Video Poker is a popular game that can be wagered on in casinos across the globe, or in your house on your PC, using a web connection. The game rules are absolutely straightforward and involve the player attempting to get the best combination of cards achievable in order to win cash. In this respect it’s much the same as a classic game of poker, without the involvement with competing players. Of course, tactics employed during a real-life game of poker, like tricking, will be useless here.
The game of Electronic Poker starts when the player puts credits (either tokens, credit slips or cash) into the video poker machine and pushes the deal button. A five card hand will be electronically ‘given out’ on the screen.
The Video Poker machine also has hold buttons, and enthusiasts will need to now decide which cards to keep and which to throw away. For the cards the player would like to retain, the ‘hold’ buttons must be pressed so that they illuminate. The player can decide to keep any amount of cards they want, from all to none.
After the enthusiast has selected which cards he or she wishes to keep, the player will then press ‘deal’, at which point any new cards are needed they will be dealt. The game is now finished, with the Electronic Poker machine analyzing the hand to see if it is the same as any of the winning hands listed in the payment schedule.
Typically, the lowest winning hand on an Electronic Poker machine is a pair of jacks with the award money growing for each and every better hand. A common list of winning hands begins with jacks or better, moving on to two pairs, three of a kinds, straights, flushes, full houses, four of a kinds, straight flushes and finally royal flushes. It goes without saying that the payout schedule can range from game to game, so that experienced enthusiasts are able to choose the most money-making ones every time.
After the first round has played out, the player can either decide to continue on in an attempt to maximize their earnings, or they can press the ‘collect’ button to retrieve any credits that they may have won. Additionally, several versions of the game give the gambler an opportunity to double their wins, in which situation a further game is played. There are also differences between individual games, with some virtual decks including wild cards and other differing elements to enhance playability.
