What is Video Poker & How to Play?

Poker is one of those casinos games that has been around for centuries. This game is believed to have started in the 1800s in Europe. After the invention of the internet in the late 1990s, video poker was made available on the web, and now people didn’t have to go to a real casino to play poker. This made it even more popular.

There are several attributes that make poker interesting and a totally different game from several other casino games out there. Keep reading if you are keen to know more about poker, how it is played, and how it compares with other online casinos games like slots.

 

What Is Video Poker?

It is a casino game based on five-card draw poker, which is played with a video poker machine. Played on a computerised console that is generally the same size as a slot machine, this game has been played for decades. At a distance, you may not notice the difference between a slot machine and a video poker console. Due to this similarity, the game is sometimes referred to as poker slots.

Unlike online casino games like slots, video poker is a game of skill, and it involves some critical thinking and making calculated moves. Video poker has several variants that have been created over the years as this game evolves. Some of the popular ones include.

• Jacks or better: This is the simplest and most popular variant that you will find on most casino websites. Jack or better is the variant I would recommend for most new players because it has all the basics to introduce a new player to video poker. It has a return to player rate of 99.54 per cent, which is rather outstanding. So, a player who knows what to do will likely win most of the time.
• Deuces wild: It is another popular variant that you will find on most online casino websites. In this poker variant, twos are considered wild and can replace any other cards to potentially create a better hand.
• Bonus Poker: It is a variant of poker based on Jacks or better. However, bonus poker offers a more generous bonus to four-of-a-kind hands. For example, a combination of four aces will win you 80 coins for a single coin bet. Each time you get a hand of two twos or a three or a four you win 40 coins.
• Double bonus: It is another variant of video poker that is based on Jacks or better. In Double bonus, a bonus is reward is rewarded to hand with four aces.

The four variants we have shared above are the most popular. However, you will also find other poker variants that include Tens or Better, Aces and Faces, Joker Poker, and many more.

Why Is Video Poker Better Than Slots?

As we have earlier shared, video poker is sometimes called poker slots because of the many similarities these two games have. However, the game has a couple of differences that make it a better casino game. Some of the reasons video poker is better than slots include the following.

• Players can express themselves: Unlike slots, video poker is a game of skill, and the most skilled players have more chances of winning than the inexperienced ones. On the other hand, slots entirely depend on luck, which makes them less fun to play.
• Higher paybacks: Being a game of skill, the game gives players more returns than slots. Most of the video poker variants have a return-to-player rate that is over 100%. For instance, Full-pay Deuces Wild has 100.76%, Joker Poker has 100.64%, Double Bonus has 100.17%, Double-Double Bonus has 100.07%, Jacks or Better has 99.54%, and Bonus Poker has 99.17%.
• Easier to figure out payback: You can easily find the percentage payback for the game by simply doing a Google search.

How To Play and Win at Video Poker?

Poker has several variants, but the playing procedure for most of the popular variants is the same. In this guide, we shall share with you the step-by-step procedure of how you can play the amazing game at your favourite online casino. But before getting into the detailed steps, let’s first share the main objective of the game.

 

The Objective of The Game

The main objective is to get the best 5-card hand by either keeping all the cards you have or discarding the ones you don’t like and receiving new cards to create the best possible hand. When the game starts, each player is dealt with five cards and allowed to either keep or discard cards to make a hand they think can beat the opponents. Check out the Tips to Win in Video Poker Games.

 

Steps For Playing Video Poker at An Online Casino

Step #1: Deposit Credit onto Your Wallet

If you are going to play real video poker, you will have to deposit money into your account. Online casinos like BK8 have several payment methods that include cryptocurrencies.

 

Step #2: Make Your Bet

After depositing money onto your account, you will be required to make a bet before being dealt with five cards.

 

Step #3: Hit Deal to Receive Your Initial Five-Card Poker Hand

Now that you placed your bet already, you will be allowed to access the first five cards that each player is bound to receive.

 

Step #4: Discard Cards You Don’t Deem Useful

After receiving the first five cards, you will have the opportunity to keep the cards you want and discard the ones you don’t want.

 

Step #5: Receive Replacement Cards from The Same ‘Virtual Deck.’

After discarding the cards, you will now have to replace them with new cards from the virtual deck to create the best possible hand of your choice.

 

Step #6: Any Winnings Are Paid Out According to The Payable

When you create your best hand, all players will declare cards and then pay based on the hand.

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