Online Video Poker

How to play

All video poker games differ from regular poker in that you as the lone player are trying to achieve specific hands rather than to beat opponents' hands; video poker, for example, gives you no chance to bluff or play hunches.

Nonetheless, there is an aspect of skill to video poker games; you are "dealt" a hand and must then decide which cards to hold and which to discard for your second draw. Your hand after the second draw determines whether and how much you have won according to the provisions of the particular machine you are playing. Many people find video poker exciting and satisfying because the play is quick and they must match it by being quick-witted. That a player can win big over time, too, contributes to the popularity of these games.

If you are not familiar with the ranking of hands in five-card draw table poker, you should familiarize yourself with them. That information goes beyond the scope of this article.

The basic steps of playing a video poker game are quite simple:
1) Insert money into the machine.
2) Push the button marked Deal or Draw
3) Decide which cards you wish to retain and then press the Hold button beneath each of them.
4) Push the Deal/Draw button again.
5) Repeat the process as many times as you wish.
6) Upon finishing play, push the button generally labeled Credit or Cash Out.

Keep in mind that there are many different versions of video poker with many different pay-out charts. The individual payout chart, combined with the distinctions between "short-pay" and "full-pay" machines mean that each different game necessitates a different strategy in order for you to optimize your winnings. If you are a table-poker player, you also must remember that many moves which would be advisable in table poker are not advisable in many video poker games.