Video Poker Game Rules
Video poker in its most primitive form evolved in the Seventies when it became possible to integrate a microprocessor and a television-like screen. These early machines where able to simulate card-play and randomly deal cards, make evaluations and pay out. The newer machines do this only they are much faster, a lot smarter and definitely more user-friendly.
Video poker is the ideal game for those who prefer to play alone or in anonymity. It is also great if you are a learner and are not quite sure if you have the confidence to go out and play one-on-one with other players. Video poker is a game that requires skill, and combined with a low house edge, it can be quite a thrilling experience. Today, you can spot video poker machines not just on casino floors, but also in smaller clubs and joints. Video poker is also playable online, like most other casino games, on a machine-like simulation environment.
There are various kinds of video poker prevalent today. Just like the classic game of poker has several variations, the video game too has many books, with the most popular version being Jacks or Better video poker. In Jacks or Better, a payout is based on a minimum-qualifying card of a pair of jacks. In Jacks or Better video poker, the theoretical return is 99.54%. Other versions of video poker include Double Double Bonus, Deuces Wild, SupaJax video poker among others.
To begin a game of video poker you insert from one to five coins. The machine randomly deals five cards from a virtual 52 or 53 card stack. The player has to carefully discard one or more cards and will be dealt a replacement card from the remaining deck. The machine then evaluates the cards in hand and pays out accordingly.
Although such a game is quite quick and controlled mostly by chance, a seasoned player can fair well if he pays attention to the cards to be hold and the cards to be discarded. There are several strategies that can be employed to increase your wins. One basic rule of course is to pick the right machine. Always play at reliable machines that have lower house-odds. Further, you can opt for one of the several viable ways to play the initial hand and select your high card as a jack or higher. If you have only one high card, discard everything. This way you can successfully optimize your play to get a result of 99.46% on a full pay machine.