Wagering on sports or on your favourite casino game has become a favourite pastime for players all over the globe. The number of the casinos is constantly growing which comes hardly as a surprise, considering the demand. The technological advancement made gambling venues even more accessible as it enabled casino operators to move their products online. Web-based casinos enjoy great popularity among players due to the fact that they provide them with the needed flexibility to enjoy their favourite games whenever and wherever they wish. Presently, gamblers are given the opportunity to indulge themselves in casino classics and some of the latest titles, released by software developers, regardless of the time and the location.
Video poker has undoubtedly become one of the most preferred casino games that can be found in a wide array of gambling venues. The game is a fan-favourite as it has relatively simple rules which makes it appropriate for all types of players. One more thing that further adds to its merits is that it offers some quite appealing payouts. In fact, video poker is one of the greatest sources of entertainment for casino lovers due to the fact that it combines features from both slots and traditional poker. This, on the other hand, explains why it is not purely a game of skills, but it is also a game of luck. Pick’em video poker is one of video poker’s variations you can take advantage of. Still, what sets the game apart from other video poker variations is that it has slightly different rules.
Gameplay and Basic Rules of Pick’em Poker
Pick’em poker is one of video poker’s numerous variations you can stumble upon while looking for the option that best suits your preferences. The game is suitable for both seasoned players and inexperienced ones due to the fact that its rules are quite simple and easy to grasp. Pick’em poker is played with a standard 52-card deck and the cards are reshuffled after each of the rounds, thus guaranteeing that the results are fair. You can choose between playing a single hand at a time and multi-hand play which is more appropriate for gamblers who feel more confident.
Prior to placing your first bet, you need to set the coin denomination that ranges between 0.50 and 5. Still, these values may vary depending on the game you have chosen. Just like most of the other poker variations, Pick’em Poker also enables players to wager as much as 5 credits per game.
After you have done this, you are ready to place your bets. When you push the Deal button, you will get two cards that are face up. Unfortunately, players are only given the option to hold them and cannot replace them with other cards from the deck. Gamblers will notice that on the right side of their screens there are two stacks.
Each stack consists of three cards and only the card that is on the top is visible. Here, you are given the chance to see only these two cards from the stacks, meaning that your decisions will be based solely on them and the cards that were initially dealt to you. After you have chosen one of the stacks, the rest of the cards from it are also revealed, thus forming the last hand. To put it in another way, your final hand will consist of the two cards that were facing up, the face-up card that was on the top of the stack you have chosen, as well as the two cards that were under this card.
If your final five-card hand is a winning one, you will be paid according to the paytable of the game. Your profit will also depend on your initial bet. That is why it is advised that you always play the maximum bet due to the fact that high winning hands will guarantee you higher payouts only when this condition is fulfilled. Perhaps the hardest thing remains deciding on which one of the two stacks to place your bets as you are not able to see all the cards.
Some online casinos provide players with the chance to double their winnings. This functionality is activated after you have formed a winning hand. Some casino operators also enable players to decide whether they want to double the entire amount of their winnings or only a half of it. Gamblers are given the chance to choose between four cards that are all face down. If their card’s value is higher than the one of the dealer, this means that your winnings will be doubled. Still, if the dealer’s card is stronger, you will lose your winnings.
Hand Ranking in Pick’em Poker
Pick’em poker is one of the numerous variations of traditional video poker players can come across. Just like many other video poker variants, Pick’em poker also features a standard hand ranking meaning that the highest-ranking hand is a Royal Flush. If players manage to land such a winning hand, they will enjoy more than substantial paybacks. Of course, if you have played the minimum bet, you will be paid less for such a hand. Still, while playing the maximum bet, gamblers will be awarded 6,000 credits for a Royal Flush.
The second highest-paying hand is a Straight Flush that also offers some impressive payouts. If you have managed to form this winning hand, you can expect 1,199 credits for playing the maximum bet. Next comes the Four of a Kind that will reward you with 600 credits, of course, if you have placed the maximum bet. If you have a Full House, you can expect 90 credits. A Flush and a Straight will bring you relatively 75 credits and 55 credits if you have wagered five credits. If you have Three of a Kind, however, the hand will bring you 25 credits. Two pairs will award players with 15 credits. The lowest-paying winning hand is Nines or Better that will bring you as much as 10 credits.
| Bet | Payout |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 6000:1 |
| Straight Flush | 1199:1 |
| Four of a Kind | 600:1 |
| Full House | 90:1 |
| Flush | 75:1 |
| Straight | 55:1 |
| Three of a Kind | 25:1 |
| Two Pair | 15:1 |
| Nines or Better | 10:1 |
Still, players always need to check the paytable of the particular video poker machine prior to playing. This is essential due to the fact that the numbers may differ from one casino to another. So, it would be better if you check what is the payback for the highest-ranking hands before getting started in order to make sure that you will get the best for your bets.
Pick’em Poker Strategy
If gamblers want to enjoy the highest payback, they do not simply need to check the paytable of the particular video poker machine. Gamblers can also increase their chances of forming a winning hand by applying a good video poker strategy as well. As a matter of fact, video poker is a game that involves both luck and skills, meaning that here video poker lovers definitely have a say in the outcome of the game as long as they use the right strategy.
As it was already mentioned, when you start playing Pick’em poker, you will immediately notice that it differs from other video poker variations. Hence, the strategy that players can use will also be different. At first glance, gamblers may say that Pick’em poker is not that simple game as players need to make their decisions solely on the visible cards. Yet, after you start wagering you will see that it is quite a simple game to play.
In fact, the strategy players can make use of is extremely easy and they will not face any difficulties to apply it due to the fact that Pick’em poker does not come with that many tricky situations. In practice, gamblers have two options to choose from while playing. Perhaps, the thing that will surprise you is that in Pick’em poker the most important hand is not a Royal Flush. Here, Three of a Kind is the best hand due to the fact that players do not have that much information about the cards in comparison with traditional video poker, for example. As previously noted, this winning hand will award you with 25 credits after you have played the maximum bet.
If players have managed to form a three-card Straight Flush, it would be better to keep it. When it comes to high pairs, players should prefer them over a stack that will form three to a Straight Flush. If you have three to a Straight Flush with no gaps or with a single gap, you should select the stack with the zero gap. When the number of the gaps is equal, however, players need to select the stack that has a higher card. One more thing that is worth mentioning is that players need to choose Straight Flushes instead of low pairs due to the fact that low pairs will not bring them a payout. Still, when there is a Straight Flush that does not feature any high cards and has two gaps at the same time, you need to select the low pair stack, rather than the Straight Flush.
If you have a Flush that contains two high cards, we can advise you to hold it. One more important thing to remember is that you should prefer high cards rather than Flushes. When it comes to the Royal Flush, however, it can bring you some quite good payouts. Still, when one of the cards to a Royal Flush is an Ace, it would be better if players select the stack that will help them form a high pair instead of the one that contains an Ace.
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