How to play video poker?
There are many different types of video poker, but they all work in the same way. You can find video poker in land based casinos, usually between the slot machines and at the casino bar counter, as well as in the best online casinos. Getting started playing video poker is really easy. Just follow these simple steps:
- Choose the currency value and the number of currencies to bet;
- Press Deal to get five cards;
- Choose which cards to keep to make the best possible poker hand;
- Press Draw and your holding cards will be exchanged for new ones;
- Make a qualifying poker hand;
- Get paid according to the game paytable.
Types of payment tables
The main differences between video poker games are the level of risk and reward, also known as variance. Looking at the game's paytable is the easiest way to find out how risky a game is. Some games have really big payouts, but you have to hit big hands to get them. Others have smaller payouts, but you only need to beat smaller hands to win.
Wild card games
The biggest difference you will see in the paytables is in games that use wildcards. Because it's much easier to make big hands when you have wildcards, the minimum winning hand is always much higher and the corresponding payouts are lower than non-wildcard games.
Progressive jackpot games
Similar to slots, some video poker games have a progressive jackpot that keeps growing until someone wins it. A little bit of every bet goes towards the jackpot, which generally means the payouts are a bit worse compared to non-jackpot games.
How does House Edge work?
The house edge refers to the statistical edge that casinos incorporate into their games in order to achieve a win. The good news in video poker is that with proper strategy, the house edge can be less than one percent.
How to calculate a house edge?
- First calculate the odds for each winning poker hand.
- Then find out how much each winning hand pays.
- Compare odds and payouts to see how much you'll win on average per $100 wagered.
The difference between the bet and the win, expressed as a percentage, is the house edge.
Video poker is similar to blackjack in that the house edge changes dramatically based on the intelligence of the strategy you are playing. If you make a lot of mistakes playing video poker, the house edge will skyrocket, and if you take the right steps, the casino edge will drop to almost nothing.
Video Poker Strategy
Depending on the casino you play, you may not be familiar with learning and using a proven strategy. Roulette and Baccarat, for example, don't really have any complicated strategies other than choosing the outcome.
Video poker is a lot more like blackjack, where sound strategy makes a big difference in how much you win or lose.
We cannot stress this enough. When it comes to video poker, learning the basics will make a world of difference. With our help, you can now do this quickly and easily. In the next section we will explain our top tips to make your video poker game work well.