Video Poker is a popular game that is able to be enjoyed in casinos around the world, or in your house on your computer, using an Internet connection. The regulations are very straightforward and involve the player trying to get the best mixture of cards possible in order to win money. In this respect it’s very similar as a regular game of poker, without the interaction with competing players. Of course, tactics used in a real-life game of poker, like tricking, will be irrelevant in Video Poker.
The game of Video Poker starts when the player puts credits (whether it’s tokens, tickets or cash) into the video poker machine and pushes the deal button. A hand of five cards will then be "handed out" on the video screen.
The Video Poker machine also has buttons with ‘hold’ written on them, and bettors will need to now pick which cards to hold and which to discard. For the cards the player would like to retain, the ‘hold’ buttons should be pressed so that they light up. The player can decide to keep any number of cards they want, from all to none.
After the gambler has selected which cards he or she would like to retain, they should press ‘draw’, which will mean that any new cards will be given out if desired. The game is now completed, with the Electronic Poker machine scanning the cards to see if it is the same as any of the winning hands printed on the payout schedule.
Typically, the minimum winning hand on a Video Poker machine is a pair of jacks with the prize money growing for each better hand. A common list of winning hands begins with jacks or better, and moves on to two pairs, three of a kinds, straights, flushes, full houses, 4 of a kinds, straight flushes and finally royal flushes. It definitely goes without saying that the pay out schedule can change from game to game, so that skillful bettors are agile enough to select the most beneficial game every time.
Once the initial round has played out, the player can either decide to continue on in an attempt to maximize their earnings, or they can press the ‘collect’ button to cash out any credits that have been won. Additionally, some versions of the game give the gambler an opportunity to double their profits, in which instance a further game is played. There are also differences among individual machines, with some virtual decks including wild cards and other differing aspects to enhance playability.