Learn How to Play Online Video Poker
Online Video Poker Guide
When you think of casino games online video poker vs. online table poker, there are similarities and differences at all casinos. For both online casino games, you’re trying to build a solid five-card poker hand. But with online casino game video poker, you’re simply aiming for the minimum hand required to get a payout instead of trying to outrank opponents to scoop up the best pot in these games. The format of video poker for real money has a closer resemblance to slots than actual table poker, as they’re played solo on digital screens at casinos.
Video poker machines are easy to identify in a casino because they’re less flashy than their slot sisters. Shrewd casino players know that the less flashy means better odds in the games, and casino video poker is no exception. If you learn the online real money strategy behind these games, you could be looking at a house edge under 1%, which is the same as blackjack at many casinos.
Paytables & Returns
When you approach a online casino video poker game, the first thing to look at is the free real money paytable. We’ll explain the best way how to read it, using a simple video poker Jacks or Better game free real money paytable as an example.
| Hand/Coins Bet | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Royal Flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1000 | 4000 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| 4 of a Kind | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 |
| Full House | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
| Flush | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 |
| Straight | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| 3 of a Kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| 2 Pairs | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
The winning hands for Jacks or Better video poker games are listed in the first column, with Royal Flush giving the biggest payout with real money and a pair of Jacks giving the lowest payout. The following five columns display the online Video Poker payout for each hand depending on the number of coins wagered. You can bet 1 to 5 coins per round, and with some casino video poker games, there’s a jackpot for the Royal Flush on a 5-coin wager.
Anytime a Video Poker jackpot is available on the 5-coin wager, you should try to bet the 5-coin max if possible. In order to accommodate different bankrolls, coin denominations range from $0.05 to $5, so keep in mind that betting five nickels is better than betting one quarter when there is a real money jackpot involved.
So how do you determine whether or not a Video Poker jackpot is offered for landing the best hand on a 5-coin bet? With Jacks or Better video poker games, the real money payout increases by 250 coins with each additional coin bet. The payouts go from 250 to 500 to 750 to 1000, and for the 5-coin bet, it jumps to 4000 instead of 1250. That’s a jackpot. If you compare it with online casino video poker Bonus Deuces Wild game, you can see the difference.
| Hand/Coins Bet | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Royal Flush | 800 | 1600 | 2400 | 3200 | 4000 |
| 4 Deuces w/A | 400 | 800 | 1200 | 1600 | 2000 |
| 4 Deuces | 200 | 400 | 600 | 800 | 1000 |
| Wild Royal | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 |
| 5 Aces | 80 | 160 | 240 | 320 | 400 |
| 5 3, 4 or 5 | 40 | 80 | 120 | 160 | 200 |
| 5 6-K | 20 | 40 | 60 | 80 | 100 |
| Straight Flush | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
| 4 of a Kind | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Full House | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Flush | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Straight | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 3 of a Kind | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
In online casino video poker Bonus Deuces Wild game, the payout for the Royal Flush increases by 800 for each additional coin wagered, including the 5-coin max. It goes from 800 to 1600 to 2400 to 3200 to 4000. There’s no jump in payout when you bet 5 coins. There are still lots of benefits to this online casino video poker game, as those who play online casino video poker Deuces Wild game can attest, but a real money jackpot is not one of them.
Getting Started with Video Poker
When you play online casino video poker for real money, a round of all games always begins with a wager at all casinos. First, choose the value of your coins. If you’re playing 1 Hand video poker, the denominations include $0.05, $0.25, $0.50, $1 and $5. Second, choose the number of coins you want to bet; you can bet 1-5 coins. A unique free paytable exists for each number of coins wagered.
Once you’re finished setting up the betting configurations of all games, it’s time to get action. Hit “Deal” to get five cards face-up. Then, choose the cards you want to play from that five-card hand. Once your chosen cards are selected, hit “Draw” to replace the unwanted cards with new play ones; this is your final hand. The minimum hand required to win real money is listed on the paytable.
When you play online video poker games at casinos, you’ll notice that some of them include a Double or Nothing Round after wins in all games. These consist of choosing one of four cards placed face-down in front of you; the best is to pick a card that’s higher than the Dealer’s, you double your payout and get the option of playing again.
Video Poker Probabilities
Getting to know the probability of each hand will help you pick out more liberal video poker machines, which can be a good poker strategy in all games at all casinos. For example, casino poker machines that offer above average payouts for hands that are low in probability and below average payouts for hands that are high in probability will get you less money the more you play those poker games. That’s because you’re far more likely to get pairs than a straight flush—no matter how enticing the Straight Flush real money payout is- it's all about the best play strategy. Let’s take a look at online casino video poker Jacks or Better game for a free example. Beside each winning hand, you’ll see its play probability.
• Royal Flush: 0.000025
• Straight Flush: 0.000109
• 4 of a Kind: 0.002363
• Full House: 0.011212
• Flush: 0.011015
• Straight: 0.011229
• 3 of a Kind: 0.07449
• 2 Pairs: 0.129279
• Jacks or Better: 0.214585
Based on the real money payouts, online casino video poker Jacks or Better game has a 99.54% return when you play with optimal poker strategy. Factor in comps from loyalty programs, and you’ll come close to breaking even when you play.
Learn the Poker Hands
Online casino Video poker hands are the same hands you’ll find in regular online casino poker. Here they are ranked from the best to weakest, along with free poker play examples:
• Royal Flush: 10, J, Q, K, A, suited.
• Straight Flush: Five cards of consecutive rank, suited.
• 4 of a Kind: Four cards, matching rank.
• Full House: One pair, one 3 of a Kind.
• Flush: Five cards of the same suit.
• Straight: Five cards of consecutive rank.
• 3 of a Kind: Three cards, matching rank.
• 2 Pairs: Two sets of pairs.
• Pair: Two cards, matching rank.
In addition to these standard winning poker play hands, some online casino video poker games have bonus hands. You’ll mostly see these with games that include wild cards, such as online video poker Bonus Deuces Wild game. When there’s a wild card in the mix, you can potentially land a 5 of a Kind, like four Jacks plus one wild card. Sometimes the casinos' payouts for the 5 of a Kind will be tiered, with unique payouts offered for a 5 of a Kind comprising low cards (3-5), high cards (6-K) and Aces. Always consult the free paytable before playing to make sure you have all the best possible ways to play and win.
Video Poker Lessons
The best enhancement for your casino video poker game play strategy with the following four lessons:
Use Optimal Strategy
Just like with casino blackjack game, there are optimal casino play strategies established for every version of video poker on the net. These tell you for free the order in which to prioritize your cards to ensure you play with as low of a house edge as possible at casinos.
Double-Up when Possible
It’s pretty hard to find casino bets with no house edge, but they do exist, and the video poker Double-Up feature is one of them. The Double-Up gives players a chance to double their payout—or lose it altogether. All you have to do is play one of four cards placed in front of you face-down in hopes that it will be higher than the Dealer’s card. If you do play a higher card, you double your payout. Keep in mind, the Double-Up feature increases the game’s volatility. Play this video poker strategy with the best of luck.
Bet Max
We explained how to determine if a jackpot is included in a game in the free Paytable section above. Anytime you see a jackpot, bet the 5-coin max. If you’re concerned about the amount you’re betting, simply adjust the coin denomination to ensure you’re sticking to your bankroll budget at all casinos.
Multi-Hand vs. 1 Hand
When it’s time to level up in video poker games at casinos, you may want to increase the number of hands you play per round. Before you do that, compare the free paytable for the 1 Hand version with the table for the multi-hand games. The multi-hand video poker games often have slightly lower payouts for one or two winning hands.
Now that you know the theory behind video poker games at casinos, it’s time to get in the game. Say deuces to other casinos and try Video Poker at Ignition in free practice mode or for real money. Apply the tips gathered in this video poker at casinos strategy guide to your game-of-choice at Ignition Casino. Not sure where to start? With low volatility and no wild cards, Jacks or Better video poker games are a great launching point for beginners in their video poker play journey at casinos. You can also try Deuces Wild.
