Video Poker is a beloved game that can be bet on in casinos around the globe, or alternatively at home on your personal computer, through an Internet connection. The rules are very simple and involve the player trying to get the best mixture of cards achievable in order to come away with cash. On this account it’s very similar as a normal game of poker, minus the line of contact with other players. Of course, methods employed during a physical game of poker, like tricking, will be irrelevant here.
The game of Electronic Poker begins when the enthusiast puts credits (either tokens, credit slips or cash) into the video poker machine and pushes the play button. A hand of 5 cards will be electronically ‘handed out’ on the video screen.
The Video Poker game also has buttons with ‘hold’ printed on them, and players should now choose which cards to hold and which to throw away. For the cards the gambler wishes to retain, the ‘hold’ buttons should be pressed so that they illuminate. The player can choose to keep any number of cards they wish, from all to none.
After the bettor has chosen which cards he or she would like to keep, the player will then press ‘deal’, at which point any new cards will be needed they will be dealt. The round is now finished, with the Video Poker machine analyzing the hand to see if it matches any of the winning hands listed in the payment schedule.
Typically, the lowest winning hand on a Video Poker machine is a pair of jacks with the prize money getting larger for each and every better hand. A list of common winning hands begins with jacks or better, and moves on to 2 pairs, 3 of a kinds, straights, flushes, full houses, four of a kinds, straight flushes and last but not least royal flushes. It goes without saying that the pay out schedule can range from machine to machine, so that discerning enthusiasts are able to pick the most money-making machine every time.
After the first round has finished, the player can either choose to continue on in an attempt to maximize their earnings, or press the ‘collect’ button to retrieve any credits that have been won. Further, several versions of the game give the enthusiast an opportunity to double their profits, in which instance a further round is played. There are also variations among individual machines, with some decks of cards including wild cards and other varying aspects to increase playability.