When you walk into a luxury casino for the first time, one of the things that immediately catches your eye are the slot machines. These traditional gambling machines make up about 70% of the casino’s revenue. When you combine the appeal of traditional slot machines with the modernity of computer gaming, video poker is what you get.
Based on the five-card draw poker casino game, this game is played on a console similar to a slot machine – only computerized. From the 1980s onwards, its popularity grew and is now even expanding its scope as an online game.
Video Poker: The Basics of the Game
To have more of an idea what it’s all about, let’s learn about the basics of the game. Unlike slot machines where you just have to wait for the same row of icons to appear, this poker game requires you to use your card playing skills in a slot machine-like environment.
Before going deeper into the details of how to play it, what are the benefits of playing the game? Apart from allowing you to practice your skills in poker, your chances of winning also increase because the house edge is much lower compared to slots . Also, no other player can intimidate, dictate or influence how you play. Just you and your poker game skills.
Now, there are several variations of video poker that you can play. Choose from playing the game using a standard 52-card deck; or a 52-card deck with additional wild cards. Since all variations of video poker are based on the principles of traditional poker hand ranking, it is a good idea to sharpen your skills at this card game first.
Video Poker Rules & Tips
When playing video poker, start by selecting a coin value and determine the number of coins you wish to place a bet. Click ‘Deal’ and five cards will appear on your screen. At this point, you have the option of discarding some cards or all of them and replacing them with new ones.
Whether you lose or win will be determined by the result of the second draw. The video poker machine will display its payout table and the minimum hand that is eligible for payout depending on the individual slot machine.
So what are some tips you need to keep in mind when playing video poker? If this is your first time trying the game, make sure you have a basic knowledge of poker as a game. Choose the machine that offers the highest returns; holding on to pairs instead of keeping high cards; and you can even practice the play money mode before betting for real money.
Keep in mind that the odds in video poker are the same as in traditional poker games – so if you’re an expert at the game, you might want to give video poker a try.