Online Video Poker
Online video poker is based on the classic five card draw that has its origins in the Wild Wild West. Even today, the endless selection of games available on the internet raises the spectre of hard living cowboys shooting it out for the spoils of a great Ace high hand. Although times have changed poker has inherently remained the same despite the efforts of casino software developers intent on creating new fresh and exciting variations. Video poker is a complex casino card game that demands plenty of skill, strategising and a significant slice of luck to win. Before making for the cyber tables with bank roll in hand we strongly recommend you pick your poison and give free online video poker a go in all the best loved versions at any one of the premier online casinos listed at GamblersCenter.com!
Online Video Poker Variants
Browse any reputable online gambling destination and you’ll find a betting bounty of awesome pokers that offer wild cards, jokers and memorable payouts on certain card combinations as unique incentives. There’s Double Double Bonus, where a flurry of four of a kind combinations earn bonus payouts; Aces and Faces, where Aces and face cards generate awesome returns on your bets, and Deuces Wild, where the lowly twos in the pack are transformed into sought after wilds capable of completing great winning hands. Tens or Better and Jacks or Better are the perfect pokers for players learning the trade as pay day starts at a pair of tens or jacks or better, generating a payout percentage of almost one hundred percent! All American is simply a variant of Jacks or Better and was designed by Microgaming for the US gambling market. Most of the high hit rate games online are available as single hand and multi-hand options where it’s possible to play up to 100 hands at a time!
Game Rules
Game rules do vary slightly according to the version you’re playing. There are however basic tenets applicable to all five card draw games, whether online, at the final table of the World Series of Poker or in one of the plush casinos at Las Vegas Monte Carlo or Atlantic City. The aim of the game is to accumulate the best possible five card hand according to traditional hand rankings. The action begins once you’ve placed your bet and have been dealt five cards. It’s then up to you to select the cards you believe have a reasonable chance of creating a paying poker hand, and discarding those that appear useless. These cards are replaced in a second deal and you are then paid out the value of your hand according to the pay table. Aces can be used to complete winning hands as both high and low cards. The traditional hand rankings are:
- Royal flush – 10 to Ace in a single suit
- Straight flush – any five cards in sequence in a single suit
- Four of a kind – any four matching cards
- Full house – three matching cards in one numerical rank accompanied by two matching cards in another rank
- Flush – five cards in a single suit
- Straight – five cards in sequence but in different suits
- Three of a kind – three cards of the same numerical rank
- Two pair – two by two cards of the same rank
- One pair – two matching cards
Poker Strategy
Each variant has its own unique strategy. There are however basic tips that can be applied to all games across the board. You can fine tune your poker playing prowess and apply our basic strategy by playing free video poker in all the popular versions that include Jacks or Better, Joker Poker, All American, Bonus Poker, Super Jackpot, Tens or Better and many more!
- Never hold onto a high card at the expense of a low pair
- The only time your should ever break up a pair of jacks or better is when you have a real possibility of creating a royal or straight flush
- You should discard the remaining cards in three of kind, four of a kind and two pair as there is always a chance of a generating a better winning hand
- You should always hold a royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, three of a kind and two pairs
- The only time you break up a flush or straight is when you have four cards counting towards a royal flush
Online Video Poker Playing Tips
Always play at a safe, secure and reliable online casino that is independently regulated and offers fair gaming and prompt pay outs. Learn the fine art of playing winning five card draw by opting for free play in all the best loved variants. Look for games that reward high pairs or better and offer high payout percentages and you’re sure to boost your bet total big time. Browse GamblersCenter.com for a great gambling destination where online video poker is part of the onscreen action!