Video poker refers to a wide variety of online casino games that base their rules on traditional poker. Video poker is so popular, it is one of the few casino games found outside of casinos, in bars, nightclubs, and even convenience stores or petrol stations across Australia.

Though these games are closely related to online pokies, they are different in one important way. A player’s strategy affects the outcome; video poker is a game of skill. The skill element is also responsible for the fact that some variations have better player odds.

With practice, knowledge of basic strategy, and by playing versions of the game that have the most lucrative pay tables. You can reduce the house edge to well below one percent.

Video Poker terminal screenshot

Rules of Video Poker

Since video poker is traditionally played on a screen, it lends itself perfectly to online casinos. Whether you are pressing a button on a video poker machine or tapping the screen on your mobile casino.

That being said, one of the main benefits of an online casino is there are no limitations on size. A land-based casino only has so much square footage and that limits the variations of machines they have room for. This isn’t a problem for online casinos and why you always see multiple variations of casino games.

The rules of video poker are simple. Once a player picks their game and places a bet, their starting hand is dealt. Generally, this is five cards. The biggest decision of the game for a player is which cards to keep and which to replace.

The idea is to build the most valuable hand according to the game’s payout percentages and rules. Once the player chooses which cards to replace. The player payout is awarded based on the values of the game’s pay table.

Differences Between Video Poker and Poker

Now then, since the game of video poker is played not at a table with other players, but rather on a machine, there are elements in regular poker that are eliminated in video poker, such as bluffing and hands that outrank each other.

There are different games and versions of video poker that vary from regular poker, and one example is the game entitled Jacks or Better. In this version, all of the hands have the same value as regular poker except for one major difference, pairs that make up jacks or better, be it two jacks, two queens, two kings and two aces, are the lowest pairs in value within the game.

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Strategy of Video Poker

When it comes to the best poker video game strategy, the first thing you need to focus on is the pay tables. You don’t need to memorize the pay tables as they are generally clearly displayed on the screen. However, they do vary so it’s worth becoming familiar with the payable of the game you are playing.

There’s no reason for any Aussie players to be playing video poker machines with a payout of less than 97%. With a little research and review, players should be able to find machines with less than a 99% return.

Another strategy that helps maximize payouts is hitting the max button when you play video poker games online. This ensures that if you do hit a Royal Flush or Four Aces you receive the maximum payout.

While it’s very rare to see four of a kind, it is very common to see low pairs and they are worth keeping. You always want to have a scoring hand, don’t throw these away chasing higher pairs. You’re better off taking a lower payout than chasing something larger that might not come.

One instance where chasing can be worthwhile is a Royal Flush. If you have a straight or a flush with the opportunity to chase the best hand in online poker, it might be worth breaking it up. If only because the payout can be life-changing.

Variations of Video Poker

Jokers Wild

In the Jokers Wild variation of the game, a joker has added the standard deck of 52 and is a wild card. This helps players put together better hands. However, the payout for natural hands is higher than payouts with hands formed with the help of the wild card.

Tens or Better

This video poker variation closely resembles Jacks or Better. However, you can win here more frequently, because the lowest paying hand is a pair of Tens. The paytable adjusts accordingly, offering a lower, but more frequent payouts than Jacks or Better.

Aces & Faces

Aces and Faces is a more complex video poker game. The difference is that it comes with increased payouts for all Four of a Kind hands. The payback percentage is 99.26%. There are also a couple of other versions one of them is a 7/6 game and the other is a 7/5 game.

Bonus Poker

Bonus Poker is similar to Jacks or Better. However, the payout for Two Pair is the same as the one given for Jacks or Better. This version is one of the most common and most profitable video poker options offered by online casinos.

Progressive Video Poker

A Progressive Video Poker game is a variation where one hand does not pay off a fixed amount, but a jackpot. These video poker machines are linked to a network and a percentage over every bet placed is added to the jackpot.

Multi-Line Video Poker

Multi-line poker allows players to play as many hands of cards as they want, some games allow users to play 50 lines at a time. This variation isn’t for beginners as the more lines you play, the more you’re betting, so you want to be familiar before using your bankroll.

Frequently Asked Questions About Video Poker

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