Video Poker ? Learn The Basics Of Video Poker

Posted by Nick Niesen on October 26th, 2010

Video poker is very different from standard poker, or the most popular poker game on the market today, Texas Hold?em. It is a casino game that is merely based upon five-card draw poker. It is not played at a table, but it can be played on the Internet or on a computerized console similar in size to a slot machine.

The game of video poker was first introduced in the 1970?s, although the machine back then was rather primitive. By the 1980?s, video poker became increasingly more popular in casinos, because people found them to be less intimidating when compared to table games. Now, video poker is a prominent place on the gaming floors of almost every casino. The game is especially popular in Las Vegas.

Here?s how to play:

First you place a bet of one or more credits by inserting money or a barcoded paper ticket into the video poker machine. Then, you need to press the ?deal? button to draw the cards. You will then be given the opportunity to keep or discard one or more of your cards in exchange for a new card drawn from the same virtual deck. The machine then evaluates the hand and offers a payout if the hand matches of the winning hands in the posted pay schedule.

Typically in video poker, payouts start with a hand consisting of a pair of jacks. Pay schedules after that are based upon how rare or common the hand is. Some machines offer progressive jackpots for hands that are rare.

Video poker machines are programmed to generate random card sequences, which are as random as the real thing.

Now, players can play games with variations other than five card stud. This includes Deuces Wild, Jacks are Better and Double Bonus.

If playing video poker is your favorite, then you can join a player?s club or slot club to return a small percentage of the amount of money that is bet in the form of complimentary food, drinks, hotel rooms, and merchandise. As a member of this club, you are required to use a card when playing on the video poker machine that allows the casino to track your actions, including how often you bet and for how long you play. This is used to establish your level of play and determine if you deserve additional complimentary items.

These complimentary items can make a big different in the amount of money you end up spending on video poker. In fact, this can result in a positive theoretical return in scenarios where there would normally be a negative theoretical return.