If you are one of those people who know the basic rules of poker you shouldn’t have much trouble playing video poker. People have been playing poker and similar games for centuries. The younger members of the family learned by watching and by getting the chance to play occasionally. You can learn more about this enjoyable pastime with this video poker guide.
A Few Simple Guidelines
The difference between video poker and “live” poker, of course, is that video poker is played on a machine with a viewing screen that displays the cards. This type of poker game has been around for several decades, though the early poker “computers” were very basic compared to the complex equipment and software used today. This video poker guide takes you deeper into the game as it is offered online today.
On a free-standing machine, playing video poker involves putting money or a purchased “ticket” into the video poker machine. If you are going to play video poker online, you just have to have an account that contains money to wager. Play begins when you press the button to “Deal.” The monitor or screen usually displays five cards because Five-Card Draw, Jacks or Better is the most common game.
Players can then choose to hold or discard individual cards in an attempt to improve the hand. This is accomplished by pressing the button for “Hold” or clicking on the cards you want to keep. After the new cards are displayed the machine or online casino pays out according to a pay table that is shown on the video-poker machine or can be viewed in the online casino.
Go Beyond the Basics
For anyone who has a fundamental knowledge of poker, the above description should be enough to allow an enjoyable session of video poker. But there is a lot more to the world of video poker than just a few hands of Five-Card Draw, with Jacks or better required to start winning.
You might play Five-Card Draw with Deuces Wild. This changes your chances a bit since any of the four 2s in the deck will make a pair with any other card. In fact, some online casinos offer as many as 18 different types of poker in their video-poker section. These varieties might include Seven Card Stud, 7s Wild, different bonus games or a combination game that uses features of both poker and slots. Read more about this fun game in our video poker guide.
