If you are a gambling enthusiast who has shifted to online casinos, you have probably noticed that there is a category that has been getting very popular and this is video poker. It is a great way to combine the best features of both standard poker and slot machines. This way players can use some strategic moves that are related to the poker aspect of the game but there is also a big part that depends on one’s luck, just like with slots.
There are plenty of reasons why so many players prefer to spend their time online playing video poker. It is a great casino entertainment for those who enjoy playing with different strategies but do not feel so confident playing an actual game of poker. Video poker can easily help players to grasp the basics of standard poker and at the same time, this game offers pretty good payouts. What is even greater about video poker is that it usually has a low house edge which means that players have good chances of landing decent payouts.
Even though video poker uses the same rules as five-draw poker, gamblers do not play against other poker players or a dealer. There is most certainly a difference between the regular poker version and video poker games. In fact, in many cases, this type of casino entertainment resembles a lot of slots. However, players’ moves determine in some way the outcome of the game which is definitely not the case with the spinning reels of slots.
Difference Between Standard Poker and Video Poker
When it comes to comparing poker and video poker, there are definitely both similarities and differences between them. One of the common things between both versions of poker is the system of hand rankings. Every video poker version pays more for a full house than for three of a kind. There are, however, some games that pay the same amount for a straight and a flush and sometimes straight flushes do not pay more than four of a kind.
In regular poker royal flash pays more than a king high straight flush. Even though in most games of poker both of these hands would win the prize every time, there is a huge difference between them in video poker. Royal Flushes get a big bonus and this is especially true when there is a progressive jackpot involved.
It can be said that there are no bad bets in video poker. If you have four of a kind, you will be paid and you cannot lose to another player or a dealer who might have a straight flush. What is even better is that you can hit a generous royal right after one lucky player has won the progressive jackpot. It may be a tad disappointing but your win will be enough to comfort you.
Another difference between the two variants of the game is that unlike regular poker where there might be several betting rounds, video poker has a single decision point. You are required to make your move before the draw and once it occurs, the game is over.
When you play video poker you know what every hand will cost from the get-go. This is definitely a perk you cannot enjoy in regular poker unless you or another player at the table is close to going all in.
When it comes to standard poker, you will not be allowed to use any “cheat sheets” that may help you with your betting strategies. However, a strategy chart may be very helpful when you are playing. In fact, there are plenty of brick-and-mortar casinos that allow players to use their charts.
If you do not count video poker tournaments or progressive versions of the game, this type of casino entertainment does not include competing against other players. However, when you are playing a regular game of poker, you are facing the rest of the players as your opponents.
While the stakes in standard poker determine the dynamics of the game and differ high-rollers from those who are still quite incompetent in this field, the case with video poker is very different. The strategy also varies between the games but the tactics that are used in video poker are all identical for almost all variations of the game.
Video Poker Odds
As soon as some people hear about video poker, they imagine that the game will simply empty their bankroll since it resembles slots in some way. However, this cannot be further from the truth. In reality, video poker can be a really lucrative game and sometimes it can even provide payouts which in the long run exceed 100%. This is definitely a lot more rewarding than the majority of casino games.
Since there are different variations of video poker, it is only natural that some of them have better odds than others. If you want to enjoy more fruitful results, it is good to look for a game that will provide more advantages in your favour. What helps even further is if players use certain betting strategies which will lead them to better outcomes.
If you are playing with the goal of enjoying good payouts, then you will have to check the paytables of the games so that you can choose the most rewarding one. The best variants are the full-pay games but you should still check the payouts since they may vary from one video poker variant to another.
You will probably stumble upon one of the most popular variations of the game which is Jacks or Better. If you use the right strategies and you find a game that offers good payouts, you might actually enjoy a return to player of up to 99,54%. What is great about video poker games is the fact that even less experienced players can still enjoy a Jacks or Better game with a player return of 99,52% which, of course, will make the house edge merely 0,48%. This is a great opportunity for anyone who enjoys the game of poker but wants to play something less risky.
It is advised to play a Jacks or Better variant that pays 9/6. This means that if you have made a $1 bet, you will win $9 for a Full House. Of course, you should keep in mind the aforementioned advise of checking the paytable of every game before you actually make any bets. If you are wondering how you can find out whether the game you have chosen has a 9/6 payout, then you should load the game and check the payouts information for the Full House and the Flush hands. If you see that the Full House pays 9 to 1 and the Flush pays 6 to 1, then this variant of the game is a full-pay version and it has a payout 9/6.
Let us assume that you would like to play a video poker game with bonus rounds. In this case, it is the best to choose a variant that offers at least 8/5 payouts. Yet again, you can check the paytable of a game and see the Full House and the Flush payouts which will give you an idea of how much you can win. The payout of the game is 8/5 if the Full House pays out 8 to 1 and the Flush – 5 to 1. It is estimated that the average player return for 8/5 video poker games is 99,2%.
As crazy as it may sounds, there are actually video poker games that have an average return to the player above 100%. There are variations that have a 100,2% RTP or even higher. In order to enjoy such games, you will have to find a video poker variation with odds of 10/7/5. You should check the paytable of the game and look for a Full House payout of 10 to 1, a Flush return of 7 to 1 and a 5 to 1 payout for Straight.
There are video poker games with double bonuses which has an RTP of 100,1%. This means that there is no house edge and players have better odds of winning. It should be noted that this player return percentage is accurate only in cases when the player is using the proper strategy and makes no mistakes while playing. Odds of 10/6 are what players should look for. This means that the Full House hand would have to pay 10 to 1, while the payout for the Flush should be 6 to 1.
Yet another good game that can make the gambling experience of a player more lucrative is Deuces Wild. The version you are advised to play is the one that offers 15/9 payouts. When you take a look at the paytable of the game, you should be able to see that the Five of a Kind hand pays out 15 to 1, while the Straight Flush will award 9 times the wager of the player. The average RTP for this type of video poker is 99,7%.
If you have come across the Aces or Eights version of video poker, you are advised to try a game that offers odds of 25/8. Once you have found a game you would like to play, first check the paytable. You will have to see if the Four of a Kind hand pays out 25 to 1 and the Full House rewards a payout of 8 to 1. Even though it is not impossible, it is hard to find a game with such odd. This way you may have to compromise and play a game with odds 20/8 or 25/7. Even though you may think that this will not be a fruitful play, you should know that the estimated average RTP for 25/8 video poker is 99,7%.
Last but not least are the odds for another popular video poker game and that is Full-Pay Aces of Faces. For this fan-favourite, you are recommended playing a game that has odds of 8/5. This means that the paytable of the game should say that if you form a Full House hand you will be paid out 8 to 1 and a Flush hand will have a return of 5 to 1. It is estimated that the average player return for this video poker variation is 99.7%. Even if you are not able to find Aces or Faces with 8/5 odds, you should not go for anything below 7/6 or 7/5.
How Important It is to Use a Video Poker Strategy
If you want to enjoy the best possible odds, it is advised that you rely on some video poker strategies. It is true that this type of casino game does incorporate a little luck within itself. However, players who are well aware of the game and its possibilities are proven to enjoy better results than those who are betting their money on pure luck. You should remember that although video poker resembles slots it very much allows players to show some basic poker skills. This is why it is very useful to know what type of move you should make in certain situations.
It is not enough to simply find a game that promises high percentages of player return. The truth is that you can enjoy such odds only if you apply the right kind of strategy and make no crucial mistakes while playing. Even though looking for games with good odds is a strategy in itself, you can actually lower the house edge of a game if you use the best possible video poker strategy.
As it was mentioned earlier, video poker is a good game for players who are not that advanced in gambling, it is advised that they should stick to the most simple strategy which will still help them enjoy a fun and fruitful casino experience. This is a great way to get used to the dynamics of the game and get more familiar with the different variations of the game, as all of them have various betting strategies.
If you have never played video poker before, the first and the most important thing is to learn which are the winning hands as this will definitely help you to decide which cards to hold and which to discard. After you have taken your time to learn this, you need to bear in mind that while enjoying this game you need to keep strong cards even when they do not form a winning hand. Believe it or not, if you hold such cards, you have higher chances of forming a winning hand.
According to this strategy, in some cases, gamblers need to break a Flush or a Straight in an attempt to form a stronger hand. If your hand comprises a 9, J, Q, K, and an A, from one and the same suit, we can advise you to discard the 9 and to draw another card. Thus, if you manage to get a 10 from the same suit, you will form a Royal Flush that will bring land you a decent payout.
The basic strategy for video poker includes the rule of never discarding cards if the player is holding a Royal Flush, a Straight Flush, a Full House or Four of a Kind. If you have Three of a Kind, you should discard the other two cards of the hand.
While playing video poker, gamblers need to be aware of the fact that they should not replace all their cards. When it comes to casino games, players need to consider their next move very carefully as it can influence their gameplay. In other words, prior to tossing all your cards, we can advise you to double check whether some of your cards can help you form a winning hand. Probably the only case in which gamblers can resort to throwing all their cards is when their hand consists of mixed cards from different suits.
If you hesitate whether to keep a card or to discard it, we can advise you to check whether it can help you form a Straight. If you have such cards, you definitely have to keep them as Straights come with some quite good payouts. When your hand contains only two high cards, it is advised to draw three additional cards. When you have a single high card, it would be better if you draw four cards.
Of course, this is only the basic strategy you can apply while playing video poker. In fact, it is suitable for players who are making their first steps in this particular game and who are not that advanced. Still, it can be quite useful due to the fact that if it is applied in the right manner, the strategy can definitely increase your chances of winning as it tells you what are the best moves in the particular situation.
| Players’ Hand | Example | Draw |
|---|---|---|
| 4 card Royal |
AA
KK
QQ
JJ
|
1 |
| 3 card Royal |
AA
KK
QQ
|
2 |
| 2 card Royal (with a 10) |
AA
1010
|
3 |
| 2 card Royal (without a 10) |
AA
KK
|
3 |
| 4 card Flush |
33
55
88
99
|
1 |
| 1 high card |
AA
|
4 |
| 2 high cards |
AA
QQ
|
3 |
| 3 high cards (J,Q,K) |
JJ
QQ
KK
|
2 |
| Three of a Kind |
22
22
22
|
2 |
| Any 4 card Straight Flush |
77
88
99
1010
|
1 |
| Any 3 card Straight Flush |
88
99
1010
|
2 |
| 4 card Straight |
66
77
88
99
|
1 |
| Two Pair |
QQ
QQ
44
44
|
1 |
| Low Pair |
33
33
|
3 |
| High Pair (Jacks or Better) |
KK
KK
|
3 |
| No valuable cards | 5 |
Video Poker Games With the Highest Payout
Undoubtedly, video poker is one of the most well-liked casino games one can think of. The game enjoys such a great popularity due to the fact that here, the house edge is extremely lower in comparison with other casino offerings. What is more, its rules are quite simple and players will not face any difficulties to grasp them. One more thing that makes the game so appealing is that it comes with some huge payouts.
As it was already mentioned, some variations of the game come with payouts that can exceed 100% over the long term. In essence, the payouts definitely vary from one poker game to another but they still reach some impressive numbers. Keep on reading below in order to find out which are the games that offer the payouts.
Full-Pay Loose Deuces
Full-pay Loose Deuces is undoubtedly one of the most advantageous video poker games as it offers 100.97% payback. Here, players should not avoid the 2s as they can bring them some decent payouts. In fact, here, the 2s are a wild symbol, meaning that they can replace all other cards.
The catch here is that with the exception of the Royal Flush, all other winning hands will bring you lower payouts. Still, what we can say for sure is that gamblers can improve their chances of landing a decent profit as long as they apply the strategy we outlined.
Full-Pay Deuces Wild
Just like in Loose Deuces, in Deuces Wild players can use the 2s in order to form winning hands easier as they can replace all other cards. Here, the lowest-paying hand is Three of a Kind.
The full-pay Deuces Wild comes with 100.76% payout when an optimal strategy is applied which explains why the game enjoys such a great popularity. In essence, full-pay Deuces Wild offers lower payouts in comparison with Loose Deuces. Still, it gives players the chance to get 200x their bets.
Full-Pay All American
The full-pay All American is one of the most well-liked video poker variations available out there. The game comes with 100.72% payback if, of course, you apply a decent strategy.
The full-pay All American will definitely grasp your attention as it offers 200x your stake for a Straight Flush, 40x for Four of a Kind, a Flush and a Straight will bring you 8x your stake.
Pick’em Poker
Pick’em Poker is one more video poker variation that gives players the chance to get some good profit. It comes with 99.95% player return which makes the game quite appealing. A Straight Flush offers 200x your stake, Four of a Kind- 100x, a Full House will bring you 18x, and a Straight Flush you will get 11x your stake.
A Straight Flush can bring you 6,000 coins as long as you have wagered 5 coins. Still, what sets the game apart from other poker variations is that players are dealt 8 cards. Only two of them are face up. The other six cards are divided into two stacks. Players need to place their bet on one of the stacks, judging by the cards they can see.
Double Double Bonus Poker
Double Double Bonus Poker which is also known as 10/6 is one more video poker variation which is based on Jacks or Better. Still, what distinguishes this variant from the rest of the poker variations is that it offers additional payouts for Four of a Kind that depend on the fifth kicker card.
In fact, the bonus payouts are definitely higher as the game offers 400x your stake when you get four Aces with a 2 through 4 kicker. The game’s payback is 100.07% if you apply a good strategy.
- Aces and Faces
- Best Real-Money Video Poker Sites
- Deuces Wild
- Double Bonus Poker
- Jacks or Better
- Mobile Video Poker
- Odds and Return to Player
- Pick’em Poker
- Progressive Video Poker
- Tens or Better
- Video Poker Online Casinos
- Video Poker Rules
- Video Poker Strategies
- Video Poker Variations
