Recently, many casino games have begun instructing how to play video poker. This is due to its unique gameplay, low house edge, and generous pay tables. Video poker combines some of the characteristics of slots and poker. Therefore, it is essential to master how to form winning hands and understand the role of chance in gaming.
Our American casino guide will explain how to play video poker using simple terms. This will allow you to start playing confidently and apply strategies to turn every draw into a winning opportunity. Let’s get started.
How to Play Video Poker Like a Professional
Video poker is a casino game merging slots and classic poker features with a low house edge of about 0.5%. They are designed by merging slots and classic poker game features. A game round begins with receiving five cards from a standard card deck. Following video poker rules, you’ll keep some, discard some, and receive new cards for those discarded.
As mentioned in our video poker jokers wild guide, the objective in this game is to form the best possible five-card hand. However, random number generators (RNGs) run the card combinations in video poker instead of a dealer. Likewise, there is no bluffing, human opponent, or multi-round betting.
Popular video poker game variants include Deuces Wild, Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker, and Aces and Eights. And how to play aces and eights is as easy as others.
That said, let’s jump into the video poker guide.
How to Play Video Poker: A Simple Guide for Beginners and Experts
The American Casino Guide for Video Poker is simple. Follow these step-by-step rules to master how to play video poker games.
Step 1: Choose Your Credit and Bet
The bet sizes in video poker are available in credit or coin values of 1–5. Placing max bets will earn you bigger payouts.
Step 2: Deal the Cards
Press “Deal” to receive five cards, which will appear on your device screen.
Step 3: Choose Cards
You decide which card to keep or discard by pressing or not pressing the Hold button beneath each. There are video poker tips to help you make strategic decisions and boost your skills. We’ll highlight them later.
Step 4: Draw New Cards
Click “Draw” to receive new cards for those you discard and form your final five-card hand which determines if you win or lose.
If you form a winning hand (e.g., a pair of jacks or better in Jacks or Better), payouts depend on the pay table against which the machine evaluates your hand. Play the best video poker games for big payouts.
Video Poker Hand Rankings
Hand rankings are essential to master how to win at video poker. They can guide your video poker strategy on holding or discarding cards.
From lowest to highest, video poker hand ranks are:
High Card, One Pair, Two Pair, Three of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, Four of a Kind, Straight Flush, and Royal Flush.
Royal Flush has the highest payout, especially with max bet. This brings us to a popular question: Why is it better to play multi hand video poker? One of the main reasons is the short time you can get royal flush points.
Video Poker Basic Strategies and Tips
While card drawing in video poker is luck-based, the game also hinges on skill and decision-making. Though there are tips peculiar to certain games, for example, you can learn more about triple double bonus poker strategy, the following smart strategy tips will help maximize your odds in most variants.
- Always opt for the lowest house edge games. Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild have a 0.5% house edge (or even 0% at optimal play).
- Study the pay table for high-payout games like 9/6 Jacks or Better.
- Try betting on max coins (5 credits) for higher payouts to improve long-term returns.
- Always hold strong hands, which have high pay.
Conclusion
Our guide on how to play video poker can help you beat the house if matched with proper bankroll management. Video poker is one of the few games where the house has a low advantage. With an appropriate strategy, you can win, though its slot feature also makes it unpredictable. Visit Slots Paradise Casino today and play with confidence!
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