Video Poker is a beloved game that usually will be played in casinos all over the globe, or in your house on your computer, using a web connection. The game rules are absolutely straightforward and involve the player trying to achieve the greatest combination of cards achievable in order to win cash. In this respect it is very similar as a regular game of poker, apart from the interaction with competing players. Of course, tactics employed during a physical game of poker, like tricking, will be irrelevant here.
The game of Video Poker starts when the gambler inserts credits (whether it is tokens, tickets or money) into the video poker machine and presses the play button. A hand of five cards will be electronically ‘distributed’ on the screen.
The Electronic Poker game also has buttons with ‘hold’ printed on them, and players should now choose which cards to hold and which to discard. For the cards the enthusiast would like to retain, the ‘hold’ buttons must be pressed so that they illuminate. The player can decide to keep any number of cards they want, whether it’s all or none.
After the gambler has selected which cards he or she would like to keep, the player will then press ‘draw’, which will mean that any fresh cards are needed they will be dealt. The round is now completed, with the Electronic Poker machine analyzing the hand to see if it matches any of the winning hands shown on the payout schedule.
Generally, the lowest winning hand on an Electronic Poker machine is a pair of jacks with the prize money increasing for each and every better hand. A list of common winning hands begins with jacks or better, moving on to two pairs, three of a kinds, straights, flushes, full houses, 4 of a kinds, straight flushes and finally royal flushes. It should be known that the payment schedule can change from machine to machine, so that discerning gamblers are agile enough to select the most profitable machine each time.
After the initial round has finished, the player can either choose to continue on and try to to maximize their winnings, or they can press the ‘collect’ button to cash out any credits that they may have won. Further, several styles of the game allow the bettor a chance to double their winnings, in which case another game is played. There are also differences among specific machines, with some virtual decks including wild cards and other differing characteristics to increase playability.