How To Play Video Poker

Five card draw forms the basis of video poker games.  Every pay off in the video poker game is based on the five card poker hand ranked in the order of royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, pair of jacks or better.  There are different kinds of video poker variants and the payoff patterns vary from high to low based on the sequence of rankings applicable for each hand.

Playing video poker with the right kind of strategy is very important, but before that it is necessary for the player to understand the buttons with which they are supposed to operate on in order to navigate in the video poker screen.

The general gaming sequence for video poker game:

• The video poker screen shows the graphics of the cards dealt.
• The winnings for the player will be visible in meter in the screen.
• The player can cash the winnings listed in the screen.
• After the player makes the bets, 5 cards are dealt on the screen.
• The players are given the option of either discarding or holding all the cards.
• If you prefer to hold the card you have to push the hold button against the card you want to hold.
• If you prefer to draw the card you have to push the draw/deal button against the card you want to discard.
• The player will be dealt with replacements for discards.
• The final hand thus formed will be evaluated and the machine will display the payout according to the payout table.

When you play video poker you have to choose between full pay machines and normal pay machines.  Choosing the right kind of video poker machine is an important choice in your decisions of how to play video poker.  Try to play in 9-6 pay off machines, which are considered to be the major payoff machines.  In such machines, there is likely to be a 9-for-1 payoff for full house and 6-for-1 payoff for a flush.

The hand ranking methods are not the same for all variants.  It differs between jacks or better, wild cards and every other video poker variant out there.  You need to understand the payout pattern for the variant you are playing in and then make your decisions accordingly. Also, try to plan your play to bag bonuses offered especially for the rare Royal flush.