Video poker is a poker variant played using a computerized console. The simpler rules, lower house edge, and higher winning potential make it one of the most played poker games at online casinos. This article provides all the information you need to play video poker and offers the best video poker strategies.
The Video Poker Game
Table Of Contents
- 1 The Video Poker Game
- 2 Game Objective
- 3 Rules of Video Poker
- 4 Hand Rankings in Video Poker
- 5 How to Play Video Poker? Simple Guide
- 6 Video Poker Odds
- 7 Different Bets in Video Poker
- 8 6 Best Video Poker Strategies to Win
- 9 Different Variations of Video Poker
- 10 Video Poker Bankroll Management
- 11 Video Poker Strategy Chart Cheat Sheet
- 12 Things to Avoid in a Video Poker
- 13 Is Video Poker a game of Skill or Luck?
- 14 Final Thoughts
- 15 Frequently Asked Questions
Video poker is a casino game in which players aim to make the best combination of hands using the cards dealt. The game is played using a 52-deck of cards making a possible combination of 32 ways to play the hand. A player has to insert coins into the machine to generate cards.
Game Objective
A player aims to make the best possible poker hands using the cards dealt. Players make bets with the belief of having the best hand. Different combinations of cards can be formed, generating different payouts.
Rules of Video Poker
- Bets are made before the cards are dealt.
- A player must make the bet between the minimum and maximum betting limits.
- The coins are inserted into the machine to begin the game.
- The machine generates five cards for each player.
- A player can either ‘hold’ or ‘discard’ the cards based on the chance of creating a winning hand.
- Discarded cards can be replaced by drawing a new card from the deck.
- The hand values are calculated and payouts are made if winning combinations are made.
Hand Rankings in Video Poker
The hand rankings of video poker are as follows (from high to low):
- Royal flush
- Straight flush
- Four of a kind
- Full house
- Flush, Straight
- Three-of-a-kind
- Two pairs
- One pair
- High card
- Royal Flush: A royal flush is a combination of Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 of the same suits. A spade or heart forms a royal flush.
- Straight Flush: Five cards of the same suit in a sequential order. A combination of 5/6/7/8/9 forms a straight flush or any other cards of the same kind.
- Four of a kind: Four cards of the same number or face. 2/2/2/2 all of black or 2/2/2/2 all of red or any other cards with similar combinations form a four-of-a-kind.
- Full House: Two cards of a similar number or face and two of another. J/J/J/K/K, K/K/K/J/J, or any other cards of similar combinations generate a full house.
- Flush: Five cards, all of the same suit in any order. J/K/5/9/8 all of black or all of red or any random combination of the same suit.
- Straight: Five cards in a sequence, but with a different suit. 2/3/4/5/6 of different colors or any other similar combinations.
- Three of a kind: Three cards of the same number or face. 2/2/2, 3/3/3, or any similar pattern forms a three-of-a-kind.
- Two pair: Two pairs of cards with the same number or face. 3/3, 4/4, or any similar forms a two-pair.
- Pair: A pair of Jack, Queen, King, or Ace. J/J, Q/Q, and K/K present in a combination of five cards.
How to Play Video Poker? Simple Guide
The play of video poker is simple and involves a few steps.
1. Place bets
All players participating in the game must place an initial bet, between the minimum and maximum betting limit. The bet is placed using coins, a player has to determine the worth of the coins.
- A player can analyze the pay table to understand how much each hand pays.
Once the bet is placed, a player has to hit the deal button, on which the first cards get dealt. In some games, all cards are dealt face up at the same time, or one by one face down.
A player can hold or discard their cards in a video poker game.
- To keep a card a player presses on the hold button which is seen next to every card.
- The hold cards are kept and the remaining cards are exchanged with new cards from the deck.
4. Determining the winner
Depending on the hand combinations generated using the held cards payouts are made.
Video Poker Odds
A video poker game offers 32 ways to play a hand, a player has to choose wisely to either hold or discard the cards to make the most possible odds of winning. The odds of video poker depend on the rankings of the hand, the probability of winning a royal flush is much lesser than the high card, but the payouts are higher for a royal flush than a pair.
The table below outlines the odds of winning a video poker game based on the hand rankings.
| Hand | Odds |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 649,740 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 72,193 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 4,165 to 1 |
| Full house | 694 to 1 |
| Flush | 509 to 1 |
| Straight | 255 to 1 |
| Three-of-a-Kind | 47 to 1 |
| Two of a Kind | 21 to 1 |
| Two Pair | 7.69 to 1 |
| One Pair | 2.37 to 1 |
Different Bets in Video Poker
Understanding the possible bets in video poker definitely improves the chances of winning the game, as it influences the amount in return on every wager made.
Here’s the list of different bets made in video poker:
- Single coin bet: A single coin bet involves betting using only a single coin. It is the smallest bet a player can make at a video poker game. A single coin bet is proportional to the payout of the winning hand.
- Multi-coin bet: A multi-coin bet uses more than one coin, generally five coins. This is the most preferred bet by players while playing a video poker game.
- Maximum coin bet: Maximum coin bet uses the maximum number of coins and is considered to be the most profitable betting type in a video poker game.
A player can make a bet in a video poker game by choosing the variant to play, choosing the bet type, and placing the bet between the minimum and maximum betting limit.
6 Best Video Poker Strategies to Win
Learning the video poker game is not as complicated as regular poker, however, to make a win, a player must apply some strategies.
1. Understand the game rules properly
To win at every game a player must get used to the playing rules. Knowing the basic rules helps to deploy an effective video poker strategy to increase the winning chance in video poker.
2. Understand the hand rankings
Hand rankings are one of the most important criteria in determining the winning of a video poker game. Proper information on the hand ranking helps a player analyze the possible combinations and payouts, thereby improving their winning.
3. Make maximum coin bet
Though the maximum coin bet requires more coins, the payouts it offers are proportionally higher than single and multi-coin bets, especially for a Royal flush, making it one of the key video poker strategies.
4. Make use of the video poker strategy chart
The video poker strategy chart gives quick information about the hand possibilities that can be dealt with. This chart helps a player to make informed decisions by analyzing the hand rankings.
5. Analyze the paytable
Every game has a certain paytable, and the paytable of a single game varies according to the casino in which the game is played. Thus one has to analyze the paytable before beginning the game, helping in determining the player returns and thereby implementing a strategical gameplay.
6. Play free games
Before investing real money, it is better to practice with free games, implement the learned rules, apply different strategies, and analyze the game outcome. After feeling confident play the real money game, which reduces the risk of loss of money.
Different Variations of Video Poker
Casinos offer different variants of poker, and the varieties may vary from casino to casino. The main advantage of playing video poker variants is that all of them have the same basic rules.
Different variations of video poker are,
1. Jacks or better
Jacks or better is considered the standard video poker, offering good odds with straightforward gameplay. This variant pays out for any hand having a pair of jacks or better, hence the name. It is mainly played by newbies and offers a payout range of 99.5%.
2. Deuces Wild
In Deuces Wild, all twos that appear are considered wild cards, which means a player can substitute any card to form a winning hand. Though the minimum hand ranking is three of a kind, it offers new hand rankings like five of a kind and wild royal flush.
The number of winning combinations is high in Deuces Wild compared to other variants. This variant offers a payout percentage of 100.8%.
3. Double bonus poker
Double bonus poker is a variation of Jacks or better, with a bonus payout for a distinct four-of-a-kind. It offers extra payouts for any four like four aces, four 2s, four 3s, four 4s, and four 5 through kings. The variant provides a payout of 100.2%.
4. Joker’s Wild
In Joker Wild, the Joker acts as a wild card, offering new winning combinations including five-of-a-kind and wild royal flush, though it is counterbalanced by a pair of kings or better.
5. Bonus Deuces Wild
As the name suggests, Bonus Deuces Wild is a variation of Deuces Wild offering bonus payouts. All 2s act as wild cards and five of a kind, and four deuces get extra payouts. The variant requires strategic gameplay since it offers big payouts.
Video Poker Bankroll Management
Effective bankroll management helps a player play the game for the long term without risking much money. A player always makes a budget gameplay in which money is wagered based on how much he can afford a loss.
Every player’s budget varies as their incomes are different every player has to set their own bankroll and stick to them. Make sure to quit the game on encountering continuous loss instead of playing more to regain the losses. Playing more and more may result in severe losses which may be difficult to overcome.
Video Poker Strategy Chart Cheat Sheet
A video poker strategy chart acts as a guide for players, both newbies and high rollers, which helps in determining the cards a player has to keep to form a winning hand. A strategy chart enhances the level of playing by implementing a skilled game providing analysis of winning and losing over long-term gaming.
The below strategy chart is based on the number of cards to be kept and discarded for forming the combination of particular hands.
| Starting Hand | Number of cards to be kept | Number of cards to be discarded |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 5 | 0 |
| Straight Flush | 5 | 0 |
| Four of a Kind | 5 | 0 |
| Full House | 5 | 0 |
| Four to a Royal Flush | 4 | 1 |
| Flush | 5 | 0 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 2 |
| Straight | 5 | 0 |
| Four to a Straight Flush | 4 | 1 |
| Two Pair | 4 | 1 |
| High pair | 2 | 3 |
| Three to a Royal Flush | 3 | 2 |
| Four to a Flush | 4 | 1 |
| Low Pair | 2 | 3 |
| Four to a Straight | 4 | 1 |
| Three to a Straight Flush | 3 | 2 |
| Two to a Royal Flush | 2 | 3 |
| Two High Cards | 2 | 3 |
| One High Card | 1 | 4 |
| Nothing | 0 | 5 (Redraw for better cards) |
Things to Avoid in a Video Poker
1. Avoid keeping a kicker
Many players believe that keeping a kicker improves the winning chance and payout, but the fact is avoiding the kicker is best, especially on playing a jack or a better card.
2. Avoid holding three cards while chasing a straight or a flush
Most players keep three cards in the hope of getting a straight or a flush, putting them in a loss position in most cases. The only advantageous position in keeping the three cards is on chasing a valuable straight flush which offers a bigger payout.
3. Improper betting
Though a max coin bet offers a higher payout, it is better to start with a single coin bet and understand the probability before making a big money bet.
4. Playing too many hands
As we mentioned video poker offers 32 ways to play hands, but playing too many hands increases the chances of losing.
5. Not playing enough hands
As playing many hands is not a great deal, not playing enough hands is also not a good idea, as it reduces the winning chance by resulting in bad beats.
Is Video Poker a game of Skill or Luck?
Looking from outside the game, one can feel that video poker is a game of luck, as the cards are generated randomly, but once a player gets into the game, he understands that the game involves skill in long-term gameplay and momentary luck in the short term. One can impact the edge of the game by employing skilled gameplay.
The game involves not only drawing and discarding cards, which are randomly generated by computer but also involves determining the hand strength and forming the best combination of hands, which indeed requires strategy. Thus a video poker game is predominantly skill-dominated.
Final Thoughts
Video poker is a poker variant in which players hold and discard the dealt cards until a possible winning combination is made. The game combines features of slot machines and standard poker, the dealing and drawing of cards are done using a computer machine, and the winning is determined by the hand combinations formed, similar to poker. One has to apply a certain level of strategy to ace the video poker game, though luck also takes part in determining the winner.
Understanding these video poker strategies can significantly enhance your gameplay and improve your chances of winning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Royal Flush
The hand rankings of the video poker are as follows, Royal Flush, Straight flush, Four-of-a-kind, Full house, Flush, Straight, Three-of-a-kind, Two pairs, One pair, and High card (from low to high).
Yes. Video poker is a game in which players draw and discard cards to form winning combinations. One can win at a video poker game by implementing effective strategies.
A player can play a fast game if he owns an edge over the house, else it is better to play slowly.
Playing multiple hands is better, though playing too many hands is not advised, as it reduces the chances of winning.
