Video Poker is a fast game, and the idea is to get the best poker hand that you can across 5 cards. You´ll get dealt 5 initially, and then you have one round in which to swap out some (or all) of the cards. The odds are generally pretty good (some variants even approach that of online blackjack).

Depending on the variant you are playing, wild cards may be in play- eg in Deuces Wild poker the wild card is 2. The payout will depend on the game, but they are all based on a poker ranking.

So 2 pairs will probably get you something, three of a kind definitely will, a full house will pay generously and if you land a royal flush (and you have bet the maximum) you will scoop the jackpot. In Jacks or Better video poker, one of the more popular variants, the pay out kicks off after you get a pair of jacks, for example.
Another variation on the game is multiple hand video poker, sometimes called Power Poker, or Multihand poker in which you can play anything up to 100 hands simultaneously.
Another popular game is Aces and Faces Video Poker– again a slight variation on a common theme.

Here are some of the variants you are likely to come across:

Variants
-Aces & Faces
-Bonus Poker
-Bonus Poker Deluxe
-Deuces Wild Bonus Poker
-Deuces Wild Poker
-Double Bonus Poker
-Double Double Bonus Poker
-Jacks or Better
-Joker Poker
-Royal Aces Bonus
-Super Aces Bonus
-Super Double Bonus Poker
-Super Double Double Bonus Poker
-Triple Bonus Poker
-Triple Bonus Poker Plus
-Triple Double Bonus Poker
-USA Poker

It´s important to know your Poker Ranking

You need to know the value of the hands- so have this information to hand when you play. Many casinos will make an automatic strategic choice for you when it is time to discard cards, but it´s best to be in the know- as always. We cover this in our video poker strategy.