Well, everyone´s got their favourite game I suppose- and ours is Video Poker.
Why? Well, for a start the odds you get on Video Poker compare favourably to other games that are available online. Granted, you are going to get superior odds if you play online blackjack to a perfect strategy (Las Vegas single deck rules in any case), but playing blackjack is alot slower. (try our video poker demo for free and have a go for yourself).
For sheer speed of play, and excitement, we´d go for Video Poker every time. And given that you can now play up to 100 hands simultaneously, the game just got even better.
So how do you play video poker? And are there any useful tips for when you do play?
Video poker has been around since the seventies in Las Vegas and they have made the transition online with the greatest of ease, much like slots. It´s based on 5 card draw poker. In fact, you could argue that the breadth of choice online nowadays far exceeds anything that you could find at a land based casino. The overall aim of the game is the same across all of the different variants you might see, with subtle variations in the way you play.
To win you have to beat the computer with a winning poker hand- simple as that. First of all, pick the type of video poker that you would like to play, decide your bet level (normally between 1 and 5 units- you can set the overall amount of your unit).
Once you have set your betting limit, the game will deal you 5 cards. You can hold or throw away your cards for a second hand- the aim is to keep the good cards and throw the bad ones. Make sure you know the poker hand rankings (most casinos will show these)- the order of poker hand ranking is generally:
Royal flush (best),
Five of a kind,
Sraight flush,
Four of a kind,
Fll house, flush,
Sraight (same suit),
Three of a kind,
Two pair,
One pair (lowest scoring hand).
The payout you get will depend on the hand you have won.
If you win, you will have the opportunity to make a “double or quits” bet to further increase the size of your pot. A card is drawn and you´ll have to guess if the next card is higher or lower.
Nowadays there are many variants of the basic 5-card draw. Examples include Deuces Wild, where a deuce (two) serves as a wild card, and Jacks or better where the pay off begins at a pair of Jacks. Full pay Jacks or Better has a return of 99.5 % when played to a perfect strategy.
Other Online Video Poker Variants
Tens or Better
“Tens or Better” is a type of Jacks or Better. The minimum paying hand is a pair of 10s, obviously, rather than a pair of Jacks.
Bonus Poker
“Bonus Poker” is a video poker game based on Jacks or Better, but Bonus Poker offers a higher payout percentage for four of a kind. The full-pay version of this game gives a payout of 99.2%.
Double Bonus Video Poker
“Double Bonus” video poker is a variation of Jacks or Better with a bonus payout for four aces.
Double Double Bonus Video Poker
“Double Double Bonus” video poker is a type of Jacks or Better with bonus payoffs on different four of a kinds, as seen in the payout table below.
Our favourite Variant? Jacks or Better 100 Play Power Poker at Spin Palace.
Joker Poker 100 Play Power Poker is different from a standard video poker as you play 100 hands of cards at the same time. You play 100 hands of cards simulteously. There are no wild cards and the max payout is 4,000 coins. A complete deck of 52 cards is used for each hand. Seriously addictive!
And here are some top video poker tips for you:
Good luck, bon chance, buena suerte!
