Video Poker Rules
Video Poker has remained a favorite of gamblers for years. Combining elements of
both poker and slots, video poker is one of the few games in the casino where
you can actually find a positive expectation of winning. In contrast to "pure
luck" games such as slots or roulette, video poker combines the elements of luck
and strategy. With enough practice, you can learn how to play video poker like a
professional.
Luck - Outcomes are governed by a random number
generator, hereafter known as an RNG. The RNG cycles through random numbers at
about 1000 per second when the machine is sitting idle. At the moment you signal
the machine to deal, the RNG gives the machine a number that corresponds to a
card combination to display, as well as replacement cards. The available
combinations in the RNG match those that could be dealt by a 52 card deck, with
the same probabilities you would find in a poker game. The odds of receiving a
particular hand from the start are fixed. For instance, the chance of receiving
a royal flush without drawing is 1 in every 649,740 hands.
Video poker is a draw poker in slot machine form. Players Hold or Discard from five cards showing and get a second deal, or stand with a pat hand. It has become the most popular game of chance among casino players in the U.S. Eighty percent of respondents to a recent survey in Las Vegas said they played videopoker.
There are important differences between Videopoker and Table Poker worth noting as follows:
-
In Videopoker the House is represented by a machine not a dealer and the video machine does not attempt to beat you.
-
You don't have to figure out what the other player's hand could be like when playing against other players.
-
You cannot bluff.
-
You do not run the risk of being beaten by another player. If you have a strong hand, you win. In Table Poker, you could have a strong hand like three of a kind and lose to another player who has a better hand.
-
A good decision in Videopoker may be a bad one for Table Poker. What is advantageous to hold in Videopoker may prove disadvantageous in Table Poker and vice versa.
Since its introduction in the early 1980's, Videopoker has grown into one of the casino's most popular games. Unlike regular Poker, which is played against other players at a poker table, Videopoker is played individually on a machine that uses video technology to create a Poker hand.
Based on the classic Five Card Stud, Videopoker challenges players to build the best possible five-card hand. The player is dealt five cards and has the option of discarding any or all of the cards. New cards are dealt to replace the discards.
Payoffs are based on a scale, paying players for hands as low as a pair of tens or Jacks all the way up to a Royal Flush. Like slot machines, Videopoker machines are available in many denominations, with 25c and $1 machines being the most popular. Many casinos also offer progressive payoffs or bonuses for Royal Flushes or other special hands. Videopoker provides variety too, with versions ranging from 'Jacks or Better' to 'Deuces Wild' and 'Jokers Wild'.
The ranking of hands starting from the highest are as follows:
-
Five of a Kind
-
Royal Flush
-
Straight Flush
-
Four of a Kind
-
Full House
-
Flush
-
Straight
-
Three of a Kind
-
Two Pair
-
A Pair
Five of a Kind is only possible when using a Joker or Wild Cards and is the highest possible hand.
|
