How to play Video Poker

This article details where you can play online video poker for real money, teaches you how to play video poker and explains the differences between video poker and online slots. Video Poker is available at most real money casinos, although what titles can vary greatly from casino to casino. The best real money video poker variants will be determined by the laws in your country, while you can also play this game cross both desktop and mobile. The top live video poker sites for real money in April, 2024 are:

Best video poker casino sites

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Best video poker sites

Video poker is a popular online casino game which usually takes a back seat to its more elaborate, visually impressive sister game, the pokies (otherwise known as the slots), however, video poker provides a great alternative for players who are looking to broaden their horizons by adding a little extra skill and strategy to game play.

You’ll find a good selection of electronic poker games at the world’s leading online casinos which are listed in our casino table above. Although there’s nowhere near as much variety as the pokies, which number in the hundreds, you’ll typically find a range of about 10 to 20 video poker variants at these leading Internet casinos:

Each of our recommended casinos accepts players from United States, with Raging Bull Casino
getting our top vote. You can safely deposit money with the peace of mind in knowing your payments are protected by a minimum of 128 Bit SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption security. New players signing up via our links above will receive some extra special welcome bonuses, like matched deposits and free spins.

How to play video poker on the Internet

Electronic poker essentially follows the format of classic five card poker, the major difference being you play against the computer rather than against other players.

Like traditional poker, you’ll be dealt a hand of five cards which you can then choose to keep or exchange for new cards, with the aim being to make up the strongest hand possible. Winning hands are paid out based on a pre-determined pay scale, which is clearly listed at the side of your game screen (or on the side of the poker machine if you’re playing at a land based casino).

Video poker games can be sampled for free in demo mode, so you’re welcome to play around on any of the poker variants to familiarise yourself with the game format before placing any real money bets. If you decide to play for real money, sign up for an account at any of the safe casinos recommended above and make a deposit using any of the available trusted payment methods like Visa, MasterCard, Skrill, Neteller, Paysafecard, Flexepin, ecoPayz or direct bank deposit.

There are many variations of video poker, so the rules may vary slightly, but the standard gameplay works as follows:

Customise the size of your bet using the buttons at the bottom of the screen. Most online video poker games will allow you to bet between one and five coins per hand, with the minimum and maximum bets varying between games.

When your desired bet is in place, hit the deal button to receive your initial five card hand.

You now get to decide which cards to keep and which to discard. You can choose to exchange none or all of your cards. Click the cards you want to keep to put them in ‘hold’ mode, then hit the draw button to get rid of your unwanted cards and receive new ones.

Your new cards now make up your final hand. The computer will automatically calculate the value of your hand to determine how much money (if any) you’ve won, crediting any wins straight to your online casino account. Some games also give you the chance to risk your winnings with a ‘double or nothing’ feature.

Most video poker games are played with a standard deck of 52 playing cards, although some specific variations will include the use of jokers. Typically, deuces are low and aces high, with the lowest winning payout being a pair of 10s and the highest winning payout being a royal flush.

Types of video poker on the Web

There are many video poker variants available to play online; here are some of the most popular:

• Jacks or Better – video pokers most popular game, Jacks or Better gains its name from the lowest paying hand, which is a pair of Jacks.
• Tens or Better – just like Jacks or Better, except the lowest paying hand is a pair of tens.
• Deuces Wild – in Deuces Wild, deuces (two-numbered cards) act as wild cards, which can substitute any other card to form a winning hand.
• Joker Poker – in this popular variant a single joker card is added to the mix, acting as a wild card to activate a five-of-a-kind payout. If you want a game with two joker cards, you can try the aptly named Double Joker Poker.

Other popular video poker games include:

• All American Poker
• All Aces Poker
• Double Bonus Poker
• Double Joker Poker
• Louisiana Double Poker
• Jacks or Better Multi-Hand
• Aces and Eights Poker
• Double Double Bonus Poker
• Aces and Faces Poker
• Bonus Poker Deluxe
• Deuces & Joker Poker

A majority of online video poker games are created by Microgaming, one of the leading and longest running developers of premium online casino games, although more casino software developers are starting to branch out into video poker games.

Is video poker better than pokies?

Whether you prefer video poker to the online slots is entirely based on personal taste, but there are some notable differences between the two.

Online pokies are superior to video poker in terms of graphics and bonus features, with some video pokies now usually the same level of 3D animation we’re used to seeing from Disney films or video games. Video poker can look a little outdated, using older and clunkier graphics, nowhere near as superior as pokies or other online table games like blackjack or roulette.

Unlike the online pokies which are entirely luck-based, with nothing a player can do to influence the outcome of a spin, video poker requires a certain level of skill and strategy. Sure, the cards you are dealt is still luck of the draw, but it’s up to you to determine which cards to keep and which to exchange. In that regard, video poker is much more stimulating and can provide a more engaging experience than the pokies.

The skills required in video poker also means if proper strategy is used, it has one of the lowest house edges of all casino games, with some electronic poker machines returning over 100%, in comparison to online pokies which typically have a return to player of between 95-98%. Consequently, payouts are usually lower than you’ll find from pokies, although video poker does still have the potential to be very rewarding.