Video Poker

The rules of video poker are relatively easy to follow:

Players insert between one and five coins into the machine.

The video poker machine deals the player five cards.

The player decides which cards to hold and which to discard.

The machine replaces the discarded cards.

The video poker machine pays out any winning combinations.

Most video poker games are played with a standard deck of 52 cards and the ultimate aim is to achieve the best combination of cards using skill to choose which to keep and which to discard after the initial deal. Payout is dependent on the schedule that is listed on the video poker machine. Video poker is played between the player and the dealer, and the other players in the casino are of no importance to the game or its results.

With the advent of video poker, however, different variations were introduced over the years, all with the different rules and payout schedules. Below is a table listing the most common forms of video poker games and their respective rules:

Video Poker	Rules of the Game
Aces and Eights Video Poker	Standard video poker game except that the Four of a Kind combination has a higher payout than usual.
Jacks or Better Video Poker	Players need to have a minimum of one pair of Jacks to form a winning hand.
Deuces Wild Video Poker	The Deuces (2’s) are considered wild cards in this game. Replaces any other card in the pack and can be used to form any winning combination. A minimum three of a kind combination forms a winning hand.
Aces and Faces Video Poker	Similar to Jacks or Better. Four Aces are considered higher than a straight flush. Four Jacks, Queens or Kings are considered higher than four of a kind at a lower rank.
Jokers Wild Video Poker	The Jokers are considered wild cards in this game. Replaces any other card in the pack and can be used to form any winning combination. A minimum of two pairs in the player’s finished hand forms a winning hand.
Tens or Better Video Poker	Similar to Jacks or Better. Players need to have a minimum of one pair Tens to form a winning hand. Payouts are slightly lower than Jacks or Better due to the increased chance of winning.
10 Play Power Poker	Played as regular video poker except that the player has ten hands of poker instead of the usual one.

One of the most popular versions of video poker is the progressive game. Video poker machines are linked up to a network of other machines and every time a player feeds the machine, the jackpot offered by the network increases. The amount is usually a fixed base amount that steadily progresses over time. The higher the amount, the more players are drawn to the jackpot in the hope of being the lucky winner and this automatically increases the amount even more. After the jackpot has been won, the amount is reset, sometimes at a slightly higher sum than before. It is important to remember to play the maximum amount of coins to stand in line to win the jackpot.

Avoid keeping kicker cards. These are cards that have a high face value (eg. a King) and are unpaired. Kickers can reduce your chance of success by more than 5%.

New players should stick to low denomination machines until they have built up their confidence and their skill level at video poker.

Wherever possible, play the maximum amount of coins. In normal video poker, the payout for a Royal Flush is much higher with five coins than if played with one. Also you cannot qualify for the jackpot if you do not play with the maximum coins.

Make sure you that understand the payout tables. Knowledge is power and the more you understand, the better educated your choices will be.

Stick to full-pay games such as 9/6 Jacks or Better.

Take your time! There is no pressure from anybody to make your next move so it’s wise to study your hand very carefully to see if you can improve it.

The Jack is probably the most important card in the deck and should take precedence over even the ace.

Don’t get overwhelmed. With so many versions of video poker out there, it is easy to be tempted to try them all. Rather stick to one or two versions and learn them well.

Practice using free online casino software to improve your skill level.

Don’t draw four cards if you can draw three to a royal flush.

The only reason not to keep a five-card winning pat hand is if you can draw one card to a royal.

Break a flush to draw a royal.

Don’t break a straight to draw to a royal flush.

Don’t draw a five if you have a Jack or Better.

Don’t hang on to a ten in your hand for a four card draw.<

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Although video poker is essentially a game between the player and the machine, a popular spin off these days is to take part in video poker tournaments. There are a number of different kinds of tournaments, each with their own individual rules and gaming conditions. We outline some of the more popular:

Entry Fee Tournaments: Players pay an entry fee for the tournament and are given a certain number of credits and a time limit to play in. The player with the maximum amount of credits at the end of the tournament is declared the winner. The prize is either money made up from the entry fees or a fixed guaranteed amount offered by the casino.

Buy-in Tournaments: Players buy credits and any winnings or losses directly affect their own accounts. The player with the most credits at the end of the tournament usually gets a prize. All players start off with the same number of credits.

Unlimited Buy-in Tournaments: Similar to buy-in tournaments (although usually longer in length), except that players do not need to start with the same number of credits. The prize at the end of the tournament is given to the player who has increased the highest percentage of his or her bankroll.

Progressive Tournaments: Played over several rounds with winners of each round moving up to the final event.

Speed Tournaments: An event where speed is the determining factor – the faster you play, the more chance you have of winning. Usually not recommended for players who are new to the game.