Video Poker Variants
Online Video Poker Games
If you’ve ever searched for a Video Poker Game online, you’ve probably noticed there’s an enormous variety of Video Poker Machines on the Internet. You’ll find real-money video poker and free video poker games, offering single-hand video poker and multi-hand video poker games. The multi-hand video poker games can range anywhere from 4-handed video poker up to as many as 100 hands in a single video poker game. The key is to find a video poker machine that suits your style, pace and comfort zone - especially when playing real-money video poker.
Video Poker Games - Game Variety
Video Poker comes in many forms - Aces and Faces, Joker Poker, Deuces Wild, Jacks or Better - you name it, you’ll find it online. In the next section, we’ll discuss a few varieties of Video Poker Machines and how they differ from one another.
Video Poker Games - Wild Cards
A perfect example of Wild Card Video Poker games is Deuces Wild Video Poker. This is a typical 5-card video poker machine with one exception. As you may have guessed from the name, all 2’s are considered Wild Cards. There are two major differences between Wild Card Video Poker and No-Wild Video Poker games - The Pay Table and the Lowest Winning Hand. The Pay Table usually offers a lower Pay Out for a Royal Flush when a Deuce (2) is used to complete the hand. A Natural Royal Flush is commonly required to hit the Video Poker Jackpot. Since players are more likely to get a better hand with 4 wild cards roaming around, they may be required to achieve at least a 3 of a Kind in order to win. No-Wild Video Poker Machines offer winnings for a single Pair.
Video Poker Games - ? Or Better
You’ll find several “? or Better” Video Poker games available - Tens or Better, Jacks or Better and Kings or Better. The name of these video poker games refers to the Lowest Required Hand a player must achieve in order to win. For example, in Jacks Or Better Video Poker, a Pair of 7’s would not win, but a Pair of Jack (or Better) would. The same goes for Tens or Better Video Poker and Kings or Better Video Poker, with the Lowest Winning Hand respective to the name of the Video Poker machine.
Video Poker Games - Beat The Machine
Some Video Poker Games, such as Aces And Faces, require the player to face off against the machine’s own hand - the better hand wins. In the case of Aces and Faces, as is evident from the name, only Aces and Faces Cards are dealt, giving the player a much higher chance of a high hand. However, since the Video Poker machine is also dealt a hand, the player’s hand must be higher than that of the machine.
Video Poker Games - Bonus / Double Bonus Video Poker
Bonus Video Poker Games are played as normal video poker games with a twist. If a player achieves a specific hand, as stated on the Video Poker Machine’s Pay Table, the player wins a Bonus. For example, a Bonus or Double Bonus Deuces Wild may offer the normal payout for a Four of a Kind, with an enhanced bonus pay out if it’s achieved in 2’s.
Video Poker Games - Single Hand Video Poker
Just about every video poker game available is offered in single-hand format. This means the player is dealt a single hand with which to make the best possible 5-card hand. Video Poker gamers who enjoy a more relaxed, laid back video poker game usually prefer these kinds of video poker machines.
Video Poker Games - Multi-Hand Video Poker
If it’s a more exciting, edge of your seat Video Poker game you’re looking for, try a Multi-Hand Video Poker Game. Multi-Hands of 5, 10, 25, 50 or even 100-Hand Video Poker Machines are often found.
The player chooses the coin denomination, usually starting a 1-penny up to $1 or more, then selectees how many hands they wish to play by pressing the button labeled 5-, 10-, 25-, 50- or 100-Hands. (Press Bet Max to bet highest amount and all hands.) The player is dealt a single 5-card hand, then chooses which cards to keep and discard. This same 5-card hand is played out up to 100 times, with random replacements for each discard. Each hand played uses it’s own standard 52-card deck, so it is possible to get the same cards in different hands.
For example, if a player starts with 4-Clubs, he could discard the other suit and likely achieve many flushes out of 100 hands - or - if a player bets max on 100 hands and is dealt 3-10-J-Q-K with the last 4 cards suited, he can discard the 3 and have 100 chances at hitting the Royal Flush Jackpot!
The only drawback to 100-Hand Video Poker is the ability to see each hand. Imagine 500 cards placed across a screen smaller than your computer monitor? Gonna be pretty tiny, eh? And at the pace that the cards are dealt, there’s no way to watch every hand as it’s played out. For this reason, Multi-Hand Video Poker games are recommended for those who prefer fast-paced video poker machines and are looking for excitement of the payout, rather than the anticipation of each card as it’s revealed.