All About Video Poker

All About Video Poker

There are few casino goers, both online and real world, who don’t know what video poker is. Video poker is one of the most commonly played electronic gambling games, with tens of thousands playing video poker online on a daily basis. For those unaware, video poker takes all that players love about poker and adjusts it to be played in a form similar to a slot game.

The player is given a hand of five cards, and may select which cards to hold. The others will be replaced with new cards. The goal of the game is to create the best poker hand possible, with payouts being made for hands with a value above a certain level, generally a pair of Jacks. The higher the value of the hand, the higher the payout made, with the best poker hands giving enormous payouts, the equivalent of a slot game jackpot.

Video Poker Details

Video poker follows all the expected rules of poker, using a real deck of cards, dealing cards in an unbiased fashion, and having the exact same statistics and probability of real world poker. A video poker player has the exact same chances of being dealt a valuable hand as in real poker.

The only major difference, of course, is that the player is not putting their hand against other players, but against a list of possible hands. This makes video a poker a bit more like a slot game, as opposed to a game of poker against other players. It can be seen that the chances of achieving hands in poker are similar to landing matching sequences in a slot game.

Video Poker Jackpots And Bonuses

Many video poker games have added bonus features to keep the proceedings interesting. Some video poker games, for example, payout bonuses if the player has a specific card in their hand. For example, if the player’s final hand has a jack of hearts, a small bonus payout will be issued. This creates an interesting situation where the player must choose between keeping a card that is potentially not useful for a poker hand, but will give a guaranteed bonus payout.

Video poker games may also have a jackpot system, offering a huge payout if the player manages to achieve a royal flush, for example. This encourages players to try and achieve the most valuable hand possible, as opposed to aiming for a less valuable, but more easily achievable hand. The payouts available at a Canadian real money casino may differ from others across the globe, and when you play video poker it’s always suggested you review the paytable first to see what sort of rewards are up for grabs for what hands.

Video Poker Availability

Video poker will be available in almost every online casino, and have a few variations that players may select from. The core rules of video poker games are largely the same, but different versions may have different bonus and jackpot systems. It is up to the player to select which version they prefer.

Also keep in mind that many online casinos offer video poker for free, not requiring the player to spend any money in order to play. Free play video poker is a great way for newcomers of the game to learn the rules, without risking any cash.