Video Poker is a popular game that is able to be bet on in casinos across the globe, or in your house on your personal computer, using a web connection. The regulations are very simple and involve the player attempting to achieve the greatest combination of cards achievable in order to win money. In this respect it is very similar as a normal game of poker, apart from the involvement with any other players. Of course, techniques used in a real-life game of poker, like tricking, will be useless here.
The game of Electronic Poker begins when the bettor inserts credits (either tokens, credit slips or cash) into the video poker machine and pushes the deal button. A five card hand will be "distributed" on the screen.
The Video Poker machine also has hold buttons, and enthusiasts should now decide which cards to hold and which to throw away. For the cards the gambler would like to keep, the ‘hold’ buttons must be pressed so that they illuminate. The player can decide to keep any number of cards they want, from all to none.
After the player has decided on which cards he would like to keep, they should press ‘draw’, at which point any fresh cards are needed they will be handed out. The game is now finished, with the Electronic Poker machine scanning the cards to see if it matches any of the winning hands listed in the payout schedule.
Generally, the minimum succeeding hand on an Electronic Poker machine is a pair of jacks with the award money growing for each and every better hand. A common list of winning hands starts with jacks or better, and moves on to two pairs, three of a kinds, straights, flushes, full houses, four of a kinds, straight flushes and last but not least royal flushes. It should be known that the payment schedule can vary from machine to machine, so that experienced players are able to choose the most profitable game each instance.
As soon as the initial round has played out, the player can either decide to stay on and try to to increase their winnings, or press the ‘collect’ button to cash out any credits that they may have won. Additionally, some styles of the game give the bettor an opportunity to double their winnings, in which case a further game is played. There are also variations between specific machines, with some decks of cards including wild cards and other varying characteristics to increase playability.