What is Video Poker Online?
Video poker is one of the most popular online casino games; its popularity came and went, but eventually, today this is one of the gambles that enjoy high demand. If you are wondering why, well, because firstly it offers some of the highest edges for the player, and secondly, you can actually win from the machine if your skills are good enough. Impressed? Another benefit of video poker compared to offline table game, or at Live Dealer online casino, is that you can play alone, and not be distracted or annoyed by other punters.
How to Play Video Poker: Basic Rules
Overall, online video poker is easy to learn, and if you’d like to play it more professionally for real money, you can take advantage of full guide on rules. Free video poker sites do not require you to know all the rules by heart, but you cannot but agree that winning is always more pleasant than losing, even if you bet with virtual cash.
Firstly, pay attention there are two types of gamble - one that suggests single player experience, and the other suggests player against dealer, even if you use automated machine and play in Practice mode. Despite numerous variations of the gamble, the concept for online video poker is similar.
The player has to choose the coin on the screen to make a bet. After that, they press Deal and get 5 cards. They hold two cards out of these five, and then get replacement for the cards they discarded. The outcome will form 5-card poker hand that will determine win or not win.
Next, the punter should learn the basic elements of the game - minimum paying hands, wild cards, hand ranking, and odds. Minimum paying hand is a combination of cards that allows the smallest win; the higher the hand ranking, the better are the wins. Wild card is a card that can be changed into any other card necessary to help the punter get a winning hand. Most often, wild cards are Deuces and / or Jokers.
Popular Video Poker Strategies
Success in video poker depends on luck, of course, but it also depends a lot on the punter’s ability to count the combinations of the cards - or odds of such combinations in the next cards provided. The better you remember the combinations already drawn, the better you can predict and manage the future combinations you stumble across. Moreover, video poker is a nice training option for real money poker, maybe first online, then against Live Dealer and other players, and then, offline at private tournaments in some luxurious brick and mortar gambling houses! If you are ambitious about that, check out our full guide on video poker.
However, even if you just want to entertain yourself, learning strategies will bring you more fun and engagement, than random playing, so take advantage of the following strategies.
Research Available Games
While this is not exactly a strategy in dealing the cards, this is very suitable for a complete newbie. Before you start learning serious and complicated combinations of hands, and methods of counting the combinations, explore the variations of games you can play. Look for the percent of the house edge, the Return To Player rate, and paytables if you happen to gamble at Live Dealer facility. Knowing these things will help you choose the best paying game, and you will be able to win consistently even without knowing strategies very well.
Start with Jacks or Better Strategy
Another good recommendation for a newbie is to start with Jacks or Better variation. The rules and methods in this game kinda lay a firm foundation for your poker skills in all other games.
Bet Enough to Win Big
Betting cautiously is always good, but in video poker, you have to bet five credit to be eligible for the highest wins and jackpots. In contrast to other free casino games, video poker features unusually big jumps from bet size to win size, and to take advantage of this, you have to bet enough.
Be Humble When You Start
If you see that you have a high paying hand, you’d better collect the winnings you are eligible for, and not wait for some better cards to come. This will help you recognize the winnings hands fast, and become more confident. Don’t wait for a bigger win in the next hand, better collect what you’ve got now. This strategy will also make you more immune to losses, and with time, you will be able to guess when to hold the combination, or when to wait for better cards to come.
Use Cheat Sheets
When you make your first steps in video poker, use cheat sheets to manage the hands quickly and properly. Put down paying hands, your bets, and what cards to hold or to discard. Even some expert punters have cheat sheets, so, you should too, when you learn how to play video poker.
