Video poker game play

Almost all video Poker is based around five-card draw. This may seem strange in light of the fact that real five-card draw is scarce in casino poker rooms. Live poker tends nowadays to focus on stud games such as Omaha and Holdem.

Gone from video poker are the psychological and bluffing aspects of the game. There is no one to bluff and it is a more simple matter of you against the computer. Whereas in live poker it is essential to know yourself and know your opponents, in video poker you must simply know the cards and the payouts. In live poker, your playing decisions are just as important as the cards you are dealt. Not so in video poker. Here the cards are everything. If you’re dealt bad cards, the most skilfully played bluff in the world cannot help you win. The strategy comes in selecting which cards to keep and in your overall approach to playing the game.

However, playing a video poker requires only a basic understanding of the composition of various video poker hands. The game itself is simple. Essentially, the game goes thus:

Decide on the coin size you want to play with by going to the coin size menu and increasing or decreasing the number of coins you want to play with. Most of the time it is advisable to play with the maximum number of coins, otherwise you won’t be able to win the biggest prizes.

Click Deal to start the game.

Your first hand of cards will appear in the play area. Examine them carefully. You should compare the cards in your hand with the payout schedule on screen. Any winning hands in your first hand will be indicated on the payout schedule and, if automatic hold is enabled, the cards will automatically be held for you.

You can hold a column of cards by clicking on the card in that row in the first hand and unselect a column of cards by clicking on that card again. When you hold a card a bar saying held will be displayed across the card.

Choose which cards to hold so as to potentially give you the highest payout. If auto hold is not enabled and you have an automatic winning hand, you should select all your cards.

Once you have chosen which cards to hold, you must click the Draw button to get your new cards.

Once you have collected your winnings you can begin another hand of video poker by clicking on the Deal button.