Why Video Poker is Better at Live Casinos

We’ve discussed video poker at length on this site. Many people love to play online video poker because it is convenient and you can find better paytables for some games. However, there are many people that prefer to play VP games in live casinos. Today, we will discuss why video poker is better in live casinos than online casinos.

Many More Variants of Video Poker in Live Casinos

One way that live VP games vastly differs from online video poker is the number of variants you can play. At many online casinos, you can find about 6 to 10 variants of VP – if you’re lucky. In live casinos, you can easily find dozens of variants of video poker. Often, you can find a dozen variants on a single machine.

For example, the Game King series of video poker machines offer at least a dozen of the most common variants of video poker. Then there are standalone machines like Wheel Poker, Dream Card Poker, Super Times Pay Video Poker, and many more. Some variants you will never see at online casinos.

More Progressive Jackpots

How often do you see progressive jackpots in video poker at online casinos? Not very often. However, odds are that you will see some form of progressive jackpot in every live casino. Some of these progressives are massive progressive jackpots while others are machine-specific.

Double Double Bonus Poker is the game where you’re likely to see machine-level progressives. Jackpots are usually on four-of-a-kind hands and the Royal Flush. The four-of-a-kind level progressives aren’t massive, but they are nice extra boosts to your bankroll. Outside of Double Double Bonus, the progressives in most games are tied to a Royal Flush.

Lower Limits Video Poker Available

You’d assume that there would be lots of low-stakes VP games at real money online casinos. That’s just not the case. The lowest stakes you can find are either .25 per credit ($1.25 at max credits) or $1 per hand flat bet. You don’t often find games much lower than that online.

With live VP games, you can find games as cheap as .01 per credit. That’s a nickel per hand. There are also games that allow you to play nickel credits and dime credits. If you have a small bankroll or don’t like a lot of risk, you can play for a lot less in live casinos. Also, it is fun to turn .05 into $40 or .50 into $200.

Superior Comp Structure

How much do VP games contribute toward the wagering requirement at online casinos? At best, you might get 15%. In many cases, VP games will contribute 5%. Sometimes, it won’t contribute anything at all.

That’s not the case in live casinos. Earning comp points with VP games will not be as easy as with live pokies, but it can be done. For example, where you might earn 1 point for every $5 in pokies bets, you will earn 1 point for every $11.25 or $13.75 in bets.

That’s 2.5 to 3x the necessary wagering for comps, compared to 6x to 20x as you have to do online. Furthermore, if you earn free play for live video poker, you can use it on any game you wish. If you play online pokies on free play, you are generally limited to which games you can play.

Special Promotions Can Be Amazing

What is the best promotion that you’ve had from an online casino for playing video poker? Maybe you got a match bonus on your deposit. Maybe you’ve gotten some free spins. Have you ever received a week’s stay at a hotel for free? Were your meals ever comped?

Live VP games can sometimes have some crazy comps for their players. Depending on how much you play, you may get some crazy offers that include free play, free hotel stays, free meals, and more. No, you don’t have to be wagering $25 per hand to do so. The casino looks at how much money cycles through the machine.

For example, one summer I played video poker in Las Vegas and the casino host claimed that I played over $25,000 in VP games. My average bet was .25 per credit or $1.25 per max credits. I had played so many hands, the casino said I spent $25,000. I received offers for years from that casino, and you can too.