Your Definitive Guide to Online Video Poker 2023

Video Poker is a computerized casino game originally based on five-card draw poker. Although it is based on what is essentially a centuries-old activity (poker), Video Poker's invention could be seen as the very first step in the path toward online gambling, as it was the first successful game to combine casino games with new video technology.
The story began in the mid-1970s when computers were almost as big as houses and cost about as much. The idea of owning a personal computer was only in its infant stages, and gambling software manufacturers were reluctant to take a gamble on the new technology.

Thank goodness for pioneers like William (Si) Redd, who was plying his trade as a distributor for US gambling firm Bally. Redd was influential in the selection of new slot machines, but company executives rejected his pitch for a game called Video Poker, perhaps because they considered it too risky.

Bally still exists, but Video Poker is the one that got away. Like all great inventors, Redd displayed perseverance and managed to convince his superiors to let him have the patent on Video Poker. Within only a few months, he signed an agreement with Reno-based Fortune Coin Company and formed his own business under the name "Sircoma" (Si Redd's Coin Machines). As you would expect, it took a few years for Video Poker to catch on, but by the time the 1980s had come around, Video Poker had become a regular fixture at many leading land-based casinos.

The earlier form of Video Poker was based on Draw Poker, where the lowest possible hand was a two-pair. Later, this was changed to a pair of jacks, which helped boost Video Poker's appeal as players had a higher chance of winning. As you would expect, the original machines were much like the TVs at the time - today, you would more likely find them on a scrap heap than in a casino or someone's lounge. At the time, however, they were at the cutting edge of technology.
As Si Redd's Video Poker invention took off, Sircoma changed its name to one that still stands today - International Game Technology (IGT). His machines took over casino floors in the 1980s, and many other variations were introduced, including Spin Poker, Multi-Strike Poker, and other forms of poker that were suitable for video technology.

Jacks or Better, the game that sparked Video Poker's growth, remains one of the most popular forms of the game. It can be found at most land-based casino establishments in the United States and has received a boost in worldwide popularity thanks to its presence at most of the leading online casinos.
Just think: If Si Redd had listened to the Bally executives and continued in his day job, we would never have had Video Poker, and the online casino world would be poorer without it.

Most video poker games are played with a standard 52-card deck, with the exception of Joker Wild games which include jokers. Once you make a wager, press "Deal" and the game will randomly deliver you five cards from the deck. Choose which cards to discard and which to hold. The machine replaces your discarded cards with randomly chosen cards from the remaining deck. You are then paid out according to the value of your hand. Unlike other casino games, there is no specific House advantage.

The rules above apply to all forms of Video Poker. What varies between the different forms is the card ranks and the payout odds (seen on the Pay Table in each game).

In Jacks or Better, the most popular form of online video poker, cards are ranked from highest to lowest. Card combinations are paid out as follows:

Royal Flush - 800:1

Straight Flush - 50:1

Four of a Kind - 40:1

Full House - 10:1

Flush - 7:1

Straight - 5:1

Three of a Kind - 3:1

Two Pair - 2:1

One Pair of Jacks or Better (hence the name) - 1:1

All other combinations see your money go to the House.

Jacks or Better is a pretty straightforward game with a fairly straightforward basic strategy. This is not a game of skill in the same way as Texas Hold'em, in which you compete against real opponents and look for signs of bluffing. This is a game against a machine in which cards come out randomly. Having said that, there is a basic strategy you should follow when it comes to deciding which cards to discard and which to hold. This strategy maximizes your odds of winning.

Here is an explanation of that strategy. On the left hand side of the colon is the type of initial hand, and on the right hand side is the strategy you should adopt in those circumstances.

Royal Flush or Straight Flush: Hold all cards. You will receive the maximum possible payout for a Straight Flush, and in some cases receive an extra progressive jackpot for hitting the rarely sighted royal flush.

Four of a Kind: Hold all cards. This is the second-best combination possible, and you cannot improve on it by discarding cards.

Full House: Hold all cards. This is the third-best combo and cannot be improved on by discarding cards.

Flush: Hold all cards, for same reasons to those given above.

Straight: Hold all cards, for same reasons.

Three of a Kind: Keep the three of a kind and discard the other two cards in the hope that you can form a better combination with two new cards.

Two Pairs: Keep the two pairs and discard the other card. Who knows, you might end up with a full house?

Jacks or Better: Hold the pat pair and discard the rest of the cards.

Other Cards: Obviously, if you are dealt anything lower than a Jacks or Better you don't qualify for a payout. In the case that you don't qualify for a payout, consider discarding your cards for better cards, or holding on to a Face Card (Jacks, Queen, King) or Ace if you have one.

Like all casino games, Video Poker has its own special terminology. Many of the words come from regular poker, while others are unique to Video Poker itself.

Action: The total amount of money a player wagers.

Bet Max: The Maximum Bet on a particular game, which on a standard machine is usually five coins per hand.

Cycle: The average number of hands it takes for the machine to hit a jackpot. The jackpot is usually won with a royal flush, which happens at a rate of around once every 40,000 hands.

Discard: A card you decide to throw away.

Flush: Five-card hand in which all cards are of the same suit.

Four of a Kind: A hand where four cards have the same value, and a fifth has no effect.

Full House: Hand containing three of a king and a pair.

Full Pay: The best possible pay table for a particular game. A full-pay version of a game of Jacks or Better usually has a nine-coin win for full house and six-coin win for flush.

Hand: The five cards dealt on your video poker screen.

Hold: Keeping a card rather than discarding it.

Jackpot: The maximum bonus, usually for hitting the royal flush.

Pair: Two cards of the exact same value, such as two queens or two 4s.

Pat Hand: A hand that cannot be improved upon after the initial deal. This could be a royal flush, straight, four of a kind or a full house.

Pay Back: Expected return on game after millions of hands.

Payout: The amount a Video Poker machine pays the player for any specific hand.

Pay Table: List of possible payouts, which is displayed on the front of the machine or online game. The Pay Table gives an indication of the Pay Back you will receive for each possible scenario.

RNG -Random Number Generator: A computer program that generates random numbers, ensuring that each hand you receive will be completely random and different from the one before and after it.

Royal Flush: The best possible hand, consisting of an Ace-high flush of the same suit.

Straight: Five consecutive numbers, such as 4-8 or 8-King.

Straight Flush: A straight in which all five cards are from the same suit.

Wild Card: Any card that can substitute for all other cards.

Winning Hand: A hand that pays a winning combination.