Electronic Poker is a popular game that can be played in casinos all over the globe, or in your house on your PC, through a web connection. The rules are very simple and consist of the player trying to achieve the highest combination of cards as you can in order to acquire cash. In this respect it’s much the same as a normal game of poker, without the involvement with competing players. Of course, methods employed during a physical game of poker, like tricking, will be useless in Video Poker.

The game of Video Poker starts when the gambler inserts credits (either tokens, credit slips or money) into the machine and pushes the play button. A 5 card hand will be electronically ‘dealt’ on the video screen.

The Electronic Poker machine also has hold buttons, and enthusiasts should now choose which cards to hold and which to throw away. For the cards the player wishes to retain, the ‘hold’ buttons need to be pressed so that they illuminate. The player can choose to keep any number of cards they wish, from all to none.

After the gambler has chosen which cards she would like to retain, the player will then press ‘deal’, at which point any fresh cards will be given out if desired. The round is now completed, with the Electronic Poker machine scanning the cards to see if it matches any of the winning hands printed on the pay out schedule.

Normally, the lowest succeeding hand on a Video Poker machine is a pair of jacks with the award money growing for each better hand. A list of common winning hands begins with jacks or better, and moves on to 2 pairs, 3 of a kinds, straights, flushes, full houses, 4 of a kinds, straight flushes and finally royal flushes. It goes without saying that the pay out schedule can vary from machine to machine, so that knowledgeable enthusiasts are able to pick the most beneficial machine every instance.

After the initial round has completed, the player can either decide to continue on and try to to maximize their winnings, or press the ‘collect’ button to cash out any cash that they may have won. Further, a few versions of the game allow the bettor a chance to double their profits, in which situation a further hand is played. There are also variations between individual machines, with some virtual decks having wild cards and other differing characteristics to increase playability.