This guide will teach you how to play video poker by introducing you to the basic video poker rules and card combinations. Read the article and try to remember the things written in it, as they could come extremely handy for you if you want to real money play video poker in the future.
How to Play Video Poker
Video poker is similar to regular poker, but you have to know that you can play it only on a machine or online, and that while in regular poker you play against other players in video poker you play alone, against the machine (or software).
Playing video poker is fun because you alone decide when and at what speed to play, you don't have to wait for other gamer's turns. This obviously makes the game much easier compared to its classic counterpart, but like mentioned, it's extremely crucial to remember the fundamental game rules.
At the beginning of a video poker game, you'll have to decide what amount of money you indent to bet. After this is set, you'll receive a hand of cards after which your task will be to evaluate it. If your initial hand is not already a winning combination, then you'll have the option to discard certain cards.
After you've discarded your bad cards, the game will automatically give you new ones to replace them. After this is done, you'll be paid according to the value of your hand (the value of your card combination). Read below to find out which the most typical card combinations are and how much they pay out.
Remember: There are a lot of video poker variations, like Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Joker Poker and more. Always check your casino and only play with the game's those rules you're familiar with.
Video Poker Card Combinations
As we mentioned, you'll get paid out according to the amount of money you've bet and the value of your hand. So, let's analyze a bit the most common card combinations available in video poker. Read below to find out which the best paying video poker hands are and what you need to do to acquire them.
Royal Flush
- The royal flush is the most valuable card combination in video poker. To make a royal flush, you'll need to get the following cards: Ten, Jack, Queen, King and Ace, all of the same type.Straight Flush
- The straight flush is the second best paying card combination. In this combination, all five cards are consecutive and are of the same type. Here is an example: Three of Clubs, Four of Clubs, Five of Clubs, Six of Clubs and Seven of Clubs.Four of a Kind
- To get a combination of this you'll need to acquire four cards of the same value. This is the third best paying combination.Full House
- A full house is when you have a card combination in your hand that contains three cards of a kind and a pair.Flush
- You'll make a flush when all cards in your hand are of the same type.Straight
- For this hand, you must create a combination of five consecutive cards. For example: Two of Clubs, Three of Spades, Four of Clubs, Five of Diamonds, and Six of Hearts.Three of a Kind
- Like the name says you need to have three cards of the same value.Two Pair
- You must have two pairs of cards in your hand, meaning two cards need to be the same value and two other cards need to be the same value, as well.Pair
- This is the simplest combination that requires you to have two cards in your hand each of the same value.Advice: The more money you bet on a round the higher the payment will be, if you get a winning combination. On the other hand, it's recommended playing with smaller stakes first, and after you've created a sizeable bankroll you can invest more money.
The above mentioned hands are ranked from the highest paying one down to the lowest. The order also reflects the winning probabilities and payout rate. The higher ranked the combination is, the better it will pay, but it also has lower winning chances.