Video Poker
Are you a card shark but don’t have the money or time to make it out to the casinos? If so, I suggest playing video poker online, where you are pitted against the dealer, no one else. Unlike casino games based on chance like roulette and craps, video poker enables you to control your own fortune through discarding.
Before you are dealt your cards, you make an initial bet which can generally range from $0.25-$25, depending on your machine and how much you bling you rock. On most types, you are dealt five cards and must use strategy to hold certain cards before discarding for the final deal. Your goal is the best five-card poker combination. Some video poker games use wild cards, which can become any face value.
With some video poker games, you get the option of doubling. If you want to make money fast and be a true baller, I recommend you do this. The dealer gives itself a face-up card and you get four face-down cards. You can choose only one card and if it is higher than the dealer’s, you double your winnings. If you tie, you may only double one additional time. But, if your card is lower than the dealer’s, you lose your entire bet.
Here are a few of the most popular types of video poker:
Aces & Faces: popular single-line video poker game in which a four of a kind on aces or face cards is worth more than a straight flush and the lowest winning combination is a pair of Jacks. If you win a hand, you get the option of doubling, as explained above.
Joker: 53 cards are used—standard deck plus the Joker as a wild card. The three highest payouts are a Natural Royal Flush (without the Joker), Five of a Kind (with the Joker) and a Joker Royal Flush, respectively.
Double Joker: two Jokers are used as wild cards, same rules as “Joker” apply.
Deuces Wild: all 2’s in the deck are wild cards. So, the payouts generally require three of a kind or better because your odds of winning are increased.
Deuces & Joker: implements one Joker into “Deuces Wild.” 2’s and the Joker make up the five wild cards. Just like above, payouts usually start at Three of a Kind. The best hand is Four Deuces and the Joker and Four Deuces has a higher payout than a Wild Royal Flush using a Joker. Got it?
Jacks or Better: single or multi-line game with great odds. A pair of face cards breaks even, the lowest payout. On a multi-line, you can usually bet from $0.05 to $100 per hand.
Tens or Better: essentially the same as “Jacks or Better,” but the lowest payout starts at a pair of tens.
Progressive: uses 52 cards and several Jokers. You guessed it! The jackpot progressively increases with each round. It’s comparable to a casino in that different players can visit the same virtual machine hoping to strike jackpot. The progressive pot reloads after each jackpot.