Similar to slot machines, video poker games are played on electronic machines in casinos. Different from slots though, video poker requires some skill and understanding of poker. Simply, you just put your money into the machine and receive your five-card poker hand.
After that, you must select the cards you do and do not want to keep for your hand. After that, new cards will replace the cards that you do not want. Once your new 5 card poker hand is shown, you’ll see if you win or not. If you do win, the money will be added to your credits, and then you can choose to play again or not.
Every hand normally costs five credits to pay. Based on this initial bet, payouts have been calculated as follows:
- Royal Flush (2000 credits): A royal flush is an A-10 of the same suit. This is the rarest hand in the game of poker
- Straight Flush (250 credits): A straight flush is any five cards of the same suit in a row. Example: 2-6 of clubs.
- Four of a Kind (125 credits): A four of a kind is four cards of the same value. Example: 4 Kings.
- Full House (40 credits): A full house is a set of 3 and a pair of 2 in the same hand. Example: 3-3-3-5-5
- Flush (25 credits): A flush is any five cards of the same suit.
- Straight (20 credits): A straight is any 5 cards in a row, suit doesn’t matter. Example: 4-5-6-7-8
- Three of a Kind (15 credits): A three of a kind is any set of 3 cards of the same value in your hand. Example: 6-6-6-3-4
- Two Pairs (10 credits): Two pairs are when you have 2 pairs of the same cards. Example: 6-6-9-9-2.
- Pair (5 credits): A pair is 2 cards of the same value. Example: 2-2-6-7-8
As you can see, pairs do not make you that much money. If you do achieve a pair, all you do is breakeven, which is not a good betting strategy. If you are dealt a pair, then you should keep it because you will break even, but if you are drawing for a royal flush, straight flush, straight or flush, then you should go for those.
The keys to leaving a winner by playing video poker are to practice patience and strength. It will be very difficult to win it all at once and leave with a big win, but instead to leave with minimal profits daily, which will add up over time. In each hand, you should only gamble on straights, flushes, straight flushes, and royal flushes when you only need one card to achieve them. If you don’t have a one draw chance at any of those hands, look to make at least a pair out of your hand to cut even.
What is Video Poker?
Video poker is a popular game that people like to play. Video poker allows you to make large bets and small bets, depending on how you want to play and how much money you want to wager.
Video poker is set up just like a poker game and you are playing against yourself. You don’t have to worry about beating another hand from another player or a dealer. The goal with video poker is to get the best hand that you can get so you can win more than your wager back on each hand. Video poker offers five card traditional poker.
You will select your wager when you begin video poker. Once you know how much money you want to bet, the cards will be dealt to you. You cannot raise your bet after the cards are dealt. You will press on the cards that you want to keep and press deal to receive new cards.
If you are happy with your hand then you will select all of your cards and the hand you have will remain. If you want five new cards then you will just hit deal without holding any of your cards. You can select to hold as many or few of your cards as you like and you get a second set of cards dealt to you.
When playing video poker there are several hands that pay you your wager and more. Winning hands include two pairs, a pair of jacks or better, three of a kind, flush, full house, straight, straight flush, and a royal flush. A royal flush can be thousands of dollars and a jackpot depending on your wager. It is the best hand you can get.
When playing video poker, if your first hand appears to be nothing and no pairs, save any face cards or aces you might have. Hopefully, when you are dealt the second set of cards you will get a pair to give you your wager back or even three of a kind. If it appears you have absolutely nothing, but all of the cards are of the same suit, this is a flush and you want to keep it. A flush can make you a lot of money if you are betting high.
When playing video poker machines, a better higher than $1 is best. The more money you bet, the more money you can win. Always pay attention to what the machine is hitting on. Also, if you are winning on a certain bet and you raise the bet to find the machine has stopped hitting, go back to the original bet.
Be careful to pay attention to the wager amount the poker machine is hitting and not hitting on. If you cannot get a winning hand on a certain wager amount, change up your bet until you find something it likes. Remember, when playing video poker, your wager is not the most important thing, be careful which cards you select to hold with each hand.