A Guide to Video Poker Slots
To many casual observers, video poker machines might as well be slots. However, that assessment couldn’t be further from the truth. There are many important differences between video poker and slots; in fact, they don’t have much in common at all aside from both being played on machines in a casino.
How to Play Video Poker
Video poker games are based on various versions of the poker games you’d play with a deck of cards. In particular, video poker usually emulates draw poker games — the kind in which you are dealt a five-card hand, and then have the opportunity to draw new cards in an effort to improve your holdings.
In most video poker machines, you’ll begin by inserting coins into a machine. Typically, players have the option to bet between one and five coins per hand; it is usually advisable to play the full five coins, as that will normally be the only way to get a full payout on a royal flush.
After the game begins, players will be presented with five cards on the screen. These cards are normally dealt from a standard deck of 52 cards; this means that if you see a card on screen, it will never show up again during that same hand, as there are no duplicates in the deck. Players may then choose to keep as many of those five cards as they like, discarding the others and receiving new cards in their place.
Once the player receives their new cards, their hand is fixed, and prizes are paid out according to the strength of their hand. Just how strong a hand needs to be in order to be a winner depends on the particular machine you’re playing. For instance, in the popular Jacks or Better video poker machine, you’ll need at least a pair of jacks in order to pick up a prize. However, in the game Deuces Wild — in which all twos are considered wild cards — you’ll need at least three-of-a-kind to win a prize.
Many video poker machines also have special features or modifications to gameplay. For instance, it’s common for players to be able to play multiple hands at the same time. On these multi-hand games, players begin the game in the same way, making decisions on a single hand. However, the results of the draw are simulated multiple times to fill up new hands. Some machines allow you to play up to 100 hands at a single time, which greatly reduces the volatility of the machines (although it also comes at a high cost, since you must pay for each hand). Another common special feature is the “gambling” game, which allows you to play a double-or-nothing guessing game if you’d like to try to multiply your winnings from your hand.
Why Play Video Poker?
Video poker is an extremely popular game among serious casino gamblers. This is due to the fact that video poker machines often have some of the lowest house edges in the casino, with some machines offering returns of 99% or more to players. In some live casinos, you’ll even find a rare machine that offers over 100%, meaning the player actually has a very slight edge over the casino with perfect play.
However, finding video poker machines with such great returns takes work. Each poker machine has a unique pay table that dictates how much it will reward players for different types of hands. For instance, a full pay Jacks or Better machine will offer nine coins for a full house, and six coins for a flush, offering a return of 99.5%. However, many casinos use lower payouts on their machines; for instance, the fairly common “8-5″ Jacks or Better machine offers only a 97.3% return to players.
Many video poker fans also like the depth of strategy that playing the game requires. You can’t just go on autopilot when playing a video poker machine; it’s important to always make the correct decisions in order to ensure that you’re getting the best possible returns from the machine. Complex strategy charts exist for most of the most popular video poker games that can help players get the most out of their play.
Video Poker vs. Slot Machines
You should now see that video poker machines are very different from slots, and players who enjoy one of these game types might not like the other. If the most important aspect of playing casino games for you is getting the best possible odds, video poker will generally give you better returns than slots. However, that’s only true if you don’t mind putting in the work to learn the strategies for each video poker machine, as well as taking the time to seek out the best pay tables.
On the other hand, if you’re just looking to have fun and don’t want to worry too much about making mistakes while playing, slots are definitely a better choice for you. In addition, slots are a much better choice if you enjoy the chance at winning large jackpots; while it’s certainly possible to make a nice score on a video poker machine, the biggest progressive jackpots are almost always found on slot machines.
