Video Poker



Video Poker, a hybrid of the slot machine and 5 card draw poker, came into being with
the invention of the computer chip. Suddenly, slot machine aficionados had the
opportunity to play their beloved slots and yet at the same time add an element of skill
and card knowledge to the game.

Unlike slots, where typically reels display results of a spin, in video poker players are
dealt cards, in an attempt to make as high a poker hand as possible.  The play of video
poker is really quite simple:

A player deposits coin into the machine to place their bet. The amount of wager
depends upon type of video poker machine being played, casino rules, etc. All bets are
placed before cards are displayed and may not be changed once play commences.

Player presses “Deal” button to receive 5 cards. Player then decides which cards he
wishes to retain and which he wishes to change in attempt to improve hand. In video
poker, you can change all 5 cards in a deal.
Player pushes “hold” button below each card they wish to retain, and then presses
Draw/Deal button again. The player has option to change held card choices prior to
presses deal button, by pressing “Hold/Cancel” button at any time before cards are
dealt.  

After pressing Draw, player receives new cards to replace those not held.
If player has winning hand, machine pays-off and  another game can then commence.

Betting is usually very straightforward and easy to understand. Typically, players can
choose $0.25, $0.50 $1.00 or $5.00 games to bet on. As well bets may by 1x, 2x, 3x 4x
or 5x the machine cost.

Although there are a wide variety of video pokers games and machines available, the
basic winning premise is usually the same. Player must have minimum of one pair of
Jacks or better to win. Some games introduce wild cards (jokers) and others will play
progressive jackpots. Each machine displays the winning hand combinations and
payout for each hand. Possible winning hands are:
Royal Flush
 Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, all of the same suit
Straight Flush
 5 cards in numerical sequence and of the same suit
Four of a Kind
 4 cards of the same rank, regardless of suit
Full House
 3 of a kind and a pair
Flush
 5 cards of the same suit
Straight
 5 cards in sequence, Ace may be high or low
Three of a Kind
 3 cards of the same rank
Two Pair
 2 pairs
Jacks or Better
 A pair of Jacks, Queens, Kings, or Aces
Players should be aware of payout odds and play only those with bets payouts. Example: some
machines (9/6 payouts) will payout 9 counts for a full house and 6 for a flush. These are better
odds then those for 7/5 payout machines and should be the player machine of choice. Also, be
aware of payouts for royal flush combinations and play those that return at least 4000 coins for
games where maximum 5 coins are wagered.

Play progresive jackpot machines only where jackpot size is large enough to overcome house
advantage associated with 7/5 machines.
Top Online Casinos  and Poker Rooms