Video poker is a card game played against the machine rather than against other players. You are dealt five cards, choose which to keep, and the game replaces the rest. People who search for video poker at The Hippodrome Online Casino usually want to know which versions exist, how they pay and whether the game is available there. This page covers the rules, the common variants and what to check before you play.
Common video poker variants
Video poker comes in many variants. They share the same five-card structure but differ in their paytables and special rules. The common variants include Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Joker Poker (Joker's Wild), Double Bonus Poker, Tens Or Better, Triple Play Poker, Joker Poker 3 Hands, Playboy Jacks or Better, Game King Video Poker, 2 Ways Royal Video Poker 10 Hands and Super Video Poker. Jacks or Better is the classic version and the one most players meet first. Other variants add wild cards, extra pay for four of a kind or change the payouts for particular hands.
Names alone do not tell you how much a variant pays, so read its paytable before you choose one. Providers that make video poker titles include Microgaming, Green Valley Games (GVG), Play'n GO, Red Rake, IGT, KA Gaming, GamesOS and Pragmatic Play. Before you play, check the games on offer at visit The Hippodrome Online Casino, because a variant listed here is not necessarily available there.
How video poker works
A round starts with five cards dealt from a standard 52-card deck. You decide which cards to hold and discard the rest. The game then replaces the discarded cards from the same deck, and the final five-card hand is compared with the paytable. Hands are ranked from a pair or high card up to a royal flush, and the paytable sets the payout for each ranking.
In Jacks or Better, a pair of jacks or better is the lowest winning hand. Many other variants pay more for a full house or a flush than for a straight, and some reward lower pairs or wild-card hands in their own way. The paytable shows the payout for each hand at the stake you have chosen.
Each deal is independent. Video poker is a random number generator game, so holding certain cards does not make a better draw more likely on the next round. The return to player depends on the variant and its paytable, so two games with the same name can pay out differently. Compare paytables rather than names, and look at the top payout before you play.
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Video poker versus live dealer games
Most video poker is a computer game. Each hand is generated by a random number generator, the cards appear on screen and the pace is set by the game. A live game streams a real table run by a dealer, so you see the cards dealt by a person in real time and the round follows the dealer's pace.
Live dealer games are covered on the Live Casino page. Video poker is also different from table poker, where you play at a table against other players or the house. For that format, see the poker games page.
Practical points before you play
Learn the paytable before you bet, because the payout for each hand decides the value of a variant. Choose a stake you are comfortable losing, and set a budget before you start. A betting system such as Martingale, which doubles the stake after each loss, does not change the odds, since each round is random and the house edge stays the same.
Video poker is entertainment that costs money, so keep sessions short and stop when you reach your budget. More information is on the safer gambling page.
