Video poker rules

The main difference between video poker and classic poker is that you play against a slot machine and not other opponents. In other words, one on one against the casino, not real people.

Your task is to collect a winning combination of cards, and then decide whether it is worth taking the risk and multiplying the money received for success, or withdraw them and then start a new game.

Choice of game and combinations

As in real poker, winning combinations are traditional, and their “value” is directly proportional to the probability of their occurrence. Below we list the main combinations common in video poker slots:

1. Royal Flush (10-Jack-Queen-King-Ace of the same suit)
2. Four of a kind (all 4 cards of the same denomination, for example, 4 kings)
3. Straight Flush (sequence of 5 cards of the same suit)
4. Full house (3 cards of one denomination + 2 cards of another)
5. Flush (any 5 cards of the same suit)
6. Straight (sequence of 5 cards of any suit)
7. Set (3 cards of the same value)
8. Two pairs (two pairs of cards of different denominations)

However, in video poker there are several varieties of the game, in which you can find other combinations.

So the version of “Jacks or Better” (Jack and higher) allows you to make a winning combination even one pair of jacks, queens, kings or aces. Yes, the winnings will be minimal – 2 to 1, but this is a chance to multiply the won bet later.

An interesting option is also with Joker Wild (Poker with a joker), when the payout is also less than usual, but the loss of a joker (a card that can play for any other) can bring you more often a rarer combination.

In video poker with Deuces Wild (Wild deuces), the role of jokers is assigned to the same “twos”.

In the last two options, the presence of jokers introduces additional combinations – 5 cards of the same value and a Royal Flush with a joker / deuce, although the cost of an inferior Royal Flush will be lower than the original one.

A game

The process of playing video poker is simple and quickly mastered even by an absolute beginner in the world of gambling. After you enter money into the machine, you need to take three steps:

Step number 1 – select the size of the initial bet (BET) and click on the “DEAL” button.

Before you appear 5 cards and the opportunity to replace them once.

Step number 2 – you can change as many cards as you like, from one to all five. Or do not change if the winning combination immediately came. Estimate the probability of success and make your choice by highlighting the cards you need with the “HOLD” buttons and pressing “DEAL” again

Step number 3 – if you are lucky, then there is an opportunity to either withdraw money to the game bankroll, or risk further using the “DOUBLE” function. In most slot machines, when playing at doubling, your task will be to blindly guess from the four closed cards the one that will have a higher face value than the open first card.

The truth is that none of the four cards face down can bring you a win. Therefore, there are more honest options for doubling – red / black, or guessing the suit, etc.

In other words, study all the nuances of a video poker machine before playing and choose the option that suits you best.