An introduction to video poker

Video Poker is a game that's becoming increasingly more popular both online and offline. As become becomes more popular, so does this variety of Poker which is where players have the opportunity to play a machine – even if online – like a Slot machine where they can play versions of Poker against the machine in order to receive a payout. Video Poker is a good way for players to get started in exploring the world of Poker, whether they plan on sticking with the video variety or moving on up to the tables.

Video Poker is primarily a game of luck, though there is a little bit of strategy that can be applied along the way! Many Video Poker machines are based on the game of 5 Card Draw, and this is the game that we will outline below. As games like Texas Hold 'Em increase in popularity, these games are also being made into Video Poker games.

How to Play Video Poker

1. Find a reputable casino that offers the specific Video Poker games you're looking for
2. Fund your account by using a secure deposit method offered, if you intend to play for real money
3. Select how many coins you'd like to bet for each hand. You can change between hands in Video Poker, but at most online casinos you have the option to bet between one and five coins. Some casinos won't ask you to bet based on chips or coins, but select a specific value per hand. Every machine should have a set minimum and maximum
4. Click the deal button to receive cards. Players receive 5 cards all face up, and can then choose to keep them or have some new cards deal. To keep them, you select the "hold" button under each card you choose to keep and then hit "draw"
5. New cards are dealt, and then the machine automatically calculates a players hand and pays out if there are any combinations eligible for some kind of payout
6. Extra bonus rounds – not all Video Poker games offer extra bonus rounds, but for those that do players can double their money. For the bonus round, players are dealt one card face down and four cards face up. The opportunity is to pick one of the face down cards, and if the value is greater than the one that's face up then the money is automatically doubled

Video Poker Strategies

Though Video Poker is based mostly on luck, there are a couple of simple strategies that players can try out.
1. Keep high cards – when there's not much else in a hand, players should keep their face cards
2. Draw for the royal flush
3. Join a loyalty club – if the casino you're playing at doesn't automatically offer players the chance to accumulate loyalty points or other rewards for playing, look into what's offered and if it's free, sign up for extra rewards