Video Poker is a beloved game that can be wagered on in casinos across the world, or alternatively at home on your home computer, using an Internet connection. The rules are very straightforward and consist of the player trying to achieve the greatest assemblage of cards achievable in order to come away with cash. In this respect it is very similar as a normal game of poker, apart from the involvement with any other players. Of course, tactics used in a physical game of poker, like tricking, will be irrelevant here.
The game of Video Poker begins when the player puts credits (whether it is tokens, tickets or money) into the machine and presses the draw button. A 5 card hand will then be electronically ‘given out’ on the screen.
The Electronic Poker machine also has buttons with ‘hold’ printed on them, and players should now choose which cards to hold and which to throw away. For the cards the gambler wishes to keep, the ‘hold’ buttons must be pressed so that they light up. The player can choose to keep any amount of cards they wish, from all to none.
After the gambler has chosen which cards he or she would like to retain, the player will then press ‘deal’, at which point any new cards will be handed out if desired. The hand is now completed, with the Video Poker machine analyzing the cards to see if it matches any of the winning hands listed in the payment schedule.
Typically, the minimum winning hand on an Electronic Poker machine is a pair of jacks with the award money growing for each better hand. A common list of winning hands begins with jacks or better, moving on to two pairs, 3 of a kinds, straights, flushes, full houses, four of a kinds, straight flushes and finally royal flushes. It is obvious that the pay out schedule can range from game to game, so that discerning bettors are able to choose the most beneficial game every time.
As soon as the initial round has played out, the player can either decide to remain on and try to to increase their earnings, or press the ‘collect’ button to retrieve any cash that they may have won. Further, several versions of the game allow the gambler a chance to double their winnings, in which situation a further round is played. There are also variations between specific machines, with some decks of cards including wild cards and other differing elements to enhance playability.