Video poker is one of the top three games following online slots and sport betting. It is not based on chance like other slot machines, but skill. The game's interactivity, the ability to beat the machine through strategy, and the possibility of winning big are attractions for players. To give your experience an edge, most sites provide a Video Poker Casino Bonus, which can improve your initial balance and your chances of winning.
There are quite a few types of video poker these days. Just like online slots, software companies continue to come up with new and improved versions every year. As such, original video poker has become a multifaceted interactive game with extra bonus payouts, wild cards, jackpots, etc.
Variety is usually fine in gambling, but it might mislead individuals who know very little about the game. That is why players must study the prevailing varieties of video poker and their differing workings.
Both brick-and-mortar and online casinos offer a wide range of video poker variants. They both have the basic ones and complex ones, as well as the high- to low-paying ones. There are many varieties, but they are largely 9/6 Jacks or Better or Deuces Wild variations. The differences largely happen on payout tables, which actually affect the return-to-player (RTP) ratio.
Wilds exist on certain video poker machines, the wilds of which can be jokers, deuces, or even other wild cards. Wilds can substitute for other cards to help players create winning hands. Other machines reward more for specific hands, such as four-of-a-kind eights.
This is the most basic version of video poker and is typically chosen by beginners. In its 9/6 variant, this game has an attractive RTP of 99.54%. The only shortcoming of this game is its relatively low payoffs. Every hand is returned equally, and if the player still has a pair of Jacks or above at the end, they receive a payoff of their betting amount.
One of the key features of most full-pay variants is the feature of doubling your winnings in a bonus round. For example, the player is shown one face-up card and four face-down cards; to win, they must pick a higher card than the face-up card.
Deuces Wild is also a popular 52-card video poker game in most earth and online casinos. All four twos in Deuces Wild are wild cards and can be employed to make winning hand combinations. The worst-paying winning hand is three-of-a-kind, and the next best hand to the royal flush is four deuces.
Since jokers increase the probability of achieving a winning combination, casinos compensate for it in the form of less rewarding payments. So, profitability is not always huge. But if one plays optimally and maximizes bets, the RTP reaches 100.76%.
This version is similar to Jacks or Better in hand values but with the lowest winning hand of two tens. This allows the player to win more frequently. The paytable also dispenses small but frequent wins. Players receive full payouts for winning a flush or full house.
Tens or Better has a double-or-nothing bonus game, too. Its RTP is 99.13%. Its house edge fluctuates by as much as 2% based on the paytable.
A variation of the basic Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker offers more generous payoffs for some four-of-a-kind combinations. The lowest winning hand remains a pair of Jacks.
The other winning hands observe the regular order, with the exception of four-of-a-kind hands: four Aces win 80 coins for a 1-coin wager, and four 2s, 3s, or 4s win 40 coins. Four 5s through Kings win 25 coins on a 1-coin wager.
The full-pay Bonus Poker paytable is 8/5, with full house paying 8 times the bet and flush paying 5 times. The expected RTP is 99.17%. This game is excellent even for beginners with a relatively simple strategy.
There are a variety of versions of this game with some offering more RTP than the standard game. For example, 10/7 Double Bonus Poker returns double for all four-of-a-kind hands and an RTP of 100.17%.
It uses a regular deck of 52 cards, and rewards start at Jacks. It offers high rewards for four-of-a-kind hands that contain Aces or face cards (Jacks, Queens, Kings). The regular version uses an 8/5 paytable, whereby four Aces are paid more than a straight flush. The RTP is 99.26%.
Other variations use 7/6 and 7/5 paytables with corresponding RTPs of 99.2% and 99.1%, respectively. Some casinos even list a 6/5 variant, but that considerably increases the house edge, reducing expected returns to about 97%.
Joker Poker is suitable for novices and experienced gamblers alike. The game utilizes 53 cards – the standard 52-card pack along with a Joker. It differs from regular video poker in several significant ways.
The lowest winning hand is usually larger than in most other versions. The Joker Poker incorporates wild cards, and the players must form hands including the Joker. The game offers more chances to draw a winning hand and is particularly popular, especially in the 7/5 version.
This variation is renowned for its generosity, in which players have a good chance of winning colossal jackpots. A progressive video poker provides a jackpot for one specific winning hand, and the jackpot increases by the minute since part of every bet contributes to it.
But observe a couple of things. First, you must bet as many coins as you can to be eligible for the jackpot. Second, best strategy is more complex than for regular games. Third, it's better to play a version that includes wild cards, because they increase the chance of receiving a winning hand.
