Video poker might not be the easiest casino game to play, but it does provide the best odds of winning, making it immensely popular among online players. In our free online video poker guide, we'll discuss its popularity, how the game is played, winning hands, and the most popular variants. We will also look at how to increase your chances of winning, the pros and cons, compare free vs real money games, and more.
Among the ever-evolving selection of casino games, it should come as no surprise that online video poker has continuously remained an interesting and popular game. Second only to online slots, video poker has secured its popularity due to several compelling reasons among online players. It's fast-paced, convenient to play, offers a huge variety of variants, comes with favourable odds and payouts, and offers elements of strategy and skill that other games lack in comparison.
Our free video poker rules guide demonstrates how easy it is to play this game in 2024. Even though there are several variants, you can more or less follow the same steps on all of them. This can be applied on desktop and mobile devices for added convenience.
Similar to five card draw, your primary objective when playing video poker online is to create the strongest poker hand by selecting whether to hold on to existing cards or draw different cards. The stronger your hand, the more winnings you can earn. For instance, a Royal Flush will provide a much bigger payout than a Three of a Kind. In the next section of our free guide, we discuss the winnings hands and what cards you need to make them.
Having a good understanding of the different hands in video poker can make all the difference. You can easily shift the odds in your favour by understanding which cards you need to hold and which cards to discard. The more you play, the more accustomed you'll become to what constitutes a good hand and what needs to be done to create a better hand. You are welcome to analyse the value of a hand by using the list we provided below where you will see the winnings hands ranked from highest to lowest.
One of the primary reasons why players are attracted to online video poker is the fact that you can determine the house edge through the paytable. If you want to know the odds of creating a Three of a Kind or a Royal Flush, you can look at the following odds that are based on the dealing of the first cards below. Keep in mind that when you discard and redraw, the winnings odds on any hand will increase.
You'll discover hundreds of video poker games while playing online. Some video poker variations have become extremely popular among casino players. However, if you are new to the game, you might not know where to start. Therefore, we provided the most popular video poker game variants below. We also included a short overview of each to help you make an educated decision before playing in 2024.
Double Double Bonus is ideal for players who like playing for big payouts. This is achieved thanks to the boosted payout you'll receive when creating any Four of a Kind hands. You'll also receive an additional bonus that will be based on the kicker that you hold from any Four of a Kind hand.
Aces & Eights provides unique winning combinations that sets it apart from other video poker games. Any hand containing a pair of Eights, or a pair of Aces can yield some truly remarkable payouts. You'll also be generously rewarded when you have a Four of a Kind containing two Eights and Two Aces.
Jacks or Better is the oldest and most popular variant at online casinos, and also the easiest to understand. The main objective is to create a pair containing Jacks or Better to win (hence the name of the game). It's played with a standard 52-card deck and offers a decent RTP of 99.54%.
Bonus Deuces Wild is a popular variation of Deuces Wild, and gameplay is essentially the same. However, players can look forward to bonus payouts for Four of a Kind Deuces along with an Ace Kicker as well as Five of a Kind hands. There's also a bonus round after each winning hand to potentially double your money.
Aces & Faces is essentially a variation of 8/5 Jacks or Better and is played with a standard deck of 52 cards. As the name suggests, you will receive payouts for pairs containing Aces or face cards where a pair of Jacks or higher is required. You will also receive an increased payouts for Four of a Kind containing face cards.
Bonus Poker is based on the very popular Jacks or Better video poker game. However, Bonus Poker will provide higher payouts for any Four of a Kind hand. It's also worth searching for the full-pay version as you can take advantage of a Return to Player percentage of 99.20% to further increase your winning opportunities.
Triple Play is a game that gives you the ability to play three hands at once. You will find three rows of cards, representing one for each of the three hands. This will increase your chances of winning and provide an added layer of excitement to your online gaming experience.
Jokers Wild, also known as Joker Poker or Joker with a Wild, is a popular variation at most casino sites that uses 53 cards in the deck. The additional card is a Joker that will act as a wild card with the ability to replace any other card to help you form a winning hand. The joker is quite rare, appearing on average in every 10 hands.
You can increase your chances of winning even further when you play video poker online by looking at the RTP percentages. The higher the RTP, the greater your chances will be to win. For instance, if the RTP is 95%, you will theoretically receive $95 back in winnings for every $100 you wager. With this in mind, we provided the highest RTP online video poker games below for your convenience.
If you are looking to play free video poker to see what all the fuss is about or indeed to hone your skills before playing for real money, the table below lists the five most popular variants to try in 2024. All five are available on mobile and desktop and we've also included our personal ratings.
If you are new to the world of online video poker, we highly recommend that you play video poker free online before wagering your own hard-earned money. Thankfully, this is simple and quick to accomplish, giving you the ability to start exploring the different variants straight away. Below, we included a step-by-step guide on how to play in demo mode in 2024.
With demo mode you can practice for as long as you like and test out all the different video poker games being offered by your chosen casino. It's a great way to see how everything works before deposting.
You will be pleased to know that you can also play free video poker games on your mobile device. There are apps available in both the Apple App store and the Google Play store for Android users that are fun play options of this popular game. There is no money involved and you can load up the games and practice all your skills with no risk whatsoever. This is a great way to try out different betting strategies and learn the rules, etc., before you consider creating an account at an online casino where you can play for real money.
While video poker is considered an easy game to learn, it can be very difficult to master. To advance from a beginner to an experienced player, you will need to understand the terminology. Learning the most common terms before you play online video poker will greatly increase your chances to quickly react to game cues from the beginning. Below, you can browse through our glossary of terms that we recommend you familiarize yourself with in 2024.
At Top10Casinos.com, you can take advantage of our top tips on how to win at video poker. By incorporating our tips, you can prolong your gaming sessions and increase your chances of winning. Our expert tips are designed to help you master the game in 2024.
If you are new to online video poker, we recommend learning a little about video poker strategy to greatly increase your winning opportunities. It's simple to follow, provides loads of valuable information, and is guaranteed to enhance your gaming experience.
There is no shortage of software providers in the online gaming industry. With hundreds of top-rated software developers at your fingertips, it can be difficult to choose which online video poker games are worth your time and money. It's for this reason why we included below some of the leading software providers that are renowned for developing some of the best-performing games in the industry.
The in-depth strategies found in this genre are a big part of why so many players are drawn to it. What's more is that you can really take it however far you want, and you don't have to get incredibly deep into strategic practice to get a good payout rate. Below, we'll break down some of the fundamentals that players need to know to greatly enhance their odds of winning in 2024.
Different numbers can be used to describe your potential outcomes in casino video poker. One of these is RTP, which means "return to player" percentage, and it describes how much of your wagers you get back in payouts on average. This shouldn't be confused with volatility, which is more about how serious the swings will be. A high volatility, for example, means more swings, and usually comes with games that have a top-heavy pay table. Finally we have odds, which measure your chances of hitting certain outcomes in specific situations.
The pay table gives a listing of the different hands that you can make and how much you'll be paid for them. It's important to understand that you can only be paid for a single hand on each round. However, you will always be paid the single best payout available. For example, if you had a straight flush, you'll be paid for that win instead of what you would have received for a regular flush even though you meet the requirements for that hand by having five cards that are of the same suit.
The biggest part of any winning video poker strategy comes down to knowing which cards to hold and which to discard on the draw round. You can learn this in multiple ways, but you have a total of 32 different ways that you can play every single hand (including the option to stand pat/discard zero). Most of the time, you'll be able to narrow it down to two or three options, but picking the best from those few is what will maximize your RTP rate.
The final draw is the last discard round that you get in your hand. In most cases, it's the only draw, but some atypical variations allow you to draw more than once. After the draw, the hand is essentially over because there are no more decisions for you to make. From there, your hand is simply evaluated against the pay table to see if you've hit a winning hand.
Using a basic strategy chart is an easy way to increase your RTP in these games while you learn how to play in different situations. While they won't necessarily have you play perfectly in every single situation, it'll be pretty close with a handful of small exceptions. We recommend using these as one of the key ways to learn the pillars of strategy in video poker because all you have to do is find the first situation from the top of the list that describes your hand and play it as prescribed. Check out the table below which explains what you do with every hand you are dealt. It displays the hand dealt and how many cards you should hold. For example, if you are dealt 3 of a kind, you will keep the 3 of a kind and discard the remaining two cards.
There are advantages and disadvantages for almost everything in life and below we take a look at the pros and cons for free video poker and video poker play for real money. This should help you get a better understanding of what is at stake, especially if you are a new player and unfamiliar with the game.
Before registering with online casinos offering video poker, you will need to review certain aspects to ensure you are playing in a safe and secure environment with fair payouts on all games. We recommend checking that the casino is licensed and regulated by a reputable regulatory body, and that its regularly audited to ensure fairness with every visit. We also advise you to evaluate the user-interface to ensure easy navigation, and that you have access to a multitude of video poker titles so that you don't have to play anywhere else. To save you some time and money, we included our top recommendations that have surpassed our expectations in 2024 for your convenience.
We understand that no two players are the same, especially when it comes to online video poker. Therefore, we reviewed hundreds of reputable sites and categorized them according to bonuses, progressive jackpots, withdrawal speed, deposit size, bet size, mobile compatibility, variety of titles, and live dealer options. Regardless of your preferences, we are confident that you'll find an online casino that is best suited for your needs below.
Something really cool about video poker is that it has such a long and interesting history. Inside of that history, there are a variety of fun facts that you might not have known about the game. Below, we included some fascinating facts that you can share with your friends that will make them think you are a master at the game.
The original name for this game was based on the fact that the very first slot actually had a poker motif. Many players consider this to be the beginning of both genres, which is an interesting piece of casino trivia that most people aren't aware of.
How good you are at the strategies involved will determine your payout rate in these games in the long run. The only other casino title that is known for that is blackjack, which isn't nearly as complicated in terms of strategic depth.
In terms of overall reviews, payout rates and everything else that goes into it, the Las Vegas brick and mortar location Boulder Highway is considered to be the best place in the world to play video poker. It is a place that you have to visit in person, however, and there is no live dealer equivalent online.
The most unusual and most simple version of the game is called Pick Em Poker. You're given a set of two different cards, and then you have to choose between two additional cards to add to the first two. From there, you're then dealt two additional random cards from the deck to complete your five-card hand.
Called "Poker-Matic," this game was introduced in the early 1970s and became incredibly popular. This was the first title that could be properly called video poker, and it was the game that laid the groundwork for the entire genre. With that said, you needed at least two pair to win a prize.
Explore more of our free game guides here at Top10Casinos where you'll find all the information you need to get started playing online. We cover blackjack, roulette, slots, baccarat, and more.
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