Before you start you need to learn how to play the game. Also, determining which version of Video Poker to play can be a task in itself. Casino Manual recommends you start with the simple ‘Jacks or Better’ version as this is the easiest to comprehend.
The aim of the game is to try and achieve the best possible hand from the 5 cards given to you by the casino. The game is based on a poker ranking of cards so is relatively easy to understand and play. When you play, you are dealt 5 cards initially. You can request anything from 1 card to 5 new cards or no cards at all.
In order to know what to keep or disregard when you get your first 5 cards, you must understand the ranking of poker hands. Casino Manual has devised a simple table to explain the various poker hands you can achieve whilst playing Video Poker. The poker hands are displayed from strongest to weakest hand in descending order:
Royal Flush
‘Ace’, ‘King’, ‘Queen’, ‘Jack’ and ’10’ of the same suit. It can be either hearts, spades, clubs or diamonds.
Straight Flush
5 consecutive cards from the same suit – for example, ‘4’, ‘5’, ‘6’, ‘7’ and ‘8’ of hearts.
Four of a Kind
4 cards of the same value – for example, ‘Queen’ of hearts, ‘Queen’ of Spades, ‘Queen’ of Clubs and ‘Queen’ of Diamonds.
Full House
3 cards of same value and 2 cards of another value – for example, ‘Queen’ of hearts, ‘Queen’ of Spades, ‘Queen’ of Clubs, ‘7’ clubs and ‘7’ of hearts.
Flush
5 cards of the same suit – for example ‘King’, ‘Jack’, ’10’, ‘5’ and ‘4’ of hearts.
Three of a Kind
3 cards of the same value – for example, ‘Ace’ of hearts, ‘Ace’ of diamonds and ‘Ace’ of clubs.
Two Pair
2 cards of one value and 2 cards of another value – for example ‘7’ of spades, ‘7’ of hearts, ‘King’ of hearts and ‘King’ of clubs.
Jacks or Better
Simply 2 Jacks, Queens, Kings, or Aces.
Playing Video Poker is pretty simple really. You play directly against the casino (online in this case) and never against other players. Here are the actions you need to take to play:
You make a bet (usually by selecting ‘Deal’ or ‘Max Bet’ if you want to play big).
The casino will present you with 5 cards.
You then make a choice as to which cards to keep and which cards to disregard (if any). If you have any of the poker hands above, the cards will be automatically held. For example, if you are presented with 3 cards that you want to keep as you have a chance to get a straight or flush, you will have to press the ‘Hold’ button below the cards to keep them.
The cards that you have chosen to disregard will then be replaced by the casino with new cards.
If you land a winning hand, you receive a payout according to your hand and the payout table of the particular game (this will be covered in the next section). If you do not get one of the mentioned poker hands, you will lose your original stake.
If you do have a winning hand, you can choose the gamble and double your win. This consists of deciding correctly if a random card is either black or red in colour or either a club and spade or a heart and diamond.
This is the basis of how to play Video Poker. As you can see, the game is pretty simple. Next, Casino Manual explains the odds and payout of the most popular versions of the game. You can read all about this and more: simply click here.