Video Poker is a beloved game that is able to be wagered on in casinos around the world, or in your house on your computer, using a web connection. The rules are very simple and consist of the player trying to get the highest mixture of cards possible in order to acquire money. In this respect it’s much the same as a normal game of poker, minus the interaction with any other players. Of course, tactics employed during a real-life game of poker, such as tricking, will be irrelevant in Video Poker.

The game of Video Poker starts when the gambler inserts credits (whether it is tokens, tickets or cash) into the video poker machine and presses the play button. A 5 card hand will then be electronically ‘given out’ on the screen.

The Video Poker machine also has hold buttons, and enthusiasts should now decide which cards to keep and which to throw away. For the cards the gambler would like to keep, the ‘hold’ buttons must be pressed so that they light up. The player can decide to keep any amount of cards they wish, whether it is all or none.

After the bettor has decided on which cards he would like to retain, the player will then press ‘deal’, which will mean that any new cards will be needed they will be handed out. The game is now finished, with the Video Poker machine scanning the hand to see if it is the same as any of the winning hands shown on the payment schedule.

Normally, the minimum winning hand on an Electronic Poker machine is a pair of jacks with the award money growing for each better hand. A common list of winning hands begins with jacks or better, moving on to 2 pairs, 3 of a kinds, straights, flushes, full houses, four of a kinds, straight flushes and last but not least royal flushes. It definitely goes without saying that the payout schedule can range from game to game, so that discerning players are able to choose the most profitable game each time.

After the first round has completed, the player can either decide to continue on and try to to maximize their earnings, or press the ‘collect’ button to cash out any credits that have been won. Further, a few versions of the game give the enthusiast a chance to increase their winnings, in which instance another round is played. There are also variations between individual machines, with some decks of cards including wild cards and other differing aspects to enhance playability.