Video poker, like slots, is available online as well. The great news is its online version has a low house edge, as little as under 0.3%, and it’s straightforward.
In this brief Guide to Online Video Poker, we’ll let you know everything about the game, whether you play it online or at a brick-and-mortar casino.
What’s video Poker?
Video poker is an old casino favourite based on a five-card draw played on a computerized console similar to a slot machine. In fact, in most land-based casinos, you find them at the slot machine section of the casino.
The game mechanics of video poker looks similar to slots, but underneath, they are quite different. However, in both cases, you play against the computer. So, they require you to input cash on the machine before playing.
For slots, you match random symbols on a payline, and the payoffs depend on the probability of landing these combinations. That’s not the case for video poker.
Types of Video Poker
● Deuces Wild – The 2’s serves as the wild in slots. The game calculates the best hand and replaces the 2’s with the best cards.
● Jacks or Better – It’s the most popular video poker game but cuts out a lot of action. Here, the player’s hand with the most pairs of jacks wins!
● Bonus Poker – It’s the reverse of poker as you want the lower cards. The least scoring hands win. Thus the aces, 2’s, 3’s, or 4’s form strong hands.
How a video poker game works
In video poker, the software randomly deals you cards, and the onus is on you to make the best hand based on these cards. You can change the cards you don’t like, replacing them with other randomly dealt cards. The final value of your poker hand determines what you win.
Place a wager between 1 and 5 coins once you input your money and the game deals you cards, then press or click the “deal” button.
In slots, you can’t calculate the house edge but take casino assigned value. For video poker, though, the software generates the cards based on the known probabilities of playing cards. But the game uses a random number generator to draw cards. That means the cards are random with every dealing, similar to playing an infinite deck. So, won’t anticipate the next card but only know that cards you can see and those you’ve discarded.
Since you decide which cards to keep, you directly influence your odds of winning. And that’s what makes video poker a game of skill.
How to Play Video Poker Games
As a video poker player, you have two decisions to make. Before you begin, decide the amount you wish to bet, then deal the cards. Afterwards, decide on which cards to keep or those to replace from your hand.
In some variants of video poker, there are additional gambling features. For example, in NetEnt’s Jacks or Better Double Up, you get a bonus bet option to double your winnings by guessing the suit or colour of the next card. If you’re wrong, you lose your winnings.
The difference between physical and online video poker
There are no significant differences between physical and online video poker. The concept and the feel of the game are identical, and so are rules.
However, you have the advantage of playing online because of the different bonuses that online casinos offer. Also, some online video poker games have enhanced RTP, giving you an even better chance of winning.
In video poker, your strategy is to build the best possible hand. Even though the order of best possible hands varies slightly based on the type of game you are playing, you only decide whether to hold or exchange your cards. It’s a mix of both skill and strategy, but since you are playing against the computer, you won’t exploit anyone else’s bad decisions.