payouts. These payouts are higher for four-of-a-kind hands with four matching number cards (1-9).
Deuces Wild Poker
What sets Deuces Wild Poker apart from other video poker games is that it has all 2s act as wilds. Any 2 card can substitute for any other card to help you form better poker hands. It’s easier to win when playing this game, though the payouts are somewhat lower than for other video poker games.
The best hand you can get in this game is a natural royal flush - this is a royal flush that doesn’t have any wilds in it. If you have a royal flush with a 2 substituting for one of the cards, this is a wild royal flush and is the game’s third best hand, after the natural royal flush and the four deuces (four 2s).
Jackpot Deuces Poker
You’ll find that Jackpot Deuces Poker is pretty similar to Deuces Wild Poker. What sets it apart is the fact that it has a progressive jackpot. This grows with every bet that’s placed and is won whenever someone lands a diamond royal flush.
Video Poker Bonus
If video poker sounds appealing to you, the good news is that there’s no shortage of online casinos where you can play it. The even better news is that there are loads of online casino bonus incentives and promotions offered, from welcome packages and VIP clubs, to loyalty schemes and limited-time offers.
There are lots of video poker bonuses to claim. Welcome package often give you some free bonus money when you make your first deposit - this money can be used on video poker games and you can actually win real money. There’s nearly always a catch, however: before you can withdraw your winnings, you usually have to play through them a set number of times.
Play Video Poker Online
The games mentioned above are just a few of the many video poker games you can find online. The majority of online casinos offer video poker games, so don’t delay and start playing today! It’s a simple game that’s good fun to play and can be quite rewarding, especially if you manage to land a good poker hand.
FAQ
Can you try video poker free online?
Yes, you can. Casinos with a free play option will let you try video poker games with no deposit needed. Simply choose the game and press the free play button to begin.
What is the best video poker strategy?
Your strategy should vary by the game you are playing and the paytable. One general rule of thumb is that you should always play max bet to get the full value out of a Royal Flush. It's a rare hand - but can pay up to 800x.
Where can I find video poker pay tables?
You don't have to look far - the pays for the video poker game are usually displayed right above the reels for quick reference.
Can you cheat online video poker games?
No, you can't. As with all things related to online gambling, this software uses a RNG algorithm to produce randomised results. There is no way to tamper with technology. But this does ensure you will always encounter fair results.