Term
Video poker is a popular casino game that offers an exciting and enjoyable experience for all players, regardless of their skill level. However, for experienced players, it offers significantly higher odds of winning than usual in slot machines. Indeed, video poker is often compared to slots because they are originally played on similar machines, but the two types of games don’t really have much in common.
History of video poker
Video poker first emerged in the 1970s as a then-modern alternative to traditional poker, and over the next decade it became an important addition to almost every land-based casino. Its huge popularity was due to the fact that it seemed easier for players to just insert coins and place bets on the machines than to actually sit at the table and play poker against others. However, the game offered the same thrill and excitement, coupled with great odds of winning, and sometimes even the prospect of hitting the jackpot. Today, video poker machines are still played in ordinary gambling establishments, but it is the virtual variation of the game that is the absolute favorite among online casino players.
Purpose of the game
The casino has a variety of video poker games, each with slightly different rules and payouts. Some have wilds, some have bonuses. The variety of games can be overwhelming even for those with traditional poker experience. This is why, before starting a session in any video poker game, players should familiarize themselves with the basic rules. It is true that you can win if you guess during the game, but if you use even the simplest strategy based on the rules of the game, you will greatly increase your chances of winning.
The goal of the game is to acquire a certain set of cards that offer some kind of payout. These combinations of cards are almost the same as in poker, so players who are familiar with the classic game will not find it difficult to understand the basics of video poker. The first thing to know is that it is based on the classic 5 card draw poker. The game starts when, after placing a bet and pressing the “Deal” button, the player receives 5 cards automatically, physical or virtual. He then has the option of exchanging one of the cards for another (or all) to complete a winning combination.
After the play, the computer determines whether a winning set of cards has been formed, or in other words, whether the player has a winning hand. If so, it pays out the winnings corresponding to that exact combination in the paytable.
It is also important to understand the likelihood that in video poker a hand of four sovereigns or some other group will come up more often than a royal flush, which is the most reliable poker hand and pays the highest. Many players have unacceptable thoughts about this, however, let’s say you can collect a full house twice in a row. The reason is that the random number generator used in video poker, the cards you control, are completely random and unpredictable.
Video poker options
It is clear that full pay video poker games are extremely popular with players as they offer higher payout rates. They are often referred to as 9/6 variations for payouts of 9 to 1 from a full house and 6 to 1 from a flush. But there are also higher house edge games where payouts go from 9 to 1 to 8.7.6 to 1 and from 6 to 1 to 5 to 1.
There are dozens of other options with more specific rules. Some, for example, have wild cards that substitute for any other card, so it is much easier for the player to complete a winning combination. There are also many variations with the term “Bonus” in the name they usually give a higher payout for a certain combination of four of a kind, such as four aces and a five. In addition, there are multiplayer options where you play multiple hands at the same time, as well as jackpot options where an attractive jackpot is paid out for a particular hand.
Types of video poker
The first video poker game introduced in the 1970s was called Draw Poker and is better known today as Jacks or Better. Another variant that is very close to Jacks or Better and therefore easy for beginners to play is Aces Eights, where you earn more if you hit Four of a Kind Aces of Eights. Deuces Wild is one of the most popular varieties of video poker because it is quite simple but is believed to offer a payout percentage of over 100%.