Electronic Poker is a popular game that can be wagered on in casinos across the world, or alternatively at your house on your computer, through a web connection. The regulations are very straightforward and involve the player trying to achieve the best combination of cards achievable in order to acquire money. In this respect it is very similar as a normal game of poker, without the interaction with competing players. Of course, techniques employed during a physical game of poker, such as tricking, will be irrelevant here.
The game of Video Poker starts when the player puts credits (either tokens, credit slips or cash) into the machine and presses the draw button. A five card hand will be "handed out" on the screen.
The Electronic Poker machine also has buttons with ‘hold’ written on them, and enthusiasts will need to now pick which cards to hold and which to discard. For the cards the bettor would like to keep, the ‘hold’ buttons need to be pressed so that they illuminate. The player can decide to keep any amount of cards they wish, from all to none.
After the gambler has chosen which cards she wishes to keep, they should press ‘deal’, at which point any new cards will be needed they will be handed out. The hand is now finished, with the Video Poker machine analyzing the cards to see if it matches any of the winning hands listed in the payout schedule.
Normally, the minimum winning hand on a Video Poker machine is a pair of jacks with the prize money getting larger for each and every better hand. A list of common winning hands starts with jacks or better, moving on to 2 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 payment schedule can range from machine to machine, so that discerning gamblers are able to pick the most profitable game each and every instance.
After the first round has played out, the player can either decide to continue on in an attempt to maximize their winnings, or press the ‘collect’ button to retrieve any money that they may have won. Additionally, some styles of the game allow the bettor a chance to double their winnings, in which situation another round is played. There are also variations among specific machines, with some decks of cards including wild cards and other varying aspects to enhance playability.