Video Poker Rules

If you need some thrill and excitement in your casino experience, then you have to play Video Poker. Around the casino world, Video Poker machines fill up floor space, because they are very popular. Typically, it would be women who played Video Poker while the men flocked to table games. Over time this changed as everyone began to discover the fun and possibilities with Video Poker.

Video Poker is usually in its own section of the floor flanked by slot machines and possibly other style games. In the old days, there was simply one-hand five card draw Video Poker to play. Today, Video Poker has expanded to all types of styles and multiple hands as well.

The betting system in Video Poker is more straightforward than the betting system in a regular game of poker. Typically, players can wager 1 to 5 credits, but lower denomination machines sometimes offer the ability to play more. When a player enters the maximum credits allowed, the jackpot payout is in action. For example, on a quarter machine in Jacks or Better, a Royal Flush normally pays $62.50 per quarter. However, if the player has all five coins played, instead of paying $300, the player will receive $1,000 (or the progressive if applicable).

Different Video Poker tables have different payout schedules. So it is always advisable to check the payout schedule of the Video Poker machine before playing the game. Even if you are playing the same style, like Jacks or Better, the machines can still have different payouts. The pay table is the first thing every Video Poker player must view before playing.

When you press the button to play, five cards are dealt on the screen. You must then choose what cards, if any, you want to hold. Again, it is important to know the pay table so you know what pays and what doesn’t. After selecting any cards to hold, you press the deal button again. Doing so, discards all non-held cards and re-deals cards in those spots. The cards you see are now your final hand. You get two shots at making a hand.

If your final hand is a winning one, the applicable credits will be paid out to you. Once this is done, you are ready for a new hand. Repeat the process as often as you like. Never assume that because a machine is “cold” that it is about to heat up. Machines can go on cold cycles for a long time—certainly longer than you will be playing in any one session. One of the great things about playing Video Poker is you are the boss. You get to decide where to play, how much to play and the speed of play. Make sure you keep your ears open to hear the cocktail waitress. Even if you don’t drink alcohol, they can bring you water and juices. This is something that online Video Poker players miss out on.