Video Poker

The game of video poker, created sometime in the 1970’s, has now become one of the most popular fixture among casinos everywhere. When video poker first came about, there were only a few machines you could choose from. Now, there are literally hundreds of machines in casinos enticing you to play. While each game is pretty much the same, there are varying pay out rates for each machine that you need to be aware of before playing. Jacks or Better is arguably the most popular video poker game because of the high return. It’s a great game for beginning players to gain experience from so they can move on to more complicated machines.

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Types of Video Poker Machines

Deuces Wild

In the game Deuces Wild, you start with a standard deck of fifty-two cards. However, all four deuces (twos) have been designated as wild cards, hence the name of the game. In order to win the minimum amount from these types of machines, you have to have at least three of a kind or better. When playing this type of video poker game, never discard a two from your hand.

» Deuces Wild Strategy

Jacks or Better

With Jacks or Better, beginners should always start with this game because of its high pay out rate and simplicity of the game. It is quite arguably the easiest game to learn in video poker, making it perfect for novice players who would like to increase their skills so they can tackle infinitely more complicated machines. Even for advanced players, it’s a good machine to play regardless. When playing one of these machines, an important factor to look for is the royal flush pay out. It’s important to get a machine that pays at least four thousand coins back if you play the maximum five coins and get a royal flush. Anything else just isn’t worth it.

Joker’s Wild

The game of Joker’s Wild is also played with a standard fifty-two card deck. The difference is that a joker is thrown into the deck as a wild card. This wild card has a couple of uses. First, it can be used as a substitute for any card in the deck, but it can also be used to come up with Fe of a kind. Generally speaking, the video poker machine will calculate what your best hand would be when a joker is in your hand. When playing Joker’s Wild, keep in mind that with the addition of the wild card, you have to get two pair or better in order to win anything.

King of the Decks

King of the Decks is a significantly more complicated game that beginning players should steer clear of until they have sufficiently mastered the concepts behind video poker. In this game, five standard fifty-two card decks are used. In order to win the progressive jackpot, you need to get five kinds of clubs. The minimum rank to win anything from this machine is two pair. Keep in mind that more decks that are present in a game contribute to lowering a player’s odds, so you may want to consider other machines before you try King of the Decks.

Progressive Video Poker

With progressive machines, you can expect typically lower pay outs for a full house and/or a flush than other machines. However, if the progressive jackpot is very high, then you can cancel out the fact that their pay outs are generally lower than most machines. In order to determine whether a progressive machine is worth it, you have to look at the minimum betting amount and the jackpot amount to see how they match up. For example, on a twenty-five cent progressive machine, if the jackpot is at least two 2,240 dollars than it is worth it to play. However, anything lower than that on a twenty-five cent machines not really worth you time or money. Another thing to keep in mind is that on a progressive Jacks or Better machine, when the jackpot gets to six thousand and five hundred coins or more, you can be assured of a one hundred percent return. This makes it an excellent machine to play under these conditions for beginning or advanced players alike.

» Progressive Jackpots - Online Video Poker

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While video poker may seem complicated at first, it is actually quite simple to learn, and is one of the most popular casino games around. Starting out, you want to stick to machines that offer high pay outs and simplistic game play, such as Jacks or Better. Once you have mastered the basics, you can move on to more difficult machines with the chance of winning even more money. By using the proper strategy with each game you approach, you can significantly increase your odds of winning and give each machine a low house edge. It takes time to learn the proper tactics of playing video poker, but with a little effort and a willingness to learn, you will be a video poker master in no time.