Video Poker is a popular game that usually will be bet on in casinos across the globe, or alternatively at home on your PC, through an Internet connection. The game rules are absolutely straightforward and involve the player attempting to achieve the greatest combination of cards possible in order to win cash. In this respect it is much the same as a normal game of poker, apart from the interaction with any other players. Of course, techniques used in a physical game of poker, like bluffing, will be irrelevant in Video Poker.
The game of Video Poker starts when the gambler puts credits (whether it’s tokens, tickets or cash) into the video poker machine and presses the draw button. A five card hand will then be electronically ‘dealt’ on the video screen.
The Video Poker game also has hold buttons, and enthusiasts should now pick which cards to hold and which to throw away. For the cards the enthusiast wishes to retain, the ‘hold’ buttons need to be pressed so that they light up. The player can choose to keep any amount of cards they wish, whether it is all or none.
After the bettor has decided on which cards he or she wishes to retain, the player will then press ‘deal’, which will mean that any fresh cards are given out if desired. The round is now finished, with the Video Poker machine analyzing the hand to see if it is the same as any of the winning hands listed in the payout schedule.
Generally, the minimum winning hand on an Electronic Poker machine is a pair of jacks with the prize money getting larger for each and every better hand. A list of common winning hands starts with jacks or better, and moves on to two pairs, 3 of a kinds, straights, flushes, full houses, four of a kinds, straight flushes and finally royal flushes. It is obvious that the payment schedule can vary from machine to machine, so that skillful bettors are able to choose the most profitable game each and every time.
Once the first round has played out, the player can either decide to remain on in an attempt to maximize their winnings, or press the ‘collect’ button to cash out any money that they may have won. Further, some styles of the game give the player a chance to increase their winnings, in which case a further game is played. There are also differences between specific games, with some decks of cards having wild cards and other varying characteristics to increase playability.