Playing Video Poker

If you didn't already know, video poker is a rare casino game where a player can actually build an edge against the house, under the right circumstances. Of course, this is not always easy to achieve and losses do occur. But for those who want to be smart about betting, this game represents one of the best choices at any online or land-based casino.

The purpose of this article is to explain the basics of the game, from how to play video poker to the most common types of different versions. Reading this will not guarantee you future winnings, but at least it will provide you with enough information to help you decide if video poker is right for you.

How to play video poker

Video poker is an easy game to learn, especially if you consider that a player can build up a reasonable edge against the house. Just like hand poker, this game starts when the player places his bet and is dealt five virtual cards.

After the hand has been examined, the player must decide how many cards to keep. All cards can be kept, some of them or none. This is done by pressing (or clicking) the button corresponding to each card on the screen.

Once the cards to keep have been selected, the game subtracts the others and deals replacement cards to the player. At this point the game ends and the computer determines the final value of the player's hand and pays the winnings accordingly. And as you can imagine, a stronger hand gets more money (a king straight being the jackpot-eligible hand on most video poker machines).

Popular types of video poker

The following list contains some of the most common versions of video poker. And whenever possible, we've also included a desired return to the player. This number, expressed as a percentage, tells you what kind of amount the player can expect to get back in the long run. For example, a 99% return rate gives back $99 for every $100 wagered (on average).

You'll also notice that games sometimes have a fraction in front of them, like 9/6 Jacks or Better. This means a full hand pays 9 times the original bet, while a flush pays 6 times the player's bet. 9/6 is generally the highest payout in Jacks or Better, so this is known as a "full payout" machine. Instead, the 8/5 machine could be called a "short payout" game because of its smaller payout.

Jacks or Better

Also known as "hand poker". This game does not pay unless the player lands a pair of jacks or higher. Using a simple strategy in this game, a player can expect to get a 99.46% return, while using a more advanced and optimal strategy will yield 99.54%.

Deuces Wild

In this version of the game, we look at couples. While a king straight consisting of one or more wild cards gives 125 credits, a natural straight is worth more with a payout of 4000 coins. Using a simple strategy in the paid version, the game gives a 100.71% return, which means that the player actually has an advantage over the house.

Bonus Poker

Being one of the most common options in the casino, this version offers a full 8/5 and includes a lot of different payouts for fours. With an optimal strategy, the expected return percentage is 99.17. It is not at all unusual for this variant of video poker to be the most beneficial version of some casinos, especially as some often give the player a mathematical advantage against the house.

Double Bonus Poker

10/7 is common in the paid version. Players are paid with a pair of jacks or a better hand, although fours give the best payout. The expected return percentage is 100.17.

Joker Poker

The joker shows as a wild card and the prize require a pair of kings or quite better. The expected return percentage is 100.64 when using the basic strategy.

Video poker is the best-kept secret in casinos, and many game lovers are happy to come across it and find out that it's not a slot game after all. Seasoned and experienced players know the truth, and that's why many of them scour the web and brick-and-mortar casinos for video poker machines with the best payout tables. Once a suitable option has been found, all you have to do is implement a suitable strategy, wait for the house edge to drop, and watch the account grow.