Detailed and Extensive Guide to Online Video Poker in 2023

Dale Electronics created the first video poker machine, the "Poker-Matic," in 1970. Although it did not become popular, it did prepare the gaming public for what was to come. Si Redd sought to pitch his company, Bally Gaming, on a game he created called Video Poker in the 1970s, so video poker machines have been around for over five decades at this point.

When discussing the history of video poker, we also have to mention another company, the Sittman and Pitt company out of New York which in 1891 invented the gaming machine that would become a prototype of the video poker machine launched many years later by Bally Gaming.

In this section, we go over the rules of playing Jacks or Better. Other video poker games are based on the game of Jacks or Better so if you know how to play this variant, you will have no issues playing other exciting video poker variants.

So, Jacks or Better is the most popular video poker hand and it has nine winning hands. To get a payout, you need to have at least a Pair of Jacks, hence the game’s name. The highest payouts of 250x your stake are reserved for Royal Flush-winning combos.

At the start of each betting round, you choose the number of coins. Once you have placed your wager, you get your five cards and the main goal is to have the strongest five-card hand. What makes video poker different from standard poker games is the fact you can discard whichever cards you want in hopes of getting the cards you need for a higher-valued five-card hand.

While video poker is one of the simplest online casino games, this does not mean you should engage in video poker gaming sessions without having a strategy of some sort. First of all, you need to familiarize yourself with the poker rankings system for the game you are playing. As previously mentioned, there are many different video poker games and while the rules are similar, the poker hand rankings system does differ between them.

We also recommend you play at the maximum number of coins for obvious reasons. Playing at higher stakes guarantees bigger payouts. We also recommend you check the paytable of the game you want to play before you actually place your wager. There are many different video poker games and it makes sense to focus on the games with higher winning odds.

If you are new to playing video poker games, we also recommend you benefit from the free play options that most online casinos offer. In other words, it may be a good idea to start playing for free before you engage in real money video poker gaming sessions.

Below, we discuss the most popular terms used by video poker players. Familiarize yourself with these to play like a pro.

• Action: This refers to the total amount of your wagers, including wagers on your losing hands.
• Bust: Bust refers to a poker hand that did not improve after the next draw.
• Drawing Hand: This is your initial hand that needs certain improvements to make a decent hand.
• Deuce: In video poker, Deuces refer to twos.
• Face Cards: Face cards are Kings, Queens, and Jacks.
• Paytable: This is a table showing payouts for each winning hand based on the number of coins invested.
• Wild Cards:
• Certain video poker games make use of Wild Cards and these can replace any other card in the deck.