Online Video Poker

Online Video Poker Guide

Online video poker is basically an online slot machine based on draw poker, where the goal is to get a good hand and win. The better the hand, the higher the pay-out. So instead of playing against other players, you play online casino poker against the casino.  The rules of online video poker are very simple and luck plays a very big role. However, online video poker is an exciting casino game to play and, compared to regular poker, and it’s also very simple.

The Best Online Video Poker Casinos

At CompareCasino you can not only go for the rules and other useful information about online video poker, but we also put together a special top list of the best online video poker casinos. We looked at the game offerings of online video poker and, of course, the best casino bonus. This will help you lower the house advantage and win more.

We’re discussing the rules and other useful tips, but you can also see an overview of the best online video poker casinos. On the top list below you can see an overview of the online casinos that offer the best selection of online video poker in combination with the best casino bonus. Use it to your advantage!

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Facts about Online Video Poker

• Video Poker is based on 5-card draw poker;
• The casino game is played on a computer-controlled machine that is similar to the slots at physical casinos;
•  There are different variations of the game, but the most popular is Jacks or Better.

Online Video Poker Rules

One of the reasons why video poker is so popular is because it is relatively easy to learn and start playing. If you can play poker, you can play video poker. You don’t even have to be able to play that well, as long as you know the strength of your hands. And if you don’t know the strength of your hands, you won’t have any problems because they appear on the machine.

Video Poker Basic Rules

Unlike live poker, video poker is not played against other players. It is not the intention to make the best hand but to make a hand that is strong enough to be paid. A pay-table will appear on the screen that will tell you how much each hand is worth. On a ” Jacks or Better ” machine you must have a minimum hand of a pair of jacks to be paid. If your hand gets stronger, you will get paid more.

To play, you must enter the desired number of coins and press deal/draw or simply press the “Play Max Coins ” key. You will get five cards on the screen as with draw poker. You then use the keys under each card to indicate if you want to keep a card or not. If you have indicated which cards you want to keep, you can press the deal/draw button again to get replacement cards. If your new hand is stronger than a few tens, you will receive credits according to the strength of your hand and the pay-table.

What is on a video poker screen

On a standard video poker screen, you will find the same elements each time. We’ll guide you through all of them.

1. After the cards been dealt, select each card that you want to keep or discard
2. Press deal to receive your first and after, your second round of cards
3. The number of coins you are betting with
4. The value of each coin
5. Total bet per hand
6. The total profit of your last hand
7. The total bet of this hand
8. On some machines you can gamble for a chance to double your money!
9. Bet it all baby, max bet possible.

The first deal

Found the right bet size? A right number of hands? Then you are all ready to go. Press deal and watch the first cards pop up on the screen.

In this case, you got a decent hand. Two kings mean a pay-out on most machines, jacks or better among them. But you can get an even better hand! Choose the cards that you want to hold (two kings here) and toss the rest. Press the deal button again to find a better hand!

The second deal

Lucky you! You scored an amazing hand! One of the better ones in the game, a full house. On the jacks or better version of the game this pays out 9 to 1. Not bad for a single hand.

Online Video Poker Tactics and Useful Tips

Video poker requires a certain skill. You must choose which cards you keep and which you discard. Usually, these decisions are simple enough, but sometimes it is not easy to know the best strategy.

Find your video poker strategy

For example, if you get a pair with four cards of the same suit, do you hold the pair or put it away and go for the flush? To find the answer, you must compare the probability of not going for the flush with the increased pay-out if you make it, without forgetting that if you keep the pair, you could possibly also form a three of a kind. Or a square, but this probability is very small. It is not easy to perform these calculations, but in most cases keeping the couple is a superior game.

You will develop a feeling for what the best game is the more you play. As a general rule, holding three cards for a flush or street is not profitable. When you play Jacks or Better, it is usually correct to keep all high cards, instead of holding fewer cards in order to draw more cards.

Some casinos suggest which cards to keep, and then you have to decide for yourself whether or not these suggestions can be trusted. They are usually reliable.

Bet the maximum number of coins

If you look at the paytable of your video poker, you will see that the payout for the ace suite (royal flush) in the max coin column is often higher than it “should be”. If the pay-out is 250 for one coin, 500 for two coins, and 750 for three coins, you would expect it to be 1000 for four coins, while this can even yield 4000. Consequently, you also have slightly better chances if you always bet the maximum number of coins. Instead of betting, for example, a $ 1 coin, bet four $ 0.25 coins.

Let the time work for you

Take the time to think about your decisions. Actually, there is no time limit, and you won’t gain anything if you rush to work. On the contrary, your playing session will be shorter and your money will buy you less pleasure.

Indulge in bonuses and jackpots

Look out for sign-up bonuses, and for games with bonus rounds or progressive jackpots. Bonus rounds and progressive jackpots are fantastic ways to increase your winnings.

A bonus round means that you can push through your bet and possibly double your money, or even more. It is often the best bet in video poker because it gives you money that is proportional to your bet.

A Progressive jackpot is an amount of money that grows as they play and is then paid out to a random winner who scores a certain hand. In any case, it is exciting to win these and they require that you bet max coins.

Online casinos sometimes offer a bonus if you deposit real money on their site. Bonuses usually assume that you bet money worth a certain sum before the bonus is paid out. Bonuses are a fantastic way to improve your chances.

Online Video Poker Games and Variations

The most played variants of online video poker are Jacks or Better, Jokers Wild and Deuces. Jacks or Better, in particular, is often played, as this is the easiest variant for beginners to play. With the other variants, you also need to have a better hand to get paid as Jokers Wild and Deuces use jokers. Find out some of the most popular Video Poker games below.

Jacks or Better

In video poker, you will often come across Jacks or Better (also known as Draw Poker). It is one of the most popular variants of video poker and has high pay-outs.

Jacks or better owes its name to the fact that payment only follows if you have a pair of jacks or higher. The round starts with the first bet (ante) before each player is dealt his five cards face down. After that, betting can only be opened if one of the players at the table has a pair of jacks or better. If no one can meet this, the cards are taken, and each player is dealt a new hand.

However, if the round can be opened, each player has the option to bet or check. Players can then draw up to five more cards, depending on how many cards they want to hold first-hand. After the second round, you have to see what you can do with your hand. After that, an extra betting round takes place (the showdown). The player with the best five-card hand wins the pot!

Ultimate Texas Hold’em

Ultimate Texas Hold’em is also an exciting video poker variation. With this type of poker, you play Texas Hold’em against the bank. The process is very simple. You place the ante and get two cards dealt, and the bank too. These are the so-called “hole cards”. In addition, five cards are dealt face down on the table, the community cards (these are cards that anyone can use for their hand, hence the name community).

Here is the first betting round and you can, therefore, decide whether or not to increase your bet based on your first two cards (you can of course also stop or fold, you will lose your bet). The first three community cards will then be turned over. Now you can see how strong your hand is based on your own 2-hole cards and the 5 community cards and bet on this again (this is done via fixed units).

The last two community cards are then also shown, and of the total of seven cards, you have to put together your best five-card hand, after which of course another round of betting follows. When you have made your choice, the bank shows its hand, which is only valid if it has at least a pair. The pay-out of the game depends on the strength of your hand compared to that of the bank.

Casino Hold’em

Casino Hold’em is a poker version that is very similar to Texas Hold’em, and which is particularly popular in certain countries. Of course, it all starts again with the first ante bet.

The dealer then deals each player and himself with two hole cards and puts three community cards on the table but this time with the image visible to everyone (face up). Then you have two options: go along (call, that means betting the ante twice) or stop playing (fold, you lose your ante).

After this round, the dealer places two more community cards face up, and will also show his own two-hole cards. Your hand and that of the dealer are then compared in strength based on the two-hole cards and five community cards. The dealer must have at least a pair of fours to qualify.

The outcome and therefore payment of the game then again depends on the strength of your hand compared to that of the dealer. Casino Hold’em also has an optional extra progressive jackpot bet that the player may or may not decide to add

Deuces Wild

This poker variant is seen as exciting and fun because the rules here are just a little more unconventional than with most poker variants. Just like with Ultimate Texas Hold’em, you don’t play this game against other players, but against the bank.

Your goal is to make a hand with a three of a kind or higher, as long as you are below this you lose. But first of all, you determine your bet, and you get five cards dealt from the dealer. You decide which cards you wish to keep, and you can exchange the other cards for new cards. If you have a three of a kind or better at the end of this round, the pay-out will follow, which again depends on the precise strength of your hand.

The nice thing about deuces wild, however, is that every 2 is a “wild card” (this occurs four times per deck), which means that this card can be exchanged for another card that best complements your hand. This provides some extra spice in the game because suddenly multiple card combinations are possible than in regular poker, such as the five of a kind

Joker Poker

In this poker variant the joker is received with open arms. The game is played with a deck of 53 instead of 52 cards. This joker can take the place of other cards to strengthen your hand (just like the 2 in deuces wild). This game has very high pay-outs and the pay-out ratio is even close the 99%!

Pay-outs for this game usually start with a pair of kings or higher. As with some previously discussed variants, you are initially dealt 5 cards, of which you can choose which one you want to hold and which you want to exchange for new cards.

The game distinguishes between pay-outs when your hand consists of a joker or not (for example, a straight using a joker or a straight without a joker). Depending on whether or not you have a joker, you can determine whether you want to get rid of certain cards. This also offers the option of adopting a specific Joker Poker strategy.

Just as with deuces wild, there is also the chance of unique hands that do not occur in traditional poker. Only play this variant if you are already familiar with jacks or better, for example, because this game is slightly more complicated.

Aces and Faces

Aces and Faces looks a lot like jacks or better. The emphasis in this game is on the cards with faces and Aces. When it comes to pairs, you should especially try to form combinations that include these cards, because pairs with the cards below (2-10) unfortunately do not pay.

The game starts of course with the bet, you decide how much money or credits you are willing to bet for the next round and then receive the famous five cards. Here you determine which cards you want to keep, to exchange the other cards for new cards.

The final score of this new hand is determined and you are paid according to the strength of that hand. The game is not very difficult. Usually, you can therefore also play multiple hands of Aces and Faces at the same time in video poker. Also, with this type of poker, the house edge is quite low, and the pay-out ratio is quite high (98%), which makes aces and faces an attractive poker variant for many casino enthusiasts.

Note that this pay-out ratio is based on the perfect execution strategy. So, make sure you practice before you play for real money!

10’s or Better

This variant is extra nice because you only need a pair of 10 or higher to earn a pay-out. That gives you a high chance of winning, and since the game is fairly simple to learn, this is a good variant to start with if you are new to the world of video poker.

The version is actually the same as that of jacks or better. You start with the bet that you want to make, which varies from online casino to online casino but usually starts with a few cents and goes up to the hundreds of euros.

After that, you are dealt five cards as first hand, you also take a good look at which cards can potentially give you the best hand – which one you are holding – and you exchange the rest for new cards (you can exchange up to five cards). If you have a few tens or higher, you can already count on a pay-out.

The stronger your hand, the higher your pay-out. This can vary from 2-5 times your bet with a few to thousands of times your bet with a Royal Flush. Getting rich can happen really fast!

Try Our Favorite Video Poker Games

• Joker Poker
• Aces or Faces
• 10s or Better
• Jacks or Better

Money Management with Video Poker

Even with a low house margin of less than one percent, a period of bad luck can wipe out an unprepared player if he has played well and on the right machine. That is why it is important to have a budget large enough to get through the storm.

A house margin of one percent means that you can expect to lose a dollar for every hundred dollars you bet. However, if you play fast enough to push $ 100 through within five minutes, then a $ 100 budget won’t get you far. You want a budget that is large enough to give you the chance to recover after a longer breakdown period.

Money Management Tips

Determine how much you want to bet per hour and then calculate how much you would lose per hour based on the house margin. E.g. if you bet $ 100 per hour and the house margin is five percent, then you can expect to lose an average of five dollars per hour. If you have a budget of $ 500, you have enough to play for five hours ($ 5 per hour = $ 100×5 hour = $ 500).

Video Poker Progressive Jackpots

There are different types of video poker machines and the progressive video poker machine is a type that you can encounter both live and online.

What is a Progressive Video Poker Machine?

With a traditional video poker machine, you get a bigger payout as you make stronger hands. A pair of jacks can even win money and a four-of-a-kind can yield a 25 to 1 payout. Progressive machines work the same way, but with an exceptionally rare strong hand such as a royal flush, you will win a progressive jackpot.

What exactly is the Progressive Jackpot?

The progressive jackpot is a special, large jackpot for a very large hand. While a royal flush can normally produce quite a lot, around 800 to 1, a royal flush with a progressive jackpot machine brings in hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The reason for this is that every machine connected to the progressive jackpot pays in the same pool. This means that a percentage of every dollar paid to each progressive video poker machine is pooled to create a huge pot of money. Especially with online video poker where many more machines can be linked to the progressive jackpot. These progressive jackpot pools can get insanely big.

How Can you Win the Progressive Jackpot?

The only way to win the progressive jackpot is to play on a progressive video poker machine and go for the royal flush when the chance arises. Getting a royal flush is extremely difficult and it may never happen. But if you succeed, you might win the big-ticket.

It is important that you play on a progressive machine with the maximum number of coins allowed per hand. If you play with less, you will only receive the regular payout of the royal flush, which could be a disaster if you could win hundreds of thousands of dollars with the progressive jackpot.

Free Video Poker Game

When you have read the rules and other useful tips about video poker you can put them into practice by using our free flash video poker game. With this video game, you can practice for free without risking anything. When you have the idea that you are ready for the real thing then you can use our top list to choose the best online video poker casino.

Learn Basic Strategy With Free Video Poker

Strategies for video poker are essential. Strategies are often calculated to tell you which games are best according to the percentages in different situations. In other free poker games, the percentages have already been calculated for you.

Online casinos earn money with video poker on players that are recklessly playing for the big hands. These players do not watch their odds. Make sure you don’t become one of those players. You can find online guides with correct strategies.

You need to have these within reach while you play to make sure you play the lowest house advantage possible. Of course, if you play for free, you can also refuse to take probability calculations without losing money – but what about your self-esteem?

The Best Free Video Poker Games

Your best chances in online video poker will come from the games with the most generous payouts. You can learn on the internet what the pay tables should be for any type of online video poker.

The payouts for a flush and a full house show the payout opportunities. In a typical ‘Jacks or Better’ game, the standard payout offers you 6 coins for a flush and 9 coins for a full house. These are the so-called 9/6 machines. Other free online poker games can have different payouts.

Why Play Free Online Video Poker?

This is a valid question, especially if you’re on a winning streak and you end up with nothing in terms of money when the game ends. However, that isn’t the purpose of free poker.

Free online video poker is meant for people that do not want to play for money or want a relaxed way of playing (i.e. no risk of losing money). There are four key benefits of this:

• Free video poker offers a lot of excitement because you’re still playing with the possibility of winning. However, that win is ‘the honor’ and not a jackpot.

• Playing free online video poker can be extremely useful for poker players who want to try out a new betting system or strategy, but don’t want to risk losing money on it.

• The third reason is that it’s the perfect way for online gamblers to dip their feet into the water without knowing too much about it. Free online video poker is no different than the version where you put actual money in, except that you won’t become richer if you win. However, the experience and knowledge you get are worth as much, because you’ll be able to afford blunders. Getting this experience can earn you a lot of money in the long-term.

• For players who have never played poker before, trying it for free can let them understand the rules of the game. You can even try different betting strategies to understand all the tricks of online video poker when you play for the real deal.

Video Poker Pros & Cons

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Video Poker FAQ