How to play video poker – guide for beginners

There are no online casinos without video poker applications. Of course, not so many people play in video poker as in slots, but video poker has its own audience of players. And audience is pretty big.

Comparison with classic casino poker

Interestingly, video poker in an online casino has not much in common with standard poker. There are no live opponents, completely different rules apply, and the standard round lasts no more than a minute, provided that the player spends time thinking. The common thing is only in the same set of cards (although several decks can be used for video poker), and the same winning combinations. In regular poker, a significant combination of cards is usually called a hand. There are no such conventions in video poker from online casinos, well, only few people follow them.

A fascinating fact is that being able to play classic poker, you can easily master its video version in online casinos. But the reverse transformation may not occur. Poker itself is considered a rather complicated game. However, the conversation is not about that now.

In the seediest online casino, in the worst-case scenario, there are always a couple of variations of video poker. Usually their number is somewhat larger. All of them are quite like each other, although their own nuances in the rules are present.

We explain the principle of the game using the example of Joker Poker, which can be found in Casinonic games catalog as well.

On the control panel of the game there are several information windows. Usually the current balance of the player and the value of the current bet are displayed. Sometimes the result of the last winning hand may also be shown.

The size of the bet is controlled by successive pressing of the Bet key. It is also possible to quickly deposit the maximum amount of money by clicking on the BetMax button.

On the main screen there is a table with winning combinations and payout ratios. This is very convenient, since at any time you can quickly find out how much money is supposed to be paid for a particular hand in an online casino.

Video poker game process

So, imagine that the bet is set. We press the Deal button and the online casino dealer gives us five cards. This is the first hand, look carefully at it and at the possible combinations. If it seems to you that some cards may come in handy, press the Hold key located under each card. By the way, if a paid combination fell out immediately, it will be highlighted.

After you have decided on the cards that you need, click Deal again. The cards you don’t need will be replaced with new ones, after which the game is summed up. If you managed to collect a winning hand, you are awarded. Otherwise, the bet is considered lost.

As a rule, the gain can be increased in a risky game like the one available in most of the online slot machines.

Similar rules apply in other versions of video poker in online casinos; multipliers or combinations may differ. Additional cards are sometimes used.