These are some of the common questions we receive about video poker. If you’re new to the game, you will find the answers to your questions here.
All You Need to Know About Video Poker Online
Q. What is the objective of video poker?
Video poker is essentially a game of five hand poker, played on a machine, or in this case online. You are given five cards, and get to decide which ones you want to keep and which you want to discard. The objective is to make as high a hand as possible based on traditional poker hands.
Q. What is the highest video poker hand?
A Royal Flush is the highest hand in all video poker games.
In cases where a wild card is present and a Royal Flush is made (eg in Deuces Wild where 2 is wild), a natural Royal Flush will rank higher than a wild Royal Flush.
Q. What is the lowest video poker hand needed to win?
That depends on which video poker variant you are playing. In Jacks or Better, the minimum hand you need is a pair of Jacks, whereas in Tens or Better, you need a pair of Tens to win money.
Q. What is the best video poker game to play as a beginner?
We would advise beginners to play Jacks or Better. Not only is this one of the easiest video poker variants to pick up, it’s also seriously enjoyable, hence its popularity.
Q. What does a ‘wild card’ mean?
A wild card is a card which can replace other cards to make a winning hand. For example, in Joker Poker, jokers are added to the mix, and can replace other cards. In a case where you have a 10, J, Q, and Ace, a Joker could act as the missing King needed to create a Royal Flush.
Common wild card video poker games are Joker Poker and Deuces Wild. In the former, Jokers are wild, and in the latter, Two cards are wild.
Q. What is a video poker paytable and what does it tell me?
Each game has a paytable detailing the hand ranks and what each hand pays. Be absolutely sure to inspect the paytables before playing as they will vary from casino to casino, and just because a game type is the same does not mean the paytable will be exactly the same as another.
Q. What are the minimum and maximum video poker bets?
Video poker bets are denominated in coins. You can bet between one and five coins per hand in most games. How many coins you bet will have a significant impact on your overall wins.
Q. Are there any special video poker hands? If so, what do they pay?
While we wouldn’t go as far as to call them ‘special’, there are some hands which only exist in some video poker variants. For example, a wild Royal Flush is only possible in variants with wild cards, as is Five of a Kind.
As to what these hands will pay, consult the paytable in the video poker game you are playing.
Q. What is the house edge in video poker?
That depends on two factors – how you play and what video poker game you are playing.
The video poker strategy you use and the way you play will have an impact which we can not account for here, but using a perfect video poker strategy, a game of full pay Jacks or Better would offer an RTP of 99.54% whereas Deuces Wild can have a payout percentage of 100.76%.
Q. How do you win video poker?
Strategy is the key, since this is a game of decisions which you can influence the outcome of by making smart choices. You will need to use a video poker strategy card until you are able to memorize the plays.
Remember, each video poker game variant is different. You will need a different strategy card for each one. There is also video poker software available online for a fee.
Q. Can I play video poker for free?
There are various free practice versions of video poker, but you can’t win real money which takes away from the fun. We recommend playing free video poker for real money by taking advantage of a no deposit bonus at an online casino.
Q. Is it possible to make money playing video poker regularly?
Video poker has some of the best odds in the casino. Once you master it and perfect your video poker strategy, you will make money regularly if you play smart.
There are professional video poker players who actually do make money playing both full and part time, so that should answer your question, if you aspire to reach that master level.
