Video Poker is a popular game that can be wagered on in casinos around the globe, or alternatively at home on your PC, using an Internet account. The regulations are absolutely simple and consist of the player trying to get the best combination of cards achievable in order to win money. On this account it’s much the same as a normal game of poker, apart from the interaction with any other players. Of course, tactics employed during a physical game of poker, such as bluffing, will be irrelevant here.
The game of Video Poker begins when the bettor puts credits (either tokens, credit slips or cash) into the machine and presses the draw button. A five card hand will then be "distributed" on the screen.
The Video Poker game also has hold buttons, and enthusiasts should now pick which cards to keep and which to throw away. For the cards the gambler would like to keep, the ‘hold’ buttons need to be pressed so that they light up. The player can decide to keep any number of cards they wish, from all to none.
After the player has chosen which cards he or she would like to keep, they should press ‘draw’, at which point any fresh cards are needed they will be dealt. The game is now completed, with the Video Poker machine analyzing the cards to see if it matches any of the winning hands listed in the pay out schedule.
Generally, the lowest succeeding hand on a Video Poker machine is a pair of jacks with the prize money growing for each and every better hand. A list of common winning hands starts with jacks or better, and moves on to two pairs, three of a kinds, straights, flushes, full houses, four of a kinds, straight flushes and last but not least royal flushes. It should be known that the payout schedule can range from game to game, so that experienced enthusiasts are agile enough to select the most beneficial ones each instance.
After the first round has finished, the player can either decide to continue on in an attempt to maximize their earnings, or press the ‘collect’ button to retrieve any credits that have been won. Additionally, some versions of the game allow the gambler a chance to double their winnings, in which instance a further hand is played. There are also variations between specific machines, with some decks of cards having wild cards and other differing elements to increase playability.