How To Play Video Poker

Video poker is a fun alternative to the classic casino game. It requires all the same skill and technique but doesn’t need other people for you to play. Instead of other players and a dealer, you are pitting your wits against a computer. This gives you the opportunity to play at your own pace and at your own time.

This casino alternative has been around since the early 1970s. The game was often called “poker slots” because the video interface reminded people of slot machines. While video poker is more complex than a slot game, it is similar in that the card combinations are drawn randomly by a similar number generator. The major difference is the skill required to play.

The Basics Of The Game

Video poker can be played online or at land-based casinos. There are also some online operators who offer live video poker, which gives you a combination of the online and land-based experience. Once you have picked your machine or operator, it’s time to pick the game you want to play. Jacks or Better is the most common and popular title or type of game in the video poker world.

Once you signed in or started your game, you’re ready to place your bet and hit the deal button. Remember, placing a maximum bet gives you a higher chance of winning big. However, if you are new to the game it’s best to start small while you are learning the basics.

Jacks or Better uses 52 cards, meaning there are no jokers in the pack. Other games such as Joker Poker and Deuces Wild include the jokers in the deck. By adding these two extra cards, these games do you lower your chances of winning. This is why Jacks or Better is the most popular choice.

Tips For Winning

There are a number of ways to win at poker, including flushes, a full house, a straight, four of a kind, three of a kind and two pair. A royal or straight flush gives you your highest chance of winning. The former is when you have the top five cards of a suit – meaning ace, king, queen, jack, ten. The latter is when you have five cards from the same suit in numerical order. This can be any of the same suit but they must be consecutive.

In video poker, you aren’t playing against other players or even a dealer. All you need to do is get a winning hand. In Jacks or Better, this means you need a pair of jacks or better. In other words, you need to get two jacks in your hands or a pair of higher cards. Three other kind in lower cards will also equal a winning hand.

When looking at the first five cards dealt, if you can see a flush or four of a kind always hold. If you see three of a kind or two pair, discard the other cards for a chance at a higher hand. It’s never a good idea to break up a potential straight or flush.