What Is Video Poker At Casino
Video poker made its entry to the casino in the seventies; and is today one of the most popular forms of gambling. For the player who likes a game of skill, a low house edge, the possibility of large wins, and the anonymity of playing alone there is nothing else that can compare to video poker. Video poker is a game of decisions. In most gambling games, the only decision you make is whether or not to bet, and if so, how much to bet. But in video poker, you not only make decisions about how you play your hand, but those decisions affect your outcomes. In that respect, video poker is similar to blackjack or certain casino poker games.
Video poker, that old casino favorite, is available online as well! If you're a video poker lover, that's great news. Even better is the fact that you'll find an incredibly low house edgewith online video poker.
Video poker offers you incredibly high RTP: in fact up to 99.73% RTP! It's also very easy to play.
In our Complete Guide to Online Video Poker, we'll cover everything you need to know (whether you play online or in a casino)
Which Video Poker Games Pay Out the Best?
Many online casinos offer video poker variations with some amazingly high Return to Player (RTP) percentages.
And by far, Game King's video poker is leading the pack here! Check out these high RTP values:
- Triple Play Draw Poker (playing Deuces Wild): 99.73% RTP
- Five Play Draw Poker (playing Deuces Wild): 99.73% RTP
- Jacks or Better: 99.54% RTP
- Double Double Bonus Poker: 99.51% RTP
- Bonus Poker: 99.16% RTP
- Double Bonus Poker: 98.98% RTP
Where to find Game King video poker?
You can find Game King video poker at these online casinos.
Virgin and Tropicana (New Jersey) were the first to bring Game King's great video poker games to the US.
In Pennsylvania, Hollywood and SugarHouse online casino has Game King's great video poker variations.
Of course, with the largest legal online game selection in the U.S., it's not surprising that Golden Nugget (New Jersey) has some of the best video poker you'll find.
Video Poker Software Providers
Even when you play at a land-based casino, video poker uses software that's very similar to what you'll find online. Some of the leading providers for online video poker software are:
- NetEnt
- Spin Games
- Game King/IGT
- 888
- Amaya Gaming
- Microgaming
- PlayTech Video Poker
- Vegas Technology Video Poker
Most software providers offer slightly different versions of the same games, but their payouts can be quite different. For example, Spin Games' Jacks or Better pays out less on a flush thanother versions.
Online casinos rarely offer games from more than 2 different providers. To find the name of the provider, you need to either 1) click on the Information icon on the game or 2) do a search byname of game provider.
Video Poker Selection at Online Casino
Some online casinos offer an enormous video poker selection. We've gathered some of the top contenders here.
Borgata and BetMGM
Borgata, the Atlantic City mega-casino, has an online casino, and they've also teamed up with BetMGM. They have great offerings for video poker lovers
- Bonus poker
- Double bonus poker
- Double double bonus poker
- Double double Regal poker
- Jacks or Better
- Game King Jacks or Better
- Ultimate Texas Holdem
- Destiny poker
- Deuces Wild
- Jester Poker
- Triple play Draw Poker Multi-hand
- Five play Draw Poker Multi-hand
- Texas Holdem Bonus poker
- Ultimate Texas Holdem
- Casino Holdem poker
Try Borgata or BetMGM with free bonus cash!
SugarHouse Video Poker (Pennsylvania and New Jersey)
SugarHouse also has an outstanding selection of video poker titles. Here's what you'll find:
- Bonus Poker (Game King)
- Double Bonus Poker (Game King)
- Double Double Bonus Poker (Game King)
- Jacks or Better (Game King)
- Triple Play Draw Poker (Game King)
- Five Play Draw Poker (Game King)
- Ten Play Draw Poker (Game King)
- DJ Wild (Shufflemaster Games)
- Mississippi Stud (Spin Games)
- Texas Hold'em Plus (Spin Games)
- Regal Poker (Spin Games)
- Double Regal Poker (Spin Games)
- Double Double Regal Poker (Spin Games)
- Regal Poker Delux (Spin Games)
- Jester Poker (Spin Games)
- Deuces Wild (Spin Games)
- Jacks or Better (Spin Games)
Golden Nugget online (New Jersey)
Golden Nugget also has nearly 20 video poker games. These include:
- Tens or Better
- Triple Play Draw Poker
- Bonus Poker
- Regal Poker
- Deuces Wild
- Aces and Faces
What is Online Video Poker?
Video poker is played with software that randomly deals you cards. You play against the computer, so to speak, not other people.
Just like in physical poker, there are many different kinds of poker you can play with video poker.
What is the difference between physical video poker and online?
The feel of online video poker is nearly identical to a physical machine. The rules are the same.
The main differences are in your favor: you can start out with a great bonus that gives you an edge up!
Best Casinos For Video Poker
You can also find games with a much higher return to player than you'll ever find in a land-based casino.
How to Play Video Poker Games
Playing video poker is quite easy. For most games, you only have only two decisions to make:
- How much do you want to bet?
- Do you keep or discard any cards from your hand?
Generally, #1 is the same for all games; you can always choose your bet amount.
#2 may be different depending on which game you're playing. That is, some poker variations let you swap out more cards than others.
But some variations have additional bets. For example, the NetEnt has a version called Jacks or Better Double Up. This has a bonus bet opportunity built in called the Gamblefeature. Here, you can try to guess the color or suit of the next card. If you’re right, you 'double up' your winnings.
Play Jacks or Better Double Up at 888!
What is the difference between video poker and poker sites?
Video poker is played against a computer software. It has enhanced graphics and sound to give you that live-poker feeling.
Poker sites are usually more basic in their appearance. You play against other live players, not the computer.
Both kinds of poker use a random number generator to randomize the draw of the cards. It's the virtual equivalent of shuffling.
How Do I Find Video Poker?
To find a video poker game, find the Games tab on your online casino's page, and scroll down for video poker. (Some sites have a separate tab for video poker.)
Be sure to find 'video poker' if that's what you want to play (instead of at an online poker table). Sites like 888, Borgata, and PartyPoker that have both casino games and poker siteshave a tab that will take you to their poker site.
Here, clicking the Poker tab would take you to poker tables, not video poker.
On your screen, you'd click in the area circled in red to find video poker.
Online Video Poker Strategy
Your video poker strategy is simple: build the best hand you can. The order of best possible hands will depend slightly based on which game you are playing. But your only decision is whetheryou should hold or exchange your cards.
Video poker involves a lot more luck than strategy. You are not playing against other players, so you won't benefit from anyone else's bad decisions.
Also, the game uses a random number generator to select which cards are drawn. It is randomized with every dealing, which would be like playing with an infinite deck.
That means that card counting doesn't work with video poker. You only know that cards you can see and that you've discarded.
Types of Online Video Poker Games
There are over a dozen types of video poker. We'll review some of the most popular.
Deuces Wild
As the name suggests here, 2s are wild. That turns a losing hand toward some great possibilities. No wonder it has such an incredibly low house edge: 0.27%!
The great thing is that the game automatically calculates the best hand for you when you have those wild deuces. So you'll get the best possible hand automatically.
Play 'Deuces Wild' on Game King's Triple-Play and Five-Play poker for an unbeatable RTP: 99.73%! Available at these casinos:
- 888 (New Jersey)
- Borgata (New Jersey)
- Golden Nugget(New Jersey)
- SugarHouse (New Jersey and Pennsylvania)
- Hard Rock (New Jersey)
- BetMGM (New Jersey)
- Hollywood (Pennsylvania)
- PartyCasino (New Jersey)
- Virgin (New Jersey)
- Tropicana (New Jersey)
Jacks or Better
Jacks or Better is one of the most popular video poker games (although you have better odds with other versions). In this variation, only hands with at least a pair of jacks can play. Ifyou're the only one with a pair of jacks, you win!
As you might imagine, that cuts out a lot of action.
Jacks or Better, order of winning hands:
- Royal Flush
- Straight Flush
- Four of a Kind
- Full House
- Flush
- Straight
- Three of a Kind
- Two Pairr
Bonus Poker
Bonus Poker uses the same hands as Jacks or Better. However, the value of the cards is the opposite. In Bonus Poker, you want the lower cards. So, for example, four aces, 2’s,3’s, or 4’s are all very strong hands.
Why Play Online Video Poker?
While going to the land-based casino to play video poker may seem like the more appealing option, playing online will be a lot more beneficial short and long term.
Convenience
There is nothing worse than the hassle of having to travel hours just to find the closest land-based casino to play video poker. Playing video poker online has become increasingly morepopular for the big reason that you don't have to go anywhere to play.
If you live in a state where legal online casinos are offered, it only takes a few minutes to get started playing video poker. All you need is a stable internet connection and a device toplay on. Playing video poker online allows you to play when you want, wherever you want.
Bonuses
Something you will rarely see at the land-based venue is the chance to claim a bonus and use it on any games on the casino floor. Online video poker is one of the many choices of games youhave to use your casino bonus on.
Claim an offer just for signing up and use the bonus cash on video poker to get a hang of how it's played, but also potentially win some big cash prizes!
Game Selection
Your options for video poker are much larger online than at the land-based venue. Instead of a few machines on the casino floor, you have an almost unlimited video poker selection online.There are multiple available online video poker platforms, which you can access from the comfort of your own home minutes after creating a casino account.
Unlike at the brick and mortar casinos, you will never have to wait for a video poker online game to start due to too many people.
Where is Online Poker Legal?
The legality of online poker in the US is a tricky subject for those not well versed in the subject.
Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are three states that have legalized both online casinos and online poker.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Quadacesjacksorbetter-589a21533df78caebc3994e7.jpg "What Is Video Poker At Casino")
Nevada hasn’t legalized online casinos, but they do have legalized dedicated online poker rooms.
As of the time of writing, the only site that shares online poker players is 888. On this site, you can play alongside players from Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware.
Michigan has recently legalized online poker, so players should expect to see legal poker rooms in Michigan in the very near future.
Can I Play Offshore Video Poker Rooms?
It’s always been possible to play video poker with offshore casinos. Offshore companies operate illegally in the U.S. Still, the nature of anti-gambling laws means the target is the operator,rather than the player.
However, now it is increasingly hard to find a way to deposit, much less withdraw, funds to an offshore account. Most major credit cards will not allow transactions with offshore casinos asthey operate illegally in the U.S.
You won’t get any help from US regulatory borders if you’re playing with a site based exclusively in Europe, for example.
Are Video Poker games rigged?
Legal, state-approved video poker games are definitely not rigged. The software is programmed with a random number generator.
The state's gaming division also monitors the games for fairness. Any casino caught rigging games would be fined very heavily.
Can you Play Video Poker Games for Free?
Yes, you can play nearly all the online video poker games online for free. You can take welcome bonus dollars and apply that to video poker at most casinos. Then, if you win, withdraw afteryou've met the wagering requirement.
Video Poker Casino Game
You can also play in demo mode, but you can't make any money that way.
Video poker has such a low minimum bet that you can play for next to nothing online. We always like to put a little money down. You'll play more seriously even if you just have $0.25 in thegame.
Video Poker articles, videos and podcasts. Learn how to win at video poker. Find out the best strategies for playing video poker. Watch, read and listen to interviews with video poker expertsthat tell you the best tips for winning at video poker.
- Video Podcast – How to Become a Winning Video Poker Player with H. Tamburin
- Video Podcast – All about Video Poker with Michael “Wizard ofOdds” Shackleford
- Video Podcast – Video Poker – How to Win and How it Works with Steve Bourie
- Audio Podcast – The changing face of video poker with Linda Boyd
- Audio Podcast – Setting your video poker goals with Jean Scott
- Audio Podcast – Basics of video poker with Linda Boyd
- Audio Podcast – Choosing the best video poker paytables with JeanScott
- Audio Podcast – Becoming a professional video poker player with BobDancer
- Audio Podcast – Tips for improving video poker play with Linda Boyd
- Audio Podcast – Jean Scott discusses her helpful hints for video poker
- Audio Podcast – Dan Paymar shares his winning tactics for video poker
When you are playing video poker games or slot games the general rule of thumb is that you should always bet the maximum amount that the machine will allow you to make. There are a few exceptions to this rule but we will explore those later in this article. For video poker games, the maximum bet is usually anywhere between 5 and 20 coins. For slot machines, the maximum bet can sometimes reach over 100 coins.
The main reason why wagering the maximum amount is smart is that most slot games and video poker games tend to offer bonus payouts or jackpots to those who do so. If you do not bet the maximum amount and you hit one of the jackpot hands or spins, you will not be rewarded with the jackpot prize. This is one of the worst feelings in the world and it is totally avoidable.
This bonus money adds a little bit of value to each spin and you will be missing out on this value if you fail to bet the maximum amount. Your goal as a gambler should be to scoop up as much value as you can so that you can gamble for longer and ultimately have more fun.
Common Excuses
There are a lot of common excuses that people have for why they are not betting the maximum bet each spin or hand. Most of these excuses are based on a misunderstanding or a superstition that can easily be debunked.
We will now take a look at some of these excuses and explain why they are flawed so that you can consciously avoid having these types of thoughts. The best way to maximize the amount of fun that you have per every dollar that you spend is to make the maximum bet and get the highest returns possible.
Excuse #1: “I Can’t Afford It!”
The most important thing that you need to do is make sure that you have a big enough bankroll to cover the maximum bet for a large number of spins or hands. If you do not have enough money to play the maximum bets then you should not be playing on that machine.
One of the best ways around this dilemma is to simply play at lower stakes so that you can comfortably make the maximum bet. If you are already playing on the lowest stakes that your machine has to offer and you still cannot afford the maximum bet, then you should try looking on different machines.
If the casino that you are playing in does not have any lower stakes machines then you are likely to find some at a different casino. There are many casinos that let you play stakes as low as 1 cent per coin, and if this is too much money for you then you probably shouldn’t be gambling at all until you get some more money.
Excuse #2: “I Just Hit a Big Score!”
Some people think that just because they recently hit a huge score that they should avoid making the max bets in anticipation of a cold streak. This way of thinking is based on the “gambler’s fallacy” which incorrectly assumes that if an outcome occurs more frequently than expected over a certain period of time that it will occur less frequently in the near future.
Video Poker Casino App
The truth is that the random number generator which controls the outcome of each hand or spin has no idea whether you have won recently or not. Even if you are on the exact same machine where you hit a jackpot, the odds that you will hit it again on the very next spin remain the same as they were before you hit it the first time. Therefore, you should continue betting the maximum amount on every spin no matter what has happened to you in recent hands so that you can scoop up that sweet value.
Excuse #3: “I Want My Money to Last Longer!”
Some players have more than enough money in their bankroll to comfortably bet the maximum amount of coins every hand or spin but they avoid it because they want their money to last longer. In their eyes, this is the safe way to play but in reality, it is the wrong thing to do.
The funny part about this misunderstanding is that betting the maximum WILL make your money last longer in the long run. However, if we are talking about a timeframe of just one day then anything can happen so you should keep in mind that we are talking about a very large sample size of hands or spins.
The reason why your money will last longer if you bet the maximum amount per spin is that you will be losing less money per spin. The extra bonus money which you receive on your jackpot wins will give you more money per spin over the course of millions of spins which means that you will be losing slower.
Excuse #4: “I’m Not Lucky Enough!”
Out of all of the excuses on our list, this one is by far the silliest. Every player has an equal chance at winning in slot machines, and every player who knows the correct strategies for video poker has an equal chance of winning as well.
The only way to actually prove that you are somehow less lucky than everyone else would be to complete millions of spins and compile the data so that you can analyze it. Most people have not come close to playing millions of spins and are basing their luck off of a very small and meaningless sample size.
Whether you consider yourself a lucky person or not you should still make the max bet on every spin or hand. Even if you were less lucky than everyone else is, it makes sense to bet a little bit extra so that your average return per coin will increase.
Exceptions to the Rule
1. The Max Bet Is Higher Than the Bet Amount Where the Bonus Payout Becomes Available
Anyone who is a frequent video poker player will know exactly what we are talking about here. Most slot machines do not normally have any options that are higher than the bet amount where the jackpot becomes available to the player.
For example, if you are playing in a Deuces Wild game you might notice that the Royal Flush payout increases dramatically from 1000 coins to 4000 coins when you up your bet from 4 coins to 5 coins. However, some machines will allow up to 20 coins per spin and there are no more dramatic increases to be found between 5 and 20 coins.
If you happen to be playing on a machine like this, then you do not have to bet the full 20 coins every time. In fact, you don’t need to bet more than 5 coins per hand. There is no extra incentive to do so unless you simply feel like betting more money per spin.
2. Games With No Extra Bonuses
Another exception to the rule occurs when you are playing in a game where there are no extra bonus payouts for betting the maximum amount. These games are actually pretty scarce these days compared to games that offer extra bonus payouts for a max bet.
Due to the lack of a payout bonus for max bets, you can bet whatever amount you want to since the whole point of betting the max amount is to take advantage of the bonus payouts. There is no mathematical difference between betting one coin or betting the maximum amount of coins in these games.
We recommend avoiding these types of games if you are the type of player who likes to bet the maximum amount every hand. Your willingness to make these large bets will serve you better in games where there are bonus payouts rewarded to any max bets.
3. You Don’t Care About Winning
This might seem like a joke, but there are definitely some people who are so rich they don’t care if they win or lose. Some of them even enjoy the act of losing because it barely makes a dent in their bankroll and it makes them feel invincible. There are a plethora of alternative reasons why people don’t care about winning or losing slower, but we don’t want to turn this into a psychology paper.
If you are one of these particular human beings then be our guest and do not make the maximum bet on every spin or hand. This will ensure that you lose more money per spin in the long run, which is exactly what you were hoping for!
What to Remember
You should always make the maximum bet in a video poker game or a slot game as long as you have enough money in your bankroll. The only logical exceptions to this rule are when the specific game that you are playing does not offer bonus payouts on a max bet or if the bonus payout is achievable by paying less than the maximum bet.
Ignoring this rule is going to ensure that you do not get the maximum value out of every coin that you bet. Anyone who hates money will be happy to hear this, but everyone else should be excited about taking advantage of some extra value by making the maximum bet.
Free Video Poker Games
Even though the jackpots are rare, claiming this extra money from time to time will allow you to lose less money per spin over the long run. This contributes to the ultimate goal of having as much fun as possible while gambling by allowing you to play for more time per deposit, on average.
It does not matter if you think that you are an unlucky person, or if you think you already used up your luck by hitting a jackpot on a previous spin. The random number generator that decides the outcomes of each spin or hand in slot games and video poker games does not care about who you are or the results of your previous rounds.
The only control that you have over your fate, other than learning a proper strategy for the games that require one, is to make sure that you make the maximum bet for each round. By doing this you will give yourself a chance at hitting a jackpot while simultaneously knowing that it is the logical and mathematically correct play in the long run.