Introduction to Video Poker at Online Casinos

While the primary focus of this website is online pokies, there are many more games that you can play at best online casinos in Australia. A popular offshoot of online pokies is video poker. Video poker is a classic game of Five Card Draw poker that pays based on the strength of your hand.

Today, we will take a look at video poker and why it is popular amongst real money online pokies players. We will give you the basics of VP games and what to look for in those games.

What is Video Poker?

When newer gamblers hear the phrase video poker, they mistake it for online poker. They think they will be battling against other players for massive pots like they see on TV. However, video poker is a very different game. In reality, the game is more akin to poker slots than online poker.

The object of the game is to make the best five-card poker hand based on five cards dealt to you. After the initial deal, players get the chance to exchange cards. You can opt from zero to five cards. After you select which cards you want to keep, you draw new cards. After this point, prizes are paid based on the strength of your hand.

In most VP games, you will receive a prize for a pair of jacks or higher. The best hand you can get in a game is a Royal Flush or the A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit. The payouts are based on a paytable that you can access in every game.

The top prize in the game is based on the number of credits. Most games will allow you to play from 1 to 5 credits. The top prize when you play one to four credits is 250x your bet. However, if you play max credits the Royal Flush pays a fixed jackpot prize of 800 times your bet.

For example, if you play .25 per credit video poker and play four credits, your top prize is $250. However, playing max credits will net you a top prize of $1,000 for a Royal Flush.

Picking the Right Variants

Just like with online pokies, there are many different versions of video poker to play at online casinos. With many games, the primary difference is the types of hands that are paid. For example, Double Double Bonus Poker will pay a higher prize for Four Aces, Four Aces with a 2-3-4, and Four 2-3-4s with an A-2-3 or 4.

There are also games with special features. For example, Joker Poker adds a joker to a deck of cards. Dream Card Poker will add a card that helps you make the best possible hand based on your initial deal. Wheel Poker will allow you to spin a special prize wheel whenever you make four of a kind.

The other thing that you need to know about when picking a video poker game is the type of paytable it offers. Similar to online pokies, you can determine the RTP of a video poker game based on the paytable. For example, a Jacks or Better game with a 9-6 paytable has an RTP of 99.54%. When we say 9-6, we are referring to how much a video poker pays on a Full House and a Flush on a single credit. Like with online pokies, the better the paytable, the better chances you have to win.

Why Video Poker is Popular Amongst Pokies Players

As you can tell from the previous section, this game has the potential to offer a much higher RTP than standard pokies. However, there is a catch. In order to maximize your RTP, you must play a perfect strategy. This is similar to reducing the house edge in blackjack. By playing perfect strategy, you give yourself the best shot at maximizing your RTP.

However, the catch to perfect strategy is that each video poker variant has a unique strategy. It isn’t like blackjack where you can use the same strategy for most variants. Strategy for Jacks or Better is different from Double Double Bonus Poker.

Couple a high RTP along with the ability to apply strategy to the game and video poker is a perfect option for online pokies players. In future articles, we will tell you more about paytables, playing perfect strategy, and the best video poker variants to play.