What Types of Video Poker to Play and Why
Ever since casinos have been a thing, video poker machines have been a staple. They make it possible for the player to fit in more games and have more opportunities to win.
Back in the day, when your great grandfather was knee-high to a grasshopper, video poker was simple: like basic 1-hand poker. Nowadays the variations are endless: bigger bonuses, wild cards, jackpots, and more. And how great are variations? Vary. But most importantly, the different styles of online video poker creates more opportunities to use your optimal video poker strategy.
We’ve gone ahead and laid out all the top picks for video poker for real money. Plenty of options to practise your optimal video poker strategy.
Let’s go.
How Video Poker Works Overall
Unlike many other online casino games, online video poker is much more about skill than chance. There’s an element of luck, but when using a solid video poker strategy, you can reduce the house edge significantly.
Most video poker for real money is played with a standard 52-card deck, unless it’s a game played with the Joker.
The games are based on the concepts of classic five-card-draw. In short, you receive five cards, then select which ones to discard and replace, and assess your new hand. And since this is online video poker, you can relax – bluffing or telling is redundant. Nod and wink all you like.
It’s worth noting that the cards in video poker for real money are dealt from a Real Number Generator (RNG), with actually less risk and more fairness than real-life poker. Another step towards the submission of man to machine.
Speaking of real life Poker: the winning hands in online video poker are more or less ranked the same way, too.
In most cases, a pair of Jacks is considered the lowest paying hand because, statistically, it’s the easiest to achieve. A Royal Flush is considered the top paying because it’s the most difficult. But that’s not always the case.
There are variations of video poker for real money where the ranking changes. That’s because the different games offer unique hands and unique payouts to go with them.
But first, let’s talk about your options for the number of hands to play with.
The Difference Between 1 Hand to 52 Hand Video Poker
That would be 51. Oh, you mean the game’s structural differences. I thought it was a test to sort the wheat from the chaff. We’re all wheat here. Looks like we’ll make some dough. You’ll be designated Breadwinner.
To refocus, you’ll notice the types of online video poker have a number inside a red card on the top right. That tells you the number of hands you can play with in that game, which can be 1, 3, 10, or 52 for the games Jacks or better and Joker Poker. Sounds interesting, right? That’s because it is.
So what’s the difference between 1-Hand and Multi-hand?
When it comes to 1-Hand Poker, you play it just like you would a regular table game – one hand at a time. You’re dealt 5 cards, from which you can choose to keep or to discard (literally). The cards you’ve chosen to discard are replaced, and you’re paid out based on the winnings from that one hand.
With multi-hand poker, you have to consider many hands to make a decision – up to 52. But 52-hand poker isn’t for the faint-hearted. The wheat can’t be half-baked. You knead to be sharp. If you’re up for it, just remember the golden rule: the more hands you’re able to play with, the more chances you have to score a winning hand per game.
As for playing multi-hand online video poker, that’s also a bit different. For starters, you have to place one wager that’s applied to all of your hands. So if you want to wager $5 and you’re playing 10-Hand poker, you will wager $50 total.
Once the wager is complete, five cards are dealt to each hand. You click/tap which cards to keep on your primary hand, and hit “deal” to discard the rest. All the discarded cards will be uniquely replaced across all of your other hands. The resulting hand is what determines the amount you get paid for each one.
The Difference Between Jack or Better, Joker Poker, Deuces Wild etc.
So I mentioned that different types of online video poker will slightly change traditional hand rankings and their payouts. Here’s how.
There are four main types of video poker for real money at Bodog, each with something special.
Jacks or Better
This is the foundational game of online video poker. Most other types of video poker for real money are based on Jacks or better. You can play with 1, 3, 10, or 52 hands.
In Jacks or Better, you get dealt 5 cards. From those cards you can either choose to keep your hand as is, or discard and replace unwanted cards. The perpetually dissatisfied can even get an entirely new hand altogether if they choose to discard all five.
It’s called Jacks or Better because you need at least a pair of Jacks to win. The amount you get paid is based on your starting wager, your final hand, and the number of hands you’re playing with. Most people use both hands.
Joker Poker
Next up is Joker Poker, another type of video poker for real money that’s played with 1, 3, 10, or 52 hands. But unlike Jacks or Better, Joker Poker requires a pair of Kings or better for a win.
The Joker serves as a wild card for each hand, meaning you have more chances to win: like getting 5 of a kind or a wild Royal with a Joker. Your video poker strategy will change slightly, too, since you have to consider more scenarios with the Wild in place.
Keep in mind: a natural Royal Flush is still a higher hand, and a sequential Royal Flush is the highest (10, J, Q, K, A in that exact order, all having the same suit).
Deuces Wild
Yet another fun way to play video poker now. Deuces Wild is very similar to Joker Poker. But now, instead of the Joker being wild, it’s the 2s.
So whenever you get a two in your five-card hand, it can substitute for any other card to create the best possible combination. The minimum for a win in Deuces Wild is three of a kind or better.
You also have three additional winning hands that include 4 Deuces, a Wild Royal with Two, and five of a kind.
“Five of a kind” are exclusive payouts for poker games with Wild cards, like Deuces Wild and Joker Poker. That occurs when you have a regular four of a kind, but the fifth card is a Wild.
Bonus Poker
This game is also very similar to Jacks or Better, insofar as the five card hand that you either hold or discard to achieve the best possible hand, with a pair of Jacks being the minimum for a win.
The bonus part, however, comes in because you can win more money when you get four of a kind. You’ll also notice we have Double Bonus and Double Double Bonus, and Bonus Poker Deluxe. Each of those games have even more winning options stemming from getting a four of a kind in multiple ways.
How to Choose The Best Video Poker For You
The main thing to consider when choosing which type of video poker for real money to play is your own level of expertise. Keep in mind it’s advancing with every paragraph.
Are you almost a total beginner? Welcome to the table! You’ll do well with a straightforward 1 hand game like Jacks or Better. That’s because there are fewer decisions to make, and more chances to play around with a new video poker strategy.
Or maybe you’re pretty good, but not omg amazing good. In that case, take it up a notch with Jacks or Better, and try out 3 or 10 hands. Get a feel for the different pace. Then, start playing the variations with Wild cards, like Joker Poker or Deuces Wild. Get familiar with a video poker strategy that involves the Wild card and the additional payouts.
Perhaps you’re a video poker pro. You’re just here for kicks while you’re resting your bankroll and mad Poker skills. Obviously you should go for the big bucks. Joker Poker with 52 hands will test your video poker strategy. Play on max bet and see how many hands you can handle. Or, dominate Double Double Bonus Poker and its five unique payouts for four of a kind.
Is online video poker sounding even more enticing, now? I bet it is. Ha. Now that you know which type of poker for real money to play, all that’s left is to review your video poker strategy. grab yourself something refreshing (such as our determination to keep mildly entertained at all times) – and hit up the virtual table. Piece of cake.
