Learn To Play Video Poker

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  1. How To Learn To Play Video Poker For Free
  2. Learn To Play Poker Beginner
  3. How To Learn To Play Video Poker For Free Online

Learn How to Play Video Poker at Play Club Casino Video Poker is a hugely popular game, both at land casinos and online. It gives players the chance to develop their poker skills and win large sums of money while having a thoroughly enjoyable time. Video Poker training. For those users of virtual casinos in Australia who have decided to learn to play video Poker but can not make a choice between a card game and video slots, a unique competition has appeared today – video Poker. This is a gambling slot with a card competition.

Video poker casinos

Learn Video Poker for Beginners (Including How to Play) Video poker has long been popular among casino players because it gives you a realistic chance to beat the house. Of course, if you're just starting to learn video poker, then you need to learn both the basics and strategy before conquering the game. To play video poker you will tap on the cards you wish to keep or on a button on the console, and then draw cards you wish to replace. You win by having a traditional poker hand, and the amount you win is determined by the machine you are playing on. In video poker, just like regular poker, you will be given five cards.

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About video poker

Video poker is a game that's based on five-card draw poker. It's a single player game, where the player tries to create as valuable a poker hand as possible. If they create a hand above a certain value (usually a pair of jacks) they win cash. If they don't, they lose their stake.

For each round, the player is dealt five cards face up via a video screen. They must then choose whether to hold any of their cards for the ‘draw'. They can hold any number from zero to five. All cards that are not held are then re-dealt, and the final hand evaluated.

Winning hands can often be gambled via a ‘higher or lower' game. UK players will be familiar with this concept as it was used in the popular 70s/80s quiz show ‘Play Your Cards Right'. A single card is dealt and the player must guess if the next card in sequence will be higher or lower. If they choose correctly, their prize is doubled. Choose incorrectly, and all winnings for that hand are lost. Players can usually gamble in this way up to five times in succession.

The history of video poker

The first video poker games arrived at the same time as ‘Pong' and early, primitive personal computers. Video monitors were hooked up to integrated circuits in which the game was programmed. Early video poker consoles were dismissed as a passing fad.

All this changed in the early 1980s when SIRCOMA, the company that would eventually become International Game Technology, decided to concentrate on perfecting the video poker console. This turned out to be a Vegas-shattering success, as it gave poker players who felt intimidated while playing on casino tables the chance to play their favourite pastime against a faceless ‘opponent'.

The popularity of video poker has yet to wane. While not too popular with Las Vegas visitors, the locals tend to enjoy playing video poker machines off the main Vegas strip. Nearly all real-world casinos will house a few video poker terminals under their roof.

Despite massive strides in computer technology and in particular video graphics, contemporary video poker machines are little different from their primitive forebears. Video poker fans are keen that their game is kept as ‘traditional' as possible, and video poker has not developed in the same way that online slots games have evolved to be feature-rich monsters.

Video poker at online casinos

Nearly every single online casino will offer at least one variety of video poker, and most will offer several. While not as popular as slots, blackjack or roulette, video poker is a rarity as with correct play and taking in all factors, the house edge can be swung ever-so-slightly in favour of the player.

There are four main varieties of video poker:

  • JACKS OR BETTER – This is the main version of the game. To secure a win, a player must end up with a hand that contains at least a pair of jacks. All other hands lose. Payouts start at x1 for any qualifying pair, up to x800 for a Royal Flush.
  • ALL AMERICAN – Similar to Jacks or Better and with the same basic rules, but with a better payout structure. There are increased payouts for flushes, straights and straight flushes, but reduced payouts for full houses and two pairs.
  • DEUCES WILD – The lowest winning hand in this game is a set, but as the name suggests, all deuces (twos) are wild. There are additional winning hands, such as Five of a Kind, Wild Royal Flush and Four Deuces. The five-credit version of this game with the correct pay table actually has a negative house edge when played with perfect strategy.
  • JOKER POKER – Also know as ‘Joker's Wild', is played with a deck containing 53 cards in which one of them is a joker and can be used as any card when drawn. The lowest possible winning hand is a pair of kings, and Five of a Kind and a Wild Royal Flush are added to the the mix just as with Deuces Wild. Again, if the pay table is set correctly, the player actually has a 0.64 percent edge over the house with perfect strategy. There are also self-explanatory sub-variations of Joker Poker known as Kings or Better, or Two Pairs or Better.

Multi-hand video poker games have become popular at online casinos in recent years. This allows you to play up to 100 hands at one from the draw. If, for example, you hold two aces before the draw and play 100 hands, you can play all 100 hands with two aces and three newly drawn cards. This is very beneficial if you are dealt a winning hand before the draw.

Other less common varieties of video poker are as follows:

  • ACES AND FACES – A standard game with increased payouts for four of a kind of any face card or an ace. Payouts for other hands such as a full house are reduced.
  • ALL ACES or BONUS POKER – Same as Jacks or Better but with increased payouts for four aces, deuces, threes or fours, and reduced payouts for other hands.
  • BONUS FLUSH – Jacks or Better but with increased payouts for flushes.
  • DEUCES AND JOKER – A combination of Deuces Wild and Joker Poker or Joker's Wild.
  • DOUBLE BONUS – Same as Bonus Poker but with a different payout structure.
  • DOUBLE DOUBLE BONUS – As above, but with other bonus hands such as four aces with a two, three or four kicker.
  • DOUBLE JOKER – Same as Joker Poker or Joker's Wild but with two jokers instead of one.
  • PICK'EM POKER – Players are dealt four cards. They must keep the first two, and MUST discard either (not both) of the next two. After the decision has been made, the final two cards are dealt to complete the hand.
  • TENS OR BETTER – A pair of tens is the lowest winning hand. There are reduced payouts for flushes and full houses.

Learn how to play video poker

Learn how to play online video poker with RightCasino's online guide.

Online video poker was introduced to casinos in the 1970s as a single-player equivalent to table poker. At the time, it was a bit of a technological marvel and quickly became popular. Today, the game is still played widely for its simple rules, low house edge and the possibility of big wins. Our step-by-step guide will steer you through the rules and variants of video poker so you can get the most out of this exciting casino game.

How to play

The rules of video poker are extremely straightforward…

Pick your coins

In most versions of video poker, you will use an electronic interface to bet on a virtually-generated straight poker hand. You begin by making a wager of up to five ‘coins' (the value of which depend on the game and chosen settings). The more money you are happy to wager, the more you can win. Usually, your winnings are simply multiplied by the amount of cash you gamble, although you may receive a bonus lift if you go the whole hog with five coins.

Generating your hand

Once your stake has been set, the game will generate a hand of five cards based on a digital, 52-card deck (up to 53 in ‘Joker Wild' games). This is your starting hand. In some games you can play 5, 10, 25 or even 100 hundred hands all at the same time. Each hand will begin with your ‘main' hand as the base.

Choosing discards

Once your starting hand has been generated, you can choose which of your cards to discard. The discards are then replaced with new cards from the remaining deck.

Collect your winnings!

You are then paid on the value of your hand according to a paytable. Usually for a qualifying pair, you receive back the same amount of money you gambled. Payouts go up as far as a royal flush, for which you typically receive back 250x your stake.

Darest you gamble?

You can usually gamble your winnings when you hit a successful hand at video poker. If you do decide to gamble, you'll be presented with a card, and you have to guess whether the next card drawn will be higher or lower. If you pick right, your prize is doubled. If you choose unwisely, then you lose everything. Depending on the game, you should be able to go ‘double or quits' up to five times in succession.

Video poker variations

Find the best house edge with our list of popular video poker variations.

There are several different versions of video poker, all of which come with extremely favourable odds for the player (even positive expectation by some estimates). See which variants present the best edge with our overview of video poker variants (along with pay-tables). All pay-outs are calculated according to betting five credits and assume ‘optimal' play.

Jacks or Better

Also known as 9/6 Jacks or Better. This is the most common form of video poker and payoffs begin at a pair of Jacks.

Hand1 Credit2 Credits3 Credits4 Credits5 Credits
Royal Flush25050075010004000
Straight Flush50100150200250
Four of a Kind255075100125
Full House918273645
Flush612182430
Straight48121620
Three of a kind3691215
Two pair246810
Jacks or Better12345

House edge: 0.54%

Deuces Wild

In this game, all 2s (‘deuces') are wild, changing their rank and suit to form better hands. This variant returns a higher return for ‘natural' hands that contain no wild cards.

HandPay-out (multiple of bet)
Natural Royal Flush800
Four deuces200
Deuces Royal Flush25
Five of a Kind16
Straight Flush13
Four of a Kind4
Full House3
Flush2
Straight2
Three of a kind1

House edge: 1.1%

All American

This variant features higher pay-outs on flushes and straights and lower returns on full houses and pairs.

HandPay-out (multiple of bet)
Royal Flush800
Straight Flush200
Four of a Kind34
Full House8
Flush8
Straight8
Three of a Kind3
Two Pair1
Jacks or Better1

House edge: 1.5%

Tens or Better

As you would expect, pay-outs start at a pair of 10s.

HandPay-out (multiple of bet)
Royal Flush800
Straight Flush50
Four of a Kind25
Full House6
Flush5
Straight4
Three of a Kind3
Two Pair2
Tens or Better1

House edge: 0.9%

Joker Wild

This variant includes one Joker as a wild card. The lowest qualifying hand is a pair of Kings and, as with Deuces Wild, natural hands offer a better return.

How To Learn To Play Video Poker For Free

HandPay-out (multiple of bet)
Natural Royal Flush1000
Five of a Kind200
Joker Royal Flush100
Straight Flush50
Four of a Kind17
Full House7
Flush5
Straight3
Three of a Kind2
Two Pair2
Kings or Better1

House edge: 1.4%

Aces and Faces

This variant offers different pay-outs for four of a kind, depending on rank, with aces giving the best return.

HandPay-out (multiple of bet)
Royal Flush800
Straight Flush70
Four of a Kind (Aces & 8s)80
Four of a Kind (Sevens)50
Four of a Kind (Other)20
Full House8
Flush5
Straight4
Three of a Kind3
Two Pair2
Jacks or Better1

House edge: 0.74%

Full and low pay video poker

Most online casinos offer full pay machines only, meaning that pay-outs are nine times your wager for a full house and six times for a flush. Low pay machines offer a lower return (8/5, where full houses and flushes return eight and five times your bet respectively are most common). This results in a higher house edge.

If possible, you should always aim for full paying machines with a better return. Any game with a lower return than those in the tables above would be considered ‘low-pay'. Be sure to check the pay-outs before hazarding any cash.

Video poker strategy

Beat the house edge with our guide to basic video poker strategy. Video poker download.

Video poker is one of the few casino games where it is possible to beat the house edge. This page will introduce you to basic strategy for full-pay video poker variants (with and without wilds) via a series of hand charts, helping you get an edge over the casino with mathematically ‘perfect' play. Credit to Michael Shackleford (AKA ‘The Wizard of Odds') for these systems. If you need some help with the terminology, check out our poker glossary here.

Without wilds (e.g. Jacks or Better)

The following are the best plays, in order of absolute best to absolute worst (‘high' card indicates a pair of Jacks or better).

1Dealt Royal Flush
2Dealt Straight Flush
3Dealt Four of a Kind
4Four to Royal Flush
5Dealt Full House
6Dealt Flush
7Three of a Kind
8Dealt Straight
9Four to Straight Flush
10Two Pair
11High Pair
12Three to Royal Flush
13Four to a Flush
14Unsuited K/Q/J/10
15Low Pair
16Four to an outside straight with 0-2 high cards
17Three to a Straight Flush
18Suited Q/J
19Four to an inside straight, four high cards
20Suited K/Q or K/J
21Suited A/K, A/Q, Q/J
22Four to an inside straight, three high cards
23Three to a straight flush
24Unsuited K/Q/J
25Unsuited Q/J
26Suited J/10
27Two unsuited high cards, kings highest
28Suited Q/10
29Two unsuited high cards, ace highest
30J only
31Suited K/10
32Q Only
33K Only
34A Only
35Discard anything else

Pay-out: 99.54%

With wilds (e.g. Deuces Wild)

In the list below, a natural denotes a hand that uses no wild cards.

1Natural Royal Flush
2Four to a Royal Flush
3Straight Flush
4Four of a kind
5Full House
6Three of a Kind
7Straight/Flush
8Four to an outside straight flush
9Suited Q/J/10
10Four to an inside straight flush
11Three to a royal flush, except Q/J/10
12Pair
13Two Pair
14Four to a Flush
15Four to an outside straight
16Three to a straight flush, spread 3-4, suited
17Two to a royal flush, jack highest
18Three to a straight flush, spread five and suited
19Four to an inside straight, except missing deuce
20Two to a royal flush, queen highest
21Two to a royal flush, king highest, no penalty cards
22Discard anything else

Pay-out: 100.76%

Mobile video poker

Play virtual video poker anytime, anywhere on a variety of compatible devices.

Advancements in technology have made it possible for online gambling to be enjoyed from the convenience of a mobile phone. Video poker is an extremely popular game that is enjoyed across the globe by millions of players, many of whom choose to play via a smart device.

What is mobile video poker?

By recent estimates, around $10 billion is wagered through mobile platforms every singly year, and mobile revenues are increasing all the time.

Video poker on mobile devices is identical to the game you would expect on desktops: the interface is the same, as are the rules of play. The only difference is that you can gamble literally anywhere, as long as you have a compatible device and a robust internet connection.

Video poker on mobile devices

As video poker is a relatively simple game to port to mobile platforms, it's genuinely surprising that more software providers do not provide versions of video poker for mobile devices. The reason for this could be due to the ban on US-based players from the mobile casino arena, and that video poker is still seen as an activity suited to US casinos.

There are a few mobile casinos that do offer a version of video poker on mobile devices – 32Red, for example.

Most casinos that offer video poker requires a download in order for players to be able to play the game. These downloads are only typically available for Android and iOS based systems. As more and more mobile software providers begin to embrace HTML5 as the mobile-coding ‘option of choice', more games will be available for Windows Phone and BlackBerry users.

How to player video poker on a mobile device

Playing video poker on a mobile devices is as simple an affair as playing video poker at any online casino.

Unfortunately, only the most basic version of video poker – Jacks or Better – seems to be available for mobile platforms.

You begin the game by selecting the size of your bet, using from one to five coins. Once you're happy hit the ‘Deal' button to be dealt your poker hand consisting of five cards.

Tap any cards that you want to keep. You will see some indication that the card you have selected has been held. When you're satisfied with your selection, hit the ‘draw' button to receive your final poker hand. If you've managed to land a poker hand with at a least the value of a pair of jacks, then you will be paid according to the pay table as presented with the game.


  • Video Poker Wild Multihand

  • Jacks or Better

  • Play Your Cards Right


If you love the game of poker or just want to try something different, then video poker might become your new favorite game. Online and land-based casinos offer a wide variety of poker slots that recreate single-player poker with payouts as high as 4000 credits.

Games can be played for as little as a penny a credit, and payoffs for a royal flush are often linked to multiple games for huge jackpots. Linked games along casino bars allow you to play the games, have a drink, watch sports on big-screen TVs, and win big.

And you don't have to be an expert at poker. Video games are easy to play, somewhat addicting, and surprisingly easy. The best part is that by learning some strategy, you can actually change your financial destiny by saving or discarding cards. That's better than what slot machines can offer.

If you are a beginner, don't worry. I'll go through how the games work, what poker hands are, and the best way to play your cards. It's easy.

Unlike regular slot machines where you need only press a button to see your credits and the reels spin away, you'll make a poker decision each hand. Don't worry; the strategy is easy, and we'll get to that soon.

Learn
First, you should know that slot machines and videos have a motherboard and game chips. They are computers that use a random number generator for each hand to simulate real games. For the most part, they work quite well.

If you've never heard of an RNG, it chooses a number at random, and that number corresponds to a specific set of cards dealt from a standard deck of 52 cards (53, if you are playing Joker Poker). It does this by using computational algorithms to produce long sequences of random results using a seed value or key.

And what does that mean to you as the player? It means that in today's newer machines, the computer will choose a series of five cards that appear on the video screen after you press the 'play' button. The machine doesn't know what the five cards will be; it's just five random numbers that correspond to playing cards and suits.

Poker
First, you should know that slot machines and videos have a motherboard and game chips. They are computers that use a random number generator for each hand to simulate real games. For the most part, they work quite well.

If you've never heard of an RNG, it chooses a number at random, and that number corresponds to a specific set of cards dealt from a standard deck of 52 cards (53, if you are playing Joker Poker). It does this by using computational algorithms to produce long sequences of random results using a seed value or key.

And what does that mean to you as the player? It means that in today's newer machines, the computer will choose a series of five cards that appear on the video screen after you press the 'play' button. The machine doesn't know what the five cards will be; it's just five random numbers that correspond to playing cards and suits.

You choose to keep all of your cards or discard any number of them and have them replaced by other randomly-chosen cards. The trick to video poker is correctly drawing cards based on each possible outcome and the payout for each possible final hand.

Learn To Play Poker Beginner

If that's confusing, let me explain a little bit more. The object of poker is to make the best five-card hand possible. In video poker, the minimum hand for payouts is usually a pair of jacks. In the section below, I'll cover how those hands work.

Video poker is based on five-card draw. It's not the popular game of Texas Hold'em you might have played. There are no community cards, and you aren't playing against other players. That means you aren't playing for a 'pot.' You are instead playing to make the best hand. All payoffs are tied to your final hand.

If you don't make at least a pair of jacks, which will happen about 55% of the time, you lose your wager. This includes hands with no pair, no straight, and no flush. It also includes hands with a single pair of cards (such as 7 of spades and 7 of clubs) that are a lower denomination than jacks.


  • If you do get at least a single pair of jacks, queens, kings, or aces, you'll get your wager back. You aren't technically a winner, but you don't lose your bet.
  • When you make a final hand of two pair such as 2-2-K-7-7, you'll be paid 2 credits for each credit wagered.
  • The next-best poker hand is three of a kind, such as 8-8-8-3-5. Three of a kind pays 3 credits for each credit wagered.
  • A straight is any five cards in sequence, such as 3-4-5-6-7. In poker, an ace can be used for a high straight, such as A-K-Q-J-T, or a low straight of 5-4-3-2-A. All straights pay the same 4 credits for each credit wagered.
  • The next-best hand is a flush, which is five cards of the same suit, such as 2-5-8-9-Q, all of which are hearts. A flush pays 6 credits for each credit wagered.
  • A full house is three of a kind such as 4-4-4 and a pair – let's say K-K. Your payoff for a full house is 9 credits for each credit wagered.
  • Four of a kind pays 25 credits for something like J-6-6-6-6.
  • A straight flush is a combination of a straight and a flush. All cards must be sequential and of the same suit, such as 4-5-6-7-8 in spades. A straight flush pays 50 credits for each credit wagered.

The highest hand in poker, a royal flush, is also the highest straight flush. There are only four possible royal flushes, each consisting of the cards A-K-Q-J-T, all in the same suit. A royal flush pays 250 credits for each credit wagered. However, if you play five credits, the payout is 800-1, or 4000 credits for your wager of 5 credits.

Playing video poker is almost as easy as playing a slot machine. You put your cash in the bill validator, choose your game type and denomination, and check the reader boards above the video screen to make sure you are on the game you want.

The best Jacks or Better pay table is shown below:

Jacks or Better

Hand1 Coin2 Coins3 Coins4 Coins5 Coins
Royal flush25050075010004000
Straight flush50100150200250
4 of a kind255075100125
Full house918273645
Flush612182430
Straight48121620
3 of a kind3691215
2 pair246810
Jacks or better12345

As you can see, the higher your final hand, the more credits you'll win. But there are things you can do to improve your odds of winning. The first decision is how many credits to wager. Keep in mind that the largest payoff, the one for a royal flush, is 250 credits per credit wagered. However, if you bet five credits, you get 800 per credit wagered and 4000 total for 5 coins.

It's tough to hit a royal – about 43,000 to 1 against – but if you are playing, don't you want to get the best payoff? Again, it's up to you. Play one credit, and your bankroll won't get hit too hard on bad days. Play five credits, and you'll see more fluctuation, but you'll also find that the overall payback will be much better.

So how do you play? It's easy. Just find a comfortable seat in front of a machine and put your coins in the slot or run a bill into the validator. The screen will show you your total credits for the denomination you have chosen. If it's a multi-game machine, put your finger on the screen where the Jacks or Better logo is. That will take you to the best game to start playing, and the top of the screen will show your payoffs, similar to the one shown above on this page.

The buttons across the ledge allow you to hold cards. Next to the Cash Out button is one that says Bet One. You can press that button up to five times to reach maximum credits. Or you can press the Max Bet button to the right of the ledge. Be careful with this one since some machines allow wagers up to 100 credits.

To guard against accidentally wagering too many credits, press the Bet One button and see if it goes above 5 credits. If not, you are safe to press Max Bet. And once you have selected a bet size, when you press the Deal button, you will be dealt your first five cards at the same wager each time.

If the machine is multi-denomination, that means you can choose how much each credit is worth – usually 5 cents, 25 cents, or $1, although other denominations are sometimes available. If your machine has multiple games to choose from, you'll have to press the button on the screen that says More Games to change the denomination.

After you have pressed the bet button to wager, press the Deal button to get your first five cards. They will appear on the screen, and now you get to start making drawing decisions. The pay table above, referred to as a 9/6 table (which stands for 9 coins on a full house and 6 coins on a flush), allows the player to enjoy the game with only about a .5% house edge. That house edge is only if you play the correct strategy. If you make mistakes or play less than five coins/credits per hand, the house edge goes up considerably.

As for your starting hands, if you get five cards all below a jack with only two suited and none that can make a flush, well, you just need to toss them all, because that's the worst hand to start with. The best to start with is that royal flush we talked about, and if you are dealt a pat royal, the machine will lock out your choices, and you won't be able to accidentally bust up a winner. That's cool.

On the other hand, that pat hand only happens about once every 650,000 tries. Enjoy it if it happens. But what about other starting hands? We'll look at those next.

You'll have to make decisions every hand. Make good ones, and you will win more. Make bad ones, and your video poker experience can get expensive. For a standard game of Jacks or Better, follow the rules below, and you'll be on your way to success.

I'll go through each possible starting hand and guide you to the best payoffs, but keep in mind that the 'jackpot' on a video poker machine is a royal flush. When possible, you'll keep cards that can make a royal, or choose the next-best option to get a payoff. When presented with a hand like K-clubs, Q-clubs, T-clubs, Q-spades, and 4-hearts, what would you guess is the best play?

Well, it would be fun to keep the K, Q, and ten of clubs and go for the royal, and that's how some people play. If you want more royals, go for it; I understand. If you miss and don't make a royal, you'll occasionally make a flush, a straight, or a high pair that pays something.

However, if you want the best odds, you should keep the high pair of queens because it's a guaranteed winner every time. The odds of getting the jack and ten of clubs to make a royal are .00923, or about once in 923 tries. Trust me, that's, like, forever in video poker land. All decisions for video poker strategy are based on the overall best payoffs according to the mathematical probabilities presented for each starting hand.

That's a fancy way of saying you should follow the strategy because it pays the most, simple as that. Don't go with hunches, and don't vary from your strategy and save an ace while throwing away a small pair because it could make a royal. It could, but it probably won't in your lifetime of play.

So, here's another example. You press the Deal button, and the machine gives you a new hand. This time, you get the worst starting hand: one that has only two of a single suit, no straight draw, and all cards are below a jack. Yuck, this is as bad as it gets. As I mentioned before, you need to toss all your cards and draw new ones. You do this by pressing the Draw button without using the Hold option on any cards, or by pressing the screen. Newer video poker machines in land-based locations all have touch screens.

After pressing Draw, you get five new cards. Most of the time, you'll miss, but if you catch something like a high pair, you'll get a payoff. Either way, your decisions for that hand are over. So, press Deal, and let's move on to the next hand. The second-worst starting hand has just one high card. It's still a dog, but at least you get to keep the single jack, king, queen, or ace and discard the other four cards. Press the Hold button under the card you are keeping, and cross your fingers. You'll need some luck to survive.

You keep the high cards of jacks or better because that's where the payoffs start. If you make a high pair or better, the machine will automatically add your payoff to your existing credits and await your next play. And what's your play each hand? Keep the good cards and trade up to improve.

For instance, if you have no pairs and no four-straight or four-flush, but you get two suited face cards, you can keep them (that would be king, queen, jack, or ace). If you get A-T, discard the ten and save the ace. With these high suited cards, you can make a high pair or better, a straight, or even a flush.

  • Two unsuited high cards with no pair, straight, or flush draw is another hand that shows up often. Keep them, and discard the garbage.
  • Should you get three high cards, keep only the two lowest (J-Q, Q-J, K-Q) and discard the higher card to improve your chances of making a straight.
  • Here are the rest of the cards in ascending order that you will want to keep, assuming no big pair. The way to play them is to run through the list and play the highest possible option (closest to a royal flush).
  • Three suited cards that can make a straight flush. Keep those, and toss the junk.
  • Any four cards to make an outside straight. You'll get hands like 4-5-6-7 quite often. Drawing a single card to an outside straight will pay off 8 times in every 47, or about once every six tries.
  • You'll also get a small pair (twos through tens) quite often. Hold them and hope for trips or four of a kind. What you'll usually get is three random cards. If you catch another pair, you get paid 10 coins. Not too shabby.
  • When you get four cards of the same suit with no pair, toss the offending off-suit and prepare to make a flush. Assuming there is no straight flush draw and you have a pair, keep the pair, and discard the four-straight.
  • Any three cards to make a royal flush is great. Keep them, and discard the rest, unless you have a higher starting hand listed below.
  • A pair of jacks or better is a guaranteed payoff. That's a great start, so discard the junk.
  • Any two pairs can easily make a full house. Discard the rag, and keep the two pairs.
  • Four cards to make a straight flush is fun and profitable. You can make a straight, a flush, or even the elusive straight flush. Sometimes you won't make a payable hand. Call for cocktails.
  • Three of a kind pays off well. Toss any other non-pair and draw two cards. You'll often make a full house or even four of a kind.
  • A five-card straight should always be saved. Hold all cards.
  • A five-card flush should also be saved. Hold all cards.
  • A full house should be saved.
  • Four cards to a royal flush has lots of possible payoffs. You'll hit a royal once in 47 draws for the big payoff. You'll also hit a non-royal flush eight times out of 47, and several straights. As a consolation prize, you'll hit several paying pairs.
  • Four of a kind can't be improved, so enjoy.
  • A straight flush pays 250 coins/credits. Just hold all your cards.
  • A royal flush dealt pat only happens once in about 630,000 hands, but I've been lucky enough to see it happen on my video machine!

Although the payoffs listed earlier are for Jacks or Better, variations of video poker like Double Bonus and Deuces Wild have different pay tables. Each casino has the option of offering higher or lower payoffs for straights, flushes, and full houses.

The payoffs are adjusted to produce varying casino win rates. The 9/6 pay table shown above has a terrific payback for players, with 9 credits per coin wagered (45 credits for 5 wagered) for a full house and 6 credits per coin wagered (30 credits for 5 wagered) for flushes.

If you find a Jacks or Better game with a 7/5 payoff table (35 credits for a full house and 25 for a flush), the house edge is closer to 96%. On the other hand, you may find a 10/7 payoff game. To compensate for the higher full house payoff, two-pair pays only 1 to 1. That reduces the overall casino edge to close to 98%. Another example of this is the Double Double Bonus video game.

Double Double Bonus

Hand1 Coin2 Coins3 Coins4 Coins5 Coins
Royal flush25050075010004000
Straight flush50100150200250
4 aces with any A,2,3,4400800120016002000
4 aces160320480640800
4 2,3,4 with any A,2,3,4160320480640800
4 2s, 3s,4s80160240320400
4 5s through Ks50100150200250
Full house714212835
Flush510152025
Straight48121620
3 of a kind3691215
2 pair12345
Jacks or better12345

This video poker game is very popular. As you can see, Jacks or better and 2 pair pay the same. The flush and full house payoffs are also reduced to allow for the maximum payoffs when you get four of a kind, especially 4 aces with a small card.

Unfortunately, these changes reduce the overall payoffs to about 95.5%, so the house edge climbs to 4.5%.

Land-based casinos compete with other casinos found nearby, so slot and video poker payoffs are usually similar. If you are playing in Downtown Las Vegas where the casinos are side by side and right across the street from each other, there are lots of game choices, but are the payoffs significantly different?

Not usually. The games at the D aren't much different than those at the Nugget or across the street at the Fremont casino. However, you may find slightly better payoff tables on the higher-denomination video poker games. Quarter and dollar slots are often better than nickel slots.

Real vegas online review. In a gambling town like Vegas, you'll often find better payoffs at some of the outlying casinos which are considered 'locals' properties where a lot of effort is made to accommodate players who play regularly all year long.

You'll also find a good selection of games when playing online. Look for Jacks or Better, American Poker, Double Double Bonus, Joker Poker, and Deuces Wild. You'll also find the denomination you want. It's easy to change most online video poker games from a nickel to a dime or quarter or even drop your play to a penny. To do this, just click on the coin slot or denomination and see if it changes to what you are looking for.

That's one of the good things about online play. A bad thing about playing online is that the payoff percentages are more dependent on the software used than the casino. The software can also give you a very real experience on most providers, but you'll have to check for yourself to see what you like.

Your internet provider and computer graphics card will also have an impact on your graphics. Personally, I don't have a problem with the Flash version of most casino sites. That means I can connect and play very quickly without a drive to a local casino.

If you like Triple Play, you won't find the exact item that IGT offers to live casinos. However, there are several varieties of multi-line games to choose from.

Be careful with both multi-line games and multi-credit games. Although you will win more for a royal flush if you are playing more than five credits per spin, your variance will be much higher. That means your bankroll is likely to take a hit before you catch four aces or a royal flush. You may want to stick to the smallest wager that gets you 4,000 credits for a royal when you start playing.

You will probably find a wide variety of different video poker games, and each will have a slightly different strategy. So consider reading specific strategies for other video poker games. Some machines like Double Double and Aces and Faces offer larger payoffs for poker hands like four aces or four deuces. They too have different strategies to try and save your bankroll while you wait for a big payoff.

While you are getting your feet wet, stay away from multiple-hand games like Triple Play or multi-play-level games where you bet 18 credits per spin. That takes a larger bankroll, and any mistakes you make will get multiplied by however many hands you are playing!

You should also know that once you become proficient at video poker, you'll notice that hands are flying by at tremendous speed. You might even play more than 300 hands per hour. That works great when you are getting comp points, but again, it's tough on your bankroll.

How To Learn To Play Video Poker For Free Online

So, take your time, follow the easy strategy listed here, and enjoy yourself. When you are ready to learn other forms of video poker – some that have almost no house edge when played perfectly – check out the links below to other great games.





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