Video Poker is a popular game that can be played in casinos throughout the globe, or alternatively at home on your PC, through a net connection. The rules are very straightforward and consist of the player trying to get the greatest assemblage of cards possible in order to come away with cash. In this respect it’s much the same as a classic game of poker, apart from the interaction with other players. Of course, tactics employed during a physical game of poker, such as bluffing, will be useless here.
The game of Electronic Poker starts when the enthusiast inserts credits (whether it’s tokens, credit slips or money) into the machine and pushes the play button. A hand of 5 cards will then be electronically ‘distributed’ on the screen.
The Video Poker machine also has hold buttons, and gamblers should now choose which cards to keep and which to discard. For the cards the enthusiast wishes to keep, the ‘hold’ buttons must be pressed so that they illuminate. The player can choose to keep any number of cards they want, whether it’s all or none.
After the bettor has selected which cards she wishes to retain, they should press ‘deal’, which will mean that any fresh cards will be handed out if desired. The hand is now completed, with the Video Poker machine scanning the cards to see if it matches any of the winning hands listed in the payout schedule.
Normally, the minimum winning hand on a Video Poker machine is a pair of jacks with the award money getting larger for each better hand. A common list of winning hands starts with jacks or better, moving on to 2 pairs, three of a kinds, straights, flushes, full houses, 4 of a kinds, straight flushes and finally royal flushes. It is obvious that the pay out schedule can range from machine to machine, so that discerning players are able to pick the most beneficial ones each and every instance.
As soon as the first round has played out, the player can either decide to continue on in an attempt to maximize their winnings, or press the ‘collect’ button to cash out any money that they may have won. Further, some styles of the game give the bettor an opportunity to double their wins, in which case a further hand is played. There are also variations among specific games, with some virtual decks including wild cards and other varying elements to enhance playability.
