Online Casino – Video Poker

Naturally also a due portion luck belongs with the video Poker to it, nevertheless the own actions are coining/shaping for the play exit. Who understood first once the basic rules of the video Poker learns also fast the suitable strategies around its chances of winning to improve not insignificantly. For all those who have never played Video Poker on a slot machine in the arcade or in an online casino, we want to explain the basic rules, the different variations and a few simple strategies.

Video Poker Basic Rules

As with the traditional poker game, you get 5 cards in Video Poker. The goal of the game is to get the best possible combination of cards by swapping one or more cards. Here the four different card suits (spades, caro, hearts and clubs) play no role. It depends solely on the numbers and symbols. The game is played with a normal French hand of 52 cards, 13 per suit. The symbols in video poker are designed slightly differently from those of real cards. But this only increases the readability, especially when playing on your cell phone.

After the first cards are dealt, you can either follow the programmed recommendations of the machine or choose your own strategy. Since you do not play against other players, but with the machine there is a fixed win for the different combinations. These are slightly different depending on the video poker machine and variant. But more about this later.

The winning hands in many Video Poker Slots are indicated in English. Below we have listed both the German and common English terms according to their value.

Royal Flush
Video Poker – Royal FlushThe Royal Flush consists of 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace, all of one suit. This is the highest hand you can have in poker. There are poker players who wait their whole lives for this hand.
The probability of getting a Royal Flush in Video Poker is 0.00015%.

Straight Flush
Video Poker – Straight FlushThe second best poker hand is the Straight Flush, where you have 5 consecutive cards in one suit, for example: 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack or 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Even though the picture is similar to the Royal Flush, you have a much better chance of getting one of these card combinations because the Straight Flush is about ten times more common than a Royal Flush.
The probability of a straight flush is 0.0014%.

Four of a Kind
Video Poker – VierlingWho has four cards of the same rank, holds the third highest Poker hand in the hand. If 2 players have a four of a kind in real poker, the player with the higher value wins. In private games other rules are often used. We focus here on the official rules which are also used internationally.
Probability: 0,024%.

Full House
Video Poker – Full HouseA twin and a triplet make up the full house. If more than one player has a Full House, the higher of the three of a kind decides. This cannot happen in Video Poker. With private games of beginners discussions are often held whether a full house or flush is higher. The mathematical probability makes this discussion actually invalid.
Probability: 0,144%.

Flush
Video Poker – FlushWho has five cards in one suit holds a flush. These cards do not have to be in a certain order. With private games of beginners discussions are often held whether a Full House or Flush is higher. The mathematical probability makes this discussion however actually invalid.
Probability: 0.197%.

Straight
Video Poker – StraightWho has 5 cards in consecutive increasing values holds a straight. The color of the card does not matter. If the straight was in one suit it would be a straight flush or a royal flush anyway. If more than one player has a straight, the one with the higher card wins. Of course, this is also not applicable in video poker.
Probability: 0.393%.

Three of a kind
Video Poker – Three of a kind with one value. If more than one player has three of a kind, the higher three of a kind decides.
There are poker variants in which there are 2 wild cards or the “2” takes over the joker function. Here it can be that 2 players have a triplet with the same value. Then it depends on which player has the highest card not involved in the card combination.
Probability: 2.113%.

2 pairs
Video Poker -2 PairsTwo individual pairs in the hand, for example 2x Jack and 2 x 2. If several players have 2 pairs, the highest pair decides first. If this is also identical, the 2nd pair becomes the deciding factor.
If they are also identical, the player with the higher 5th card is the winner.
Probability: 4.754%.

2 of a Child or Pair
Video Poker -1 pair – 2 of a kindTwo cards with one value, such as two queens. If several players have a pair, the higher pair wins. If they are also equal, the next highest card wins.
You don’t have to pay attention to this in Video Poker, because you play against the machine and not against another player according to a fixed paytable.
Probability: 42.257%.

DIFFERENT ONLINE VIDEO POKER VARIANTS

While a low pair (2 of a kind) in a casual, off-hours poker game may even win a round or even bluff your way to victory with nothing, this option is not available in video poker. As already mentioned several times, here you play against the machine. There are fixed winning tables. These usually differ in the payout odds, but also from when you win. In the following we have the most common Video Poker variants for them.

Jacks or Better – Jacks are Jacks. You need at least a pair of jacks to make a small profit. This is probably the most widespread version of video poker in online casinos.
Tens or Better – Similar to “Jacks or Better”, but you win with a pair of 10s. Since you need a lower card combination, you win more often, but the payout odds are also lower.
Aces and Faces – In German for example “Asse und Bilder”. There are several variations of this. But they all have in common that you get very good odds with certain combinations of pictures together with an ace. This of course has an effect on the other odds, which are a bit lower.
Deuces Wild – “Deuce” is the casino slang for a “2”. Wild, as most slot machine players certainly know, is called the “Joker”. The 2 is therefore a wild card. This means that it can be used as any other card and can be added to the combination.
Double Joker Poker – Here the normal French hand with 52 cards is supplemented with 2 Jokers, which of course increases the chances of winning a lot, but on the other hand also makes the payout odds seem relatively low compared to Video Poker without Jokers.
All American – Actually, All American works like the standard version of “Jacks or Better”. The “American” part is that very good odds are paid for a Royal Flush, Straight Flush and a Straight, but all other combinations have much lower odds.

Play For Free – Video Poker

Compared to the real arcade there is a big advantage to play Video Poker in the online casino. Go to a gaming store and tell the staff that you want to play a few rounds for free and then decide whether you want to throw real money into the machine. They will more or less friendly show you the bird and ask you to leave the arcade. It looks completely different with most online casinos. Here one can actually always test all games – except the tables in the live casinos – free of charge.

In some casinos you can test the different video poker machines just like that, other online casinos only offer this option to registered customers. These registrations are completely free. They do not have to deposit anything into their player account. On the contrary! Often you even get a welcome bonus without deposit.

Since you can improve your chances of winning considerably through your strategies, however, in most casinos video poker is only partially or not at all one of the sales conditions to which the welcome bonus is tied. That does not mean however that they cannot test the automats and their strategy completely free and extensively. All new Softswiss online casinos offer video poker casino games.