Video Poker is a popular game that usually will be bet on in casinos around the globe, or alternatively at your house on your personal computer, using an Internet connection. The rules are absolutely straightforward and consist of the player trying to get the greatest combination of cards possible in order to acquire money. In this respect it is very similar as a normal game of poker, without the line of contact with other players. Of course, techniques employed during a real-life game of poker, like tricking, will be irrelevant here.
The game of Electronic Poker begins when the gambler inserts credits (whether it is tokens, tickets or money) into the machine and pushes the play button. A 5 card hand will be "handed out" on the screen.
The Electronic Poker machine also has buttons with ‘hold’ written on them, and gamblers should now decide which cards to keep and which to throw away. For the cards the gambler would like to keep, the ‘hold’ buttons must be pressed so that they light up. The player can decide to keep any number of cards they wish, from all to none.
After the player has decided on which cards she wishes to keep, the player will then press ‘draw’, at which point any new cards are needed they will be given out. The game is now finished, with the Electronic Poker machine scanning the hand to see if it matches any of the winning hands listed in the payment schedule.
Normally, the lowest winning hand on a Video Poker machine is a pair of jacks with the award money increasing for each and every better hand. A common list of winning hands starts with jacks or better, and moves on to two pairs, 3 of a kinds, straights, flushes, full houses, four of a kinds, straight flushes and finally royal flushes. It should be known that the pay out schedule can change from game to game, so that discerning players are agile enough to pick the most profitable game every time.
After the initial round has finished, the player can either choose to continue on and try to to maximize their earnings, or they can press the ‘collect’ button to cash out any cash that they may have won. Additionally, some versions of the game allow the gambler an opportunity to double their profits, in which situation another round is played. There are also variations between specific games, with some virtual decks including wild cards and other varying aspects to enhance playability.