Video Poker is a popular game that can be bet on in casinos all over the globe, or alternatively at home on your personal computer, using an Internet account. The game rules are absolutely simple and consist of the player attempting to get the greatest mixture of cards possible in order to come away with money. On this account it is much the same as a normal game of poker, minus the involvement with other players. Of course, tactics used in a physical game of poker, such as tricking, will be irrelevant here.
The game of Electronic Poker begins when the bettor puts credits (whether it is tokens, credit slips or money) into the machine and pushes the deal button. A hand of five cards will be "handed out" on the screen.
The Electronic Poker machine also has buttons with ‘hold’ printed on them, and gamblers will need to now pick which cards to keep and which to throw away. For the cards the gambler would like to retain, the ‘hold’ buttons need to be pressed so that they illuminate. The player can choose to keep any amount of cards they wish, whether it’s all or none.
After the bettor has selected which cards he or she wishes to retain, the player will then press ‘draw’, at which point any new cards will be dealt if desired. The hand is now completed, with the Electronic Poker machine analyzing the cards to see if it is the same as any of the winning hands printed on the payout schedule.
Generally, the minimum winning hand on an Electronic Poker machine is a pair of jacks with the prize money growing for each better hand. A list of common winning hands starts with jacks or better, moving on to 2 pairs, 3 of a kinds, straights, flushes, full houses, 4 of a kinds, straight flushes and last but not least royal flushes. It should be known that the payout schedule can vary from game to game, so that skillful bettors are able to choose the most beneficial game each and every time.
After the first round has finished, the player can either choose to remain on in an attempt to maximize their earnings, or press the ‘collect’ button to cash out any credits that they may have won. Further, some versions of the game allow the player a chance to increase their wins, in which situation a further round is played. There are also differences between individual machines, with some virtual decks having wild cards and other varying elements to increase playability.
