How Does Video Poker Work
- How Does Video Streaming Work
- How Does A Video Poker Tournament Work
- How Does Video Poker Machines Work
- How Does Online Poker Work
Whether you enjoy it with a couple of friends or you’re a part of the large high-roller professional tournament, playing poker is one of the most exciting gambling games that you can participate in. All you need is a deck of 52 cards and some chips, and you’re ready to play.
However, poker can also be played through a machine. We are not talking about online poker, which is the same as the regular poker, only virtual. Instead, the focus of this article will be on video poker, a poker game that can be played by a single player.
So, how does this version of poker differ from other poker games, and why should you try it out?
How Does Video Streaming Work
Video poker is an electronic machine game that uses the basic structure of a poker game. While video poker machines may look like pokies, they are a completely different type of game, as players can utilize decision making and strategy to improve their odds.
The Basics of Video Poker
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Video poker is a game that uses a computer station similar to slot machines. It has been around in land-based casino rooms since the mid-70s. These first poker machines were primitive compared to the modern ones. Now, you can play video poker on PC or mobile phone, and there are also Bitcoin video poker games all over the web, all coming with advanced graphics.
The game starts by a player inserting money (coins) into the machine or by depositing money in a casino account if the game is taking place online. After the funds are on the balance, the player then pushes the deal button and the game starts.
As we mentioned before, video poker is a single-player game, which makes it different from any other type of “live” poker where you need at least two people to play.
The Rules of Video Poker
Video poker uses the rules of the game’s Five Card Draw version. There are a few popular video poker variations like Deuces Wild or Joker Wild where 2s and Jokers represent wilds and can serve as any card rank to make the best possible combination.
Unlike regular Five Card Draw, only certain hand combinations can win you money, while some low-tier hands like the high card or non-face pairs always lose.
Here is a list of all the winning hands in video poker starting from the strongest one:
- Royal flush
- Straight flush
- Four of a kind
- Full house
- Flush
- Straight.
- Three of a kind
- Two pairs
- Pair of Jacks or better – Only a pair of Jacks, Queens, Kings, and Aces win.
A Pair of Jacks or better usually breaks even, which means that the money you wagered will be returned to you. Two pairs double your win, so if you bet, for example, five coins, you will win ten. Three of a kind triples your win, a straight quadruple it, and so forth. If you bet the maximum amount of coins and you’re lucky enough to draw a royal flush, you will win a jackpot.
How to Play Video Poker
Once you have sufficient funds on your video poker machine or an online account, you just enter the game and press the deal button. Just like in Five Card Draw, you will get five cards and decide which of these cards you want to replace in order to have a stronger combination.
Here is an example so you can understand this more clearly.
Player’s hand: Ace of hearts, Ace of clubs, 2 of hearts, 8 of diamonds, Queen of clubs.
A smart player will usually keep the two Aces here and exchange everything else. There aren’t more than two cards with the same suit, so the chances for a flush are low. The cards aren’t that connected with their value either, so straight is improbable as well. Playing for a full house is too much of a long shot.
So, the two Aces guarantee that the hand will break even, but if another one shows up, the player will have three of a kind. Of course, the player can keep any of the other cards as well and hope for two pairs, but it will lower their chances of getting another Ace, and two pairs is a weaker hand anyway.
Conclusion
Video poker is a game that you should play if you want to have a poker experience alone. The game doesn’t require any other players, and the rules are pretty simple.
Regular poker has the advantage in the sense that it’s more social and that you have to take into account other players’ actions, so the strategy is a bit more complex. Also, video poker only comes with Five Card Draw rules, while regular poker has plenty of other variations like Texas Hold’em, Razz, Omaha, Seven Card Stud, and others.
Although a video poker machine may look like a slot machine, there's a huge difference. Video poker is a game of skill in which the player has an influence on the win or lose outcome. Luck plays a part in which cards are dealt, but the ones you keep and the ones you throw away are very important to your overall chance of winning.
For each version of video poker machine out in casinos or online, there is an optimal strategy for playing video poker. The good news is that computer wizards have figured out the best strategy by calculating the expected value of each hand. The bad news is that for a 52 card deck there are 134,459 unique poker hands and potential decisions to be made, and that's way too many to try to memorize. With that many possible outcomes, it comes down to more of an art than a science to distill the most accurate rules and strategy. There isn't always total agreement on the best plays, but what we present below is a combination of three popular systems. We'll use a Jacks or Better 9/6 machine for this example.
How Does A Video Poker Tournament Work
One term that might need explaining is the idea of a gap. This term was first introduced by Jeff Lotspiech on his video poker pages in 1995. Here's how he described this concept in the original article:
“Now would be as good a time as any to discuss how to count gaps in three-card straight flushes. These hands are a bit of a dilemma, because the standard terminology of poker no longer suffices to describe the possibilities. In the table game, where the only interesting hand is a four-card straight, you have inside straights and outside straights. When you only hold three cards, there are two types of 'inside' straights, and almost all video poker books use the ugly term double inside to distinguish them. Not here. I prefer to distinguish straights by the number of gaps in the cards you hold. For example, holding a 6-7-8 you have no gaps, whereas holding 6-7-9 (or 6-8-9) you have one gap, and 6-7-10 (or 6-8-10 or 6-9-10) you have two gaps.”
The way to use the chart below is to look up the hand you've been dealt and make he appropriate discards. Be sure to hold the cards that you've found on the chart.
Jacks or Better 9/6 Strategy Card | |
Discard | |
0 | |
0 | |
1 | |
1 | |
0 | |
0 | |
2 | |
0 | |
1 | |
1 | |
3 | |
2 | |
1 | |
1 | |
3 | |
1 | |
1 | |
2 | |
2 | |
1 | |
Three-card straight flush, two gaps, two high cards | |
J-Q-K-A: unsuited | |
2-card royal | |
Four-card straight, one gap, three high cards | |
Three-card straight flush, two gaps, one high card | |
Three-card straight flush, one gap, no high cards | |
J-Q-K: unsuited | |
Two high cards: unsuited (when you have three don't keep the ace) | |
Two-card royal flush with 10 and no ace | |
One high card | |
Nothing (draw five cards) | |
The real trick here is to remember these rules. It will take a while to master them all, but concentrate on the ones that have always bothered you first. For example, I was never clear as to whether or not I should hold one or two if I'm dealt only two high cards (jacks or better). The chart tells me to hold two high cards.
How Does Video Poker Machines Work
Another good example is when you are dealt two pair. There are 21 rules below this one. That means there are 21 other possibilities you don't have to consider. If you look above two pair, there are 9 rules that would beat two pair. However, there are only two other hands you may not have considered keeping without this chart – the 4 card straight flush and a 4 card royal flush. All of the other hands above two pair are pat hands (you don't have to draw any cards) that pay more than two pair.
So the idea is to take this chart piece by piece until you have it mastered. Even if you make a mistake, the consequences aren't dire. If you have a normal ability to recognize poker hands, but don't play expert strategy, you're probably only down 1.0% over those who do. Just don't throw away a royal flush by accident. That's a mistake you'll kick yourself for.
Here at ReadyBetGo!, we have a large selection of articles by some of the best writers in the field on the different varieties of Jacks or Better poker. If you are beginner, we would suggest you start with Basil Nestor's ReadyBetGo's Guide to Video Poker. Basil will give you a thorough introduction to this entertaining game. For a more advanced perspective, we recommend Bob Dancer and his strategy articles, including his discussions on the difficulty of learning jacks or better and comparing the difference between 9/6 to 8/5 machines. John Grochowski offers great insights on Jacks or Better variations like Double Bonus Poker and Gayle Mitchell will give you the lowdown on Super Aces machines.