Video Poker is a popular game that is able to be enjoyed in casinos all over the globe, or in your house on your PC, using a net connection. The regulations are very straightforward and involve the player attempting to get the best assemblage of cards possible in order to win money. In this respect it’s very similar as a classic game of poker, apart from the involvement with any other players. Of course, tactics employed during a physical game of poker, like bluffing, will be useless here.
The game of Video Poker starts when the bettor inserts credits (whether it is tokens, tickets or money) into the machine and presses the draw button. A hand of five cards will then be electronically ‘handed out’ on the video screen.
The Electronic Poker machine also has buttons with ‘hold’ printed on them, and enthusiasts should now decide which cards to hold and which to discard. For the cards the gambler would like to retain, the ‘hold’ buttons need to be pressed so that they illuminate. The player can decide to keep any amount of cards they wish, from all to none.
After the player has chosen which cards she wishes to retain, the player will then press ‘draw’, at which point any fresh cards are handed out if desired. The game 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.
Generally, the lowest succeeding hand on an Electronic Poker machine is a pair of jacks with the award money increasing 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, four of a kinds, straight flushes and finally royal flushes. It goes without saying that the payout schedule can change from machine to machine, so that experienced bettors are agile enough to select the most profitable ones each and every instance.
After the first round has completed, the player can either decide to stay on in an attempt to maximize their winnings, or they can press the ‘collect’ button to retrieve any money that they may have won. Further, some versions of the game allow the bettor an opportunity to increase their profits, in which case another round is played. There are also variations among individual machines, with some virtual decks including wild cards and other varying elements to enhance playability.