Online Video Poker Rules

Online Video Poker is a close relative to the regular poker game that you are accustomed to in the casinos. Video Poker is a game of draw poker, in which the player is dealt 5 cards face up. The player then decides which cards to keep or “hold” and which cards to discard. The player simply clicks on each card he/she wishes to hold with the mouse. Then when the “Deal” button is clicked, new cards will be dealt where the discarded cards once appeared. Your final hand determines whether you win or lose the game. The object of the game is obviously to get any of the winning combinations of poker hands. The winning combinations and the payoff schedule are listed on a payout schedule attached to the video poker machine.

The payoff for a single coin bet varies depending on the game played. On some video poker machines, when max. coins are played they increase the payoff (for example one machine pays on a royal flush: 250 coins for a single coin bet, 500 for a two coin bet, 750 for a three coin bet, 1,000 for a four coin bet and 4,000 for a five coin bet). When the payout percentages are higher when max. coins are played, it's good strategy to gamble five coins to increase your winnings over time.

There are thousands of online casinos just wishing for you to sign up with them, and willing to comp you. Other perks of playing online from home include a hand count on your cumulative bet total. Las Vegas does NOT want you to realize just how much money you have put down so far, but many online casinos offer a running total. This gives you a much clearer view of your wins and losses, and better control over your bank roll. When it comes down to it, playing online video poker may be your most intelligent choice.

Play video poker right and you'll be playing what many consider the best game in the casino. With video poker, you get to play at your own pace and you also have the potential for big payoffs. In video poker you do have the control so pick the right machine, play the right way and have fun!

A player has the best odds playing Video Poker. Hard to believe, isn't it? After all, Video Poker looks just like any other slot machine, where whether you win or lose basically depends on how lucky you are at that particular instant and whether the machine you are playing on is 'hot'. This perception, however, is not true when it comes to video poker. First, each Video Poker machine found on a online casino that is licensed and regulated must be fair. In other words, it always randomly shuffles a single deck of cards after each hand. Second, unlike slot machines, where one generally has no idea what the real payoff rates are, the payoff for each Video Poker machine is clearly indicated on the Payoff Table, displayed prominently on each machine. For the statistically inclined, you can calculate the payoff rate for each machine. A word of caution: DIFFERENT MACHINES HAVE DIFFERENT PAYOFF TABLES! For example, sometimes you will see two regular 'Jacks-or-Better' machines, and one pays 9 coins for a Full House, the other pays 8. The choice should be obvious: You should play on the one that pays 9 coins. Yet many people just sit down without even so much as taking a look at the payoff table.

Given the above introduction, here are the rules for taking advantage of this statistically beat-able game:

Play 'Full-Pay' Video Poker machines. The definition of a 'Full-Pay' machine is one that have the highest payoff rate for that type of game. If the player utilizes optimal strategy, this rate is often close to (sometimes even exceeding) 100%. For example, full-pay Jacks-or-Better machines have a payoff rate of 99.54%. There are two catches: First, one needs to find such machines, second, one needs to be familiar with the gambling strategy, which is different for different types of games. Be warned: It is very difficult to be expert in more than two types of video poker games.

ALWAYS play 5 coins. This applies whether you are playing a nickel machine, a quarter machine, a dollar machine, or a $5 machine. This is simply because the best payoff rate is achievable only when 5 coins are played.

Take a break once in a while. It is very easy to get tired when you play online Video Poker, and my experience has been that it is best to take a break once in a while, say every 30 minutes or so. If I do not take a break beyond that point, I find myself starting to make mistakes. The break needs not be long. It should just be long enough to refresh yourself.

The video poker rules. The ranking of the hand in video poker is the same as in regular poker. Since it is not possible to bluff, because the game is played on a machine, of course, the only goal is to get the best paying hand. Start to play by pressing the Deal/Draw button. The poker machine deals a five card hand. Underneath each card will be a button where you can decide which cards you want to keep and which you want to throw away. You can hold or throw away as many cards as you like. After you make your selection which cards you want to hold or discard, you may press the Deal/Draw button again and the machine will replace the cards you choose to throw away with new ones. If you have a winning hand after this second deal you get paid. Underneath are lists of ranking hands in regular poker.

Regular Poker - Hand Ranks In Poker :

From lowest to the highest.

High Card - This is any card which doesn't qualify as any of the hands below. If nobody on the table has a pair or better the highest card wins. In the case multiple players have the same highest card you look at the second highest, then the third and so on. High cards are also used to break ties if there are multiple high hands. So if you have two pairs and somebody else the same two pairs the fifth card determines the winner.
Pair / One pair with three distinct cards. High card breaks ties.
Two Pairs - A hand with Two Pairs (Two Tens and Two Queens for instance), highest pair wins, the fifth card determines winner in case two players have the same ranked pairs.
Three of a Kind - Three cards of the same value (Three Nines for instance), again high card breaks ties.
Straight - Five consecutive cards but not from the same Suit (8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen), highest straight wins, two straights of the same value split the pot.
Flush - Five cards of the same Suit (7, 9, 10, Queen, Ace), they need not to be in particular order, if flush ties the highest cards wins
Full House - Two cards of one Value and Three cards of another Value (Two Sevens, Three Kings), highest full wins.
Four of a Kind - Four cards of the same Value (Four Kings for instance), highest four wins, in this case there is no count of high card because obviously there are only four cards of the same suit and value in a deck.
Straight Flush - Five cards of the same Suit in consecutive order (8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen of Diamonds)
Royal Flush - Same as the Straight Flush but highest card must be Ace (10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace)

Jacks or Better Video Poker rules: Underneath are a list of ranking hands for the most common video poker game 'Jacks or Better' Video Poker. Jacks or Better video poker winning hands starting with the lowest:

Pair of Jacks or better - Pair of Jacks ,Queens, Kings or Aces (As the hand name says), returns your stake.
Two Pairs - A hand with Two Pairs (Two Tens and Two Queens for instance), pays double your stake.
Three of a Kind - Three cards of the same Value (Three Nines for instance), pays triple your stake.
Straight - Five consecutive cards but not from the same Suit (8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen), pays 3 times your stake.
Flush - Five cards of the same Suit (7, 9, 10, Queen, Ace), they need not to be in particular order, pays 5 to 6 times your stake.
Full House - Two cards of one Value and Three cards of another Value (Two Sevens, Three Kings), pays 6 to 9 times your stake.
Four of a Kind - Four cards of the same Value (Four Kings for instance), pays 25 times your stake.
Straight Flush - Five cards of the same Suit in consecutive order (8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen of Diamonds), pays 50 times your stake.
Royal Flush - Same as the Straight Flush but highest card must be Ace (10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace), pays 250 times if you bet from 1 to 4 coins and 4000 times if you make a five coin bet.

Each Video Poker game can be played for either $.25 or $1.00 and you may play from 1 to 5 coins per hand. ALWAYS play 5 coins. This applies whether you are playing a nickel machine, a quarter machine, a dollar machine, or a $5 machine. This is simply because the best payoff rate is achievable ONLY when 5 coins are played.

Most Online casinos offers several different kinds of Video Poker games. Here is some information about some Video Poker variants:

The game 'Tens or Better' has no wild cards and pays out a maximum of 4000 coins for a Royal flush. Coin size - $0.25-$5.
The game 'Aces and Faces' is a standard video poker with extra high payouts for Four of a Kind payouts made of Aces or Face cards (Kings, Queens and Jacks). Coin size - $0.25-$5.
The name of the game 'Deuces and Joker Poker' refers to the fact that the deuces in the pack (those cards with a face value of 2) can stand in for any other card of any suit and that there is a 53rd card which is a joker. Coin size - $0.25-$5.
The name of the game 'Deuces Wild' refers to the fact that the deuces in the pack (those cards with a face value of 2) can stand in for any other card of any suit. It's like having 4 jokers in the pack. Coin size - $0.25-$5.
The name of the game 'Double Joker Poker' refers to the fact that there are 54 cards in the pack used in this game, instead of the normal 52. The extra cards are Jokers, which act as wild cards. Coin size - $0.25-$5.
The name of the game 'Jacks or Better' refers to the fact that the lowest (or least valuable) standard poker hand that will payout in this game is Jacks or Better, a hand containing at least a pair of Jacks or more valuable cards. Coin size - $0.25-$5.
The name of the game 'Joker Poker' refers to the fact that there are 53 cards in the pack used in this game, instead of the normal 52. The 53rd card is a Joker, which acts as a wild card. Coin size - $0.25-$5.
The game 'Louisiana Double Poker' plays exactly like any other Video Poker except that the deck of cards used contains a special 53rd card. This is the Double Card. If you are holding this card with other cards that form a winning combination, the payout of your winning hand is doubled. Coin size - $0.25-$5.

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