How to Play Video Poker

Video Poker is a popular game that can be played in casinos across the world, or alternatively at your house on your PC, through a web connection. The rules are very straightforward and involve the player attempting to achieve the greatest combination of cards possible in order to win money. In this respect it is very similar as a regular game of poker, apart from the involvement with competing players. Of course, methods employed during a physical game of poker, such as bluffing, will be irrelevant here.

The game of Video Poker begins when the enthusiast puts credits (whether it’s tokens, tickets or cash) into the machine and pushes the draw button. A 5 card hand will then be "dealt" on the screen.

The Electronic Poker machine also has hold buttons, and gamblers will need to now pick which cards to hold and which to throw away. For the cards the enthusiast would like to keep, the ‘hold’ buttons should be pressed so that they illuminate. The player can decide to keep any number of cards they want, whether it is all or none.

After the player has selected which cards he or she wishes to retain, they should press ‘draw’, at which point any fresh cards will be given out if desired. The hand is now completed, with the Video Poker machine analyzing the cards to see if it is the same as any of the winning hands shown on the pay out schedule.

Typically, the lowest winning hand on a Video Poker machine is a pair of jacks with the prize money growing for each and every better hand. A list of common winning hands starts with jacks or better, moving on to 2 pairs, three of a kinds, straights, flushes, full houses, 4 of a kinds, straight flushes and finally royal flushes. It is obvious that the payment schedule can change from machine to machine, so that discerning enthusiasts are agile enough to choose the most beneficial game every time.

Once the first round has completed, the player can either choose to continue on in an attempt to maximize their winnings, or press the ‘collect’ button to cash out any money that they may have won. Further, several versions of the game give the enthusiast a chance to double their wins, in which instance a further hand is played. There are also differences among individual machines, with some virtual decks having wild cards and other differing elements to enhance playability.