Real Money Video Poker

Real Money Video Poker

To the random stranger new to gambling, the game of video poker and regular poker are probably the same thing. To a beginner at either, they may be similar, but they are very different in many ways. This article will explore the basic rules of video poker for those of you are interested in learning more.

Rules of Video Poker

Real money video poker is a combination of 5 card poker and slots. The oldest variant of this game is the traditional “Jacks or better” version which means you need to have a hand of a pair of jacks or stronger to beat the house.  Our poker cheat sheet has a hand ranking chart which shows hand values. Feel free to download as PDF.

1. You decide the amount you want to wager at the start of the hand.
2. The computer deals five cards and you choose which wants to discard, to draw replacement of, just like 5 card draw
3. You are dealt your replacement cards and your hand is revealed showing whether you won or lost and by how much

The stronger your hand, the more you can win.

Video Poker Strategy

Unlike most casino games, video poker has some skill element and is second only to blackjack in terms of house edge. This means, if you are a casino game enthusiast, you should be looking closely at video poker and learning the best strategies. There are strategy tips available at recommended video poker casino sites which help you make better decisions when picking how many cards to throw away. This is the only element of the game which involves strategy; thus, it is important you make the best possible decisions to reduce the houses’ edge. Some basic tips are below:

• Keep all your high cards and draw the rest if you have no pair
• Draw three cards if you have one pair
• Draw two cards if you have three of a kind, 3 to a flush or straight

Final Thoughts

Video poker has the simplicity of slots combined with some strategy from 5 card poker. Whilst it’s no way comparable to regular poker in terms of complexity, this suits many people who just want to gamble but want some input too. Let’s face it, drawing the cards is far more appealing than the normal slots game isn’t it? The other advantage to video poker is the restriction on how much you can lose. It’s fixed at the start whereas regular poker involves several rounds of betting. A beginner can lose more money quicker in a poker game than on video poker.