BEST VIDEO POKER ONLINE CASINOS

How We Rate Top Video Poker Sites

For relatable in-depth reviews of online casinos and gambling sites, it’s important to have a firm grasp of what the industry offers and the standards that players can expect.

In other words, the casino should live up to basic standards such as proper licensing and security, payment solutions, and customer service. Those fundamentals are drawn from questions like:

• How many video poker games are available in the lobby?
• How many variants of video poker can you find on the site?
• How good are the individual games in terms of quality and RTP?
• Are video poker games easy to find and access on-site?
• Can bonuses and promotions be used for playing video poker?

The happier we are with the answers to those questions, the more likely we are to include that operator in our list of top video poker sites.  Besides these factors, we include licensing, jurisdiction, banking, bonus terms and conditions, and rule transparency. Finally, reliable casinos offer more than just video poker, which is why it’s important to explore the lobby to see the full extent of content offered on the site.

Important Things to Know About Video Poker

Despite the name, it’s important to remember that video poker is nothing like classic multiplayer card poker. For starters, it doesn’t rely on bluffing or strategy. In many ways, video poker is more similar to online slots than anything else.

This doesn’t mean that it’s a worse game, though. You don’t have to be a professional poker player to understand video poker rules. You can play, enjoy, and even win a video poker game with a basic understanding of poker hand rankings and little else.

Another upside is that you can enjoy this type of game anywhere, anytime. It relies on RNG, or Random Number Generation, which is handled by software. You don’t have to worry about cards, seats, game schedules, or anything else. Just pick your favourite game and launch it at any moment to begin. Most titles allow you to play multiple hands at a time, too, which makes things even more dynamic and exciting.

How to Play Video Poker

The basic flow of a single video poker round is similar for most variants. It typically features a two-step deal with the simple goal of making the strongest poker hand available. Therefore, it’s more or less a simplified version of poker.

Here’s a brief step-by-step breakdown of how to play video poker.

1. Place your bets – Select the stake size to begin. Video poker games offer 1-5 coins per hand, and the value of the coin can be toggled as well.
2. First deal – You draw your first five cards by clicking the Deal button.
3. Hold your cards – View the dealt cards and select which of your cards you would like to keep, and which will be replaced in the next draw.
4. Second deal – You’ll receive new cards based on how many you choose to hold. You can hold/discard 0-5 cards.
5. Results & payouts – If your final five cards managed to assemble a poker hand, you win a payout based on the hand’s relative strength and the game’s pay table.

Pay tables for video poker are the crucial piece of info that tells you how much you stand to win by forming certain hands. RTP is another detail that complements that. For instance, it’s possible to have a 9/6 Jacks or Better or 8/6 Jacks or Better. These two are the same version of the game, so the pay table and hands are all the same, except the payouts are a bit different. The RTP rates are where the difference is the most evident; 9/6 Jacks or Better has 99.54% RTP while the other variant has 98.39% RTP.

Here is a full guide to video poker pay tables that can help you choose the best variant for your needs.

Video Poker Hand Rankings

The strength of various hands can differ based on the ruleset. Generally, from strongest to weakest, the hands rank as follows:

• Royal Flush

Five top cards of the same suit in a sequence. Example: 10♠, J♠, Q♠, K♠, A♠

• Straight Flush

Any five cards of the same suit, in a sequence. Example: 6♠, 7♠, 8♠, 9♠, 10♠

• Four of a kind

Four cards of the same rank + 1 odd card. Example: 5♦, 5♥, 5♠, 5♣, 8♦

• Full House

Three cards of the same rank + 2 cards of another rank. Example: 7♥, 7♠,7♣, 5♦, 5♣

• Flush

Five cards of the same suit, not in a sequence. Example: 8♥, 2♥, 4♥, 6♥, J♥

• Straight

Five cards in a sequence of different suits. Example: 4♠, 5♥, 6♦, 7♣, 8♥

• Three of a kind

Three cards of the same rank + 2 odd cards. Example: 9♥, 9♠, 9♦, 7♣, 4♥

• Two Pairs

Two pairs of cards of the same rank + 1 odd card. Example: A♠, A♥, J♦, J♣, 6♠

• Pair

One pair of cards in the same rank + 3 odd cards. Example: A♣, A♥, 7♠, J♣, 3♦

• Highest card

One card of the highest rank but it depends on the variant. Example: A♦, 3♥, 5♠, 6♣, 9♦

The highest card depends on the variant. For example, in Jacks or Better, Jacks are counted, but in some variants, even 10s count.

Types of Video Poker

Like classic poker, video poker offers a myriad of variants.

The type of video poker game you’re playing determines things like payouts, card rankings, and special rules that apply instead of the usual ones.

There are dozens of variants out there and more appear every year. However, here are some of the most common and popular options available today for easy comparison:

• Jacks or Better – Widely considered the definitive, baseline version of video poker. Players are paid for any hand stronger than a pair of 10s – hence, Jacks or Better.
• Deuces Wild – A popular variation in which twos act as wild cards and can replace other cards.
• Jokers Wild – Uses Joker cards as Wilds, which means it has more cards than standard variants as well as unique hand combinations.
• Bonus Poker – Basically works the same as Jacks or Better. However, it offers increased payouts for high-value hands such as 4 of a Kind and reduced payouts for weaker hands.
• Double Bonus Poker – The same as Bonus poker, except even more focused on the higher payout end and with extra bonuses for two pairs.
• All American – Jacks or Better but with increased payouts for Flush and Straight and decreased rewards for 2 and 3 of a kind.

Of course, there are plenty more out there for you to explore. Just remember to carefully read the rules and pay tables of any game you’re playing.