Online Video Poker

Most online casinos offer a bewildering array of Video Poker, and to the newcomer it can seem quite daunting.

Let’s take a look, then, at how to play Video Poker online, with some basics, as well as pointers to where you can play this game safely and enjoyably.

First of all, some basic Video Poker rules.

Video Poker differs from the big online Poker rooms you may have heard about, where you get to play against other opponents online, some of them seasoned card sharks.

Here, it’s just you and the online casino, so you needn’t worry about what others are doing or how good they may be – you simply need to beat the house.

The game is a variant of 5 Card Draw Poker, which, as its name suggests, means you get 5 cards dealt to you, plus you can draw (ie. swap) all or any of them.

But since it’s a Video Poker casino game, you’ll want to place a bet of course, and you do this obviously before the hand is dealt.

Furthermore, Video Poker has amongst the most attractive house edges of all, meaning the odds are much more in favour of the player than is the case with some other casino games. If you are new to the game of Poker, check our 'Rules of Poker' article for an introduction to the major concepts found in Video Poker rules.

Most online video poker games have a coin selector as is the case with slots, and a bet max button is often featured too.

Once you have placed your bet, you can draw your hand. After studying it, you then decide which cards to hold (retain) and which to draw (exchange). Be careful to click on the cards you wish to hold and not on those you do not wish to hold, and not vice versa, or you will lose the good cards!

Obviously you will only want to hold on to cards that you think are worth keeping (see below) and you can draw all 5 if you wish.

On the other hand most Video Poker variants will already hold for you any cards which are winning cards, which takes some of the hard thinking work out of the game for you!

After you select which cards you want to hold, click ‘deal’ and the exchanged card(s), if applicable, will be dealt anew.

Please note that there is no option to ‘fold’ in Video Poker.

Any wins you may get will be in accordance with a paytable, which follows standard Poker rankings and where the highest winnings, for a Royal Flush, may payout as high as 250-1 or more.

Some variants of the online Video Poker game might have extra features, such as a double or quits option where after a winning hand you can take your winnings or double them by betting on whether you can pick a higher card than a selected card, from one of 5 cards.

Speaking of which, one of the most important online Video Poker tips is the fact that there are several types of the game which affect odds and likelihood of getting a payout.

Variations of Video Poker

One of the most popular games is called ‘Jacks or Better’ (or sometimes ‘Jack is Best’) which means that a mimimum payout is with a pair of Jacks. So for instance if you had a pair of 6s, which whilst in standard Poker would be a scoring hand, it wouldn’t count for anything (though you could still hold the pair on the off-chance that you get another 6 in the second deal, which would give a scoring 3-of-a-kind).

Other variants include ‘Deuces Wild’, where the number 2 cards substitute for any other card, ‘Jokers Wild’ (self-explanatory) or ‘9/6’ (which states what multiple of your wager pays out on a Full House and a Flush respectively – so 9-1 and 6-1 in this case; you may see some other variants of this).

Also look out for types of Video Poker which have a progressive jackpot linked to them, which would normally payout on only a Royal Flush or similarly high hand.

Generally, note that Video Poker has a more competitive house edge (proportion of what you deposit which will go to the casino) than other games, so it’s potentially more beneficial than many.

Keep high cards and face cards, these can often go to make pairs on the redraw (though discard single cards below that, especially with the Jacks or Better types of Video Poker).

The best video poker strategy would also dictate that you retain lower pairs since, even if they may not score anything, you’ve a chance as noted above of getting 3-of-a-kind (or even better, 4-of-a-kind).

Similarly, retain any sequential cards of the same suit if there are 3 of them (eg. 2,3,4 of clubs) or any suit if there are 4 of them (eg. 6 of hearts, 7 of clubs, 8 of diamonds, 9 of hearts etc.).

Naturally you should retain anything better than a low pair or high card, though as stated the automated program should probably do this for you (you have the option of overruling the game if you wish, though it would be pretty mind-boggling as to why you would do so!).

And, as with most games, take the opportunity to play free Video Poker online, which most of the casinos will offer, before even having to sign up to an account - even after you have opened an account you should use any Welcome Bonus money to get more experience without depositing.

When you play Video Poker free, you obviously get a feel for the game, to help you decide if you actually like it.

Be sure to check back with our site regularly, for all the news on, not only casino Video poker online, but also hints and tips on all games, slot reviews, new casinos, big winner news, legal developments and much more – or sign up to our email alert and get the news straight to your inbox!