Video Poker is a beloved game that is able to be wagered on in casinos across the globe, or alternatively at your house on your home computer, using a net account. The game rules are very simple and consist of the player trying to achieve the best assemblage of cards achievable in order to acquire cash. On this account it is much the same as a normal game of poker, without the involvement with other players. Of course, methods used in a real-life game of poker, such as bluffing, will be useless in Video Poker.
The game of Electronic Poker begins when the gambler inserts credits (either tokens, credit slips or cash) into the machine and presses the draw button. A hand of 5 cards will be electronically ‘handed out’ on the video screen.
The Video Poker machine also has hold buttons, and gamblers will need to now pick which cards to keep and which to throw away. For the cards the player would like to retain, the ‘hold’ buttons must be pressed so that they illuminate. The player can choose to keep any number of cards they wish, whether it’s all or none.
After the gambler has decided on which cards she wishes to keep, the player will then press ‘draw’, which will mean that any new cards will be dealt if desired. The round is now completed, with the Video Poker machine scanning the cards to see if it is the same as any of the winning hands printed on the payout schedule.
Normally, the minimum winning 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 starts with jacks or better, moving on to 2 pairs, 3 of a kinds, straights, flushes, full houses, 4 of a kinds, straight flushes and last but not least royal flushes. It goes without saying that the pay out schedule can range from machine to machine, so that experienced players are agile enough to select the most beneficial machine each instance.
Once the first round has played out, the player can either choose to remain on in an attempt to increase their earnings, or press the ‘collect’ button to cash out any money that they may have won. Additionally, some versions of the game give the gambler an opportunity to double their winnings, in which case another round is played. There are also variations among specific games, with some virtual decks having wild cards and other varying characteristics to increase playability.