Get the lowdown on how to play video poker in our quick and easy guide. Whether you like traditional poker games or you’ve never played a hand in your life, video poker is easy to learn and a lot of fun to play.
Video poker tends to be hidden away in the Others category, but don’t underestimate this collection of fun games. Take a tour of the ins and outs of this unique little game and it might just become one of your favourites.
What is Video Poker?
Video poker is a simplified version of the popular multiplayer card game of Texas Hold’em poker. It’s not the most technologically advanced game in the world, with designs usually taking the shape of 8-bit style machines, and basic gameplay accompanied by similarly blippy sound effects! That said, video poker is a firm favourite for many players, with its clunky character forming part of its charm.
The aim in video poker is to get the best hand from a five card deal and draw according to poker hand values. The game is unique in that it’s played solo, you can get different hands compared to those in standard poker games, and you can play up to 100 hands at once!
A Typical Video Poker Game Screen
A great way of learning how to play video poker machines is to see what the game actually looks like. Take a look at this Jacks or Better screenshot for a good example of what a standard single hand video poker game looks like right before you start playing. The simple layout consists of bet buttons along the bottom, your five playing card positions in the centre, and the paytable and bet and win values at the top.
Video Poker Rules for Beginners
You don’t need to be a mastermind to learn how to play video poker slots as the game’s rules are very simple. Each round consists of two parts: the deal and the draw. Let’s take a closer look at each.
The Deal
In the deal, you choose your bet and click the deal button to be dealt five cards. You’ll then get the option to hold zero to five cards in preparation for the draw.
In the deal image above, the five cards are dealt and you have the option to hold zero to all five cards, as indicated by the highlighted Hold buttons. Here, the Hold ribbon across the cards means the two 5s are being held for the upcoming draw.
The Draw
In the draw, your held cards remain in place and unheld cards are replaced with new ones from the deck.
In the draw image above, you can see that the two 5s are still there, but the other three cards have been replaced with new ones. Notice the Hold buttons are now greyed out, indicating that this is the draw.
Once the deal and draw are complete, if you’ve managed to get a poker hand (unlike in our screenshots here!), you’ll get the corresponding prize on the paytable.
Video Poker Hand Rankings Explained
As you can see from the paytable in the images above, there are a number of different video poker hands and some of them are unique to video poker. Learning how to play video poker games involves knowing what these hands are and how they compare to each other in terms of values. Remember, the aim of this game is to get the highest hand value you can.
Here’s a look at the video poker hands and how they rank in order from least to most valuable:
| Hand | Example |
| Jacks or Better | A pair of Jacks, Queens, Kings or Aces, eg. JJ, QQ, KK or AA |
| Kings or Better | A pair of Kings or Aces, eg. KK or AA |
| Two Pair | Two pairs, eg. 22 55 |
| Three of a Kind | Three matching cards, eg. JJJ |
| Straight | Five cards of consecutive values, eg. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
| Flush | Five cards of the same suit, eg. 3d, 5d, 8d, Jd, Qd (d = diamonds) |
| Full House | Three matching cards plus two other matching cards, eg. 33555 |
| Four of a Kind | Four matching cards, eg. QQQQ |
| Straight Flush | Five suited cards of consecutive values, eg. 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s (s = spades) |
| Five of a Kind | Five matching cards, eg. 66666 (one is a wild card) |
| Royal Flush | The five highest value cards suited, eg. 10c, Jc, Qc, Kc, Ac (c = clubs) |
Notice the Jacks or Better and Kings or Better hands at the low end of the scale. These hands are unique to video poker and vary according to the type of game you’re playing, ie. the Kings or Better hand is only offered in the Kings or Better game.
The Five of a Kind hand is also unique to video poker, but not all versions of the game offer it. How do you get five cards of the same value when there are only four of each in one deck? The only way is by using a wild card to stand in for the fifth card, such as the joker card in Joker Poker or any 2 (also called deuce) in Deuces Wild.
Video Poker Payouts
How much you win depends on the value of the poker hand you’ve landed. The higher the value of your poker hand, the bigger your prize will be.
Take a look at the Jacks or Better hand payout in the image below.
The pair of kings qualifies as a Jacks or Better hand, which you can see highlighted in the paytable along with its payout of 1x your coin value. The triggering bet and win amounts are shown just to the right of the paytable.
Here are the most common payouts for the different video poker hand values, expressed as a multiple of your coin value:
| Hand | Payout |
| Jacks or Better/Kings or Better | 1x |
| Two Pair | 1x – 2x |
| Three of a Kind | 2x – 3x |
| Straight | 3x – 4x |
| Flush | 5x – 6x |
| Full House | 7x – 9x |
| Four of a Kind | 18x – 20x |
| Straight Flush | 40x – 50x |
| Five of a Kind | 200x |
| Royal Flush | 250x – 400x |
As you can see, prizes can vary depending on the game you’re playing. For example, a Flush pays 6x in Jacks or Better, but only 5x in Joker Poker due to the wild card in the deck.
A Word About 5 Coin Play
As you might have noticed, the paytable in the images refers to ‘1 Coins’, and there are both Bet One and Bet Max buttons, both of which suggest you can play with more coins per round. You can actually play up to 5 coins per round, but you need to be aware that the odds change slightly if you opt to play 5 coins, depending on the game.
Jacks or Better and Joker Poker are two video poker games that offer slightly higher payouts for some hands (usually the Royal Flush) when playing 5 coins. If you plan to try playing 5 coins per round, be sure to play responsibly by reducing your coin value.
How To Play A Round Of Video Poker
Now you’ve got to grips with the layout of the game, the general aim and the various video poker hands and their payouts, it’s time to take a look at how a round of video poker actually works. Here’s your step-by-step guide to exactly that!
1. Choose your bet
The first thing you should do when you open the game is set your bet amount. In Jacks or Better, the bet amount per coin is in the bottom right corner. Use the + and – arrows to adjust your coin value.
You’ll then need to decide how many coins you want to play per round, from one to five. Click the Bet One button as many times as you like to choose one to five coins, or the Bet Max button to automatically start the deal with five coins.
2. Click Deal
When you’re happy with your bet amount, click the Deal button. You’ll then be dealt five cards.
3. Hold your cards
At this stage, you’ll have the option to choose which cards you want to hold for the draw. Click the Hold button underneath the card you want to hold. The ribbon across the card indicates that card will be held for the draw.
Note that you don’t have to hold any cards if you don’t want to. If that’s the case, simply move on to the next step.
4. Click Deal again
When you’re happy with your held cards (or have chosen not to hold any), click the Deal button again to start the draw. All cards except those you’ve held will be replaced with new ones from the deck.
5. Check for wins
If you’ve managed to land a winning poker hand, your payout will be shown in the Win box at the top right and added to your balance automatically.
And that’s it! That’s one round of video poker complete. To carry on playing at the same bet amount, start again from step 2.
Top Video Poker Games
Video poker games come in a few different variants, each with their own unique tweaks on the basic rules. Most video poker games are RNG-based, but there is at least one live video poker game that’s worth checking out too. You can also find single hand and multi hand versions of the game.
Here’s a look at a few of the most common video poker games.
Jacks or Better
Jacks or Better is the version of the game we’ve been using in our examples. It’s named after the unique video poker hand that pays if you land a pair of jacks or better. The game comes in one hand and three hand varieties, with the three handed version letting you play three hands per round.
Joker Poker
Joker Poker plays almost identically to Jacks or Better, but with one key difference. A joker has been thrown into the pack, which serves as a wild card that can stand in for any other card. In the example above, the joker is acting as a king. The joker card introduces the possibility of landing Five of a Kind. Just like Jacks or Better, Joker Poker comes in one and three hand versions.
Aces and Faces
This variant of the game is a lot like Jacks or Better in that there is no wild card, Jacks or Better is the minimum paying hand, and you can play one and three handed versions. However, Aces and Faces video poker offers a really interesting twist, specifically when it comes to its Four of a Kind payouts.
Check out the paytable in the image above and you’ll notice that the Four of a Kind hands have actually been split up into three different categories: Four of a Kind 2s to 10s, Four of a Kind Jacks, Queens and Kings, and Four of a Kind Aces. The payouts for these are also higher than in the standard version of the game.
First Person and Live Video Poker
Evolution quite often leads the way when it comes to new and innovative games, with the developer releasing its own take on RNG and live dealer video poker.
First Person Video Poker is a fascinating version of the game that looks like a video poker machine on a casino floor. Highlights include the ability to play from one to 100 hands at once, as well as the option to choose from five variants of the game: Jacks or Better, Tens or Better, Deuces Wild, Bonus Poker and Double Double Bonus Poker.
Taking the game to the next level is Live Video Poker, which, as the name suggests, is hosted by a live dealer. This version of the game is actually a mix of both live and RNG-driven action, with the deal controlled by the live dealer and the draw determined by RNG.
Just like in First Person Video Poker, you get to play one to 100 hands at once and choose from the same five variants of the game.
Summary
Now that you’ve learned the basics of how to play poker slots, you’re all set to start exploring these fun games. Video poker might not be the most popular game, but it certainly has its charms. It’s particularly attractive if you like poker based games but don’t want to have to wait around for other players to act. The fast-paced nature of the game means rounds are completed in seconds instead of minutes and you’re the only player, so you’re free to focus exclusively on the cards.
Ready to put your newfound video poker smarts to the test? Try one of PlayOJO’s video poker games in demo mode and have fun!Ready to put your newfound video poker smarts to the test? Try one of PlayOJO’s video poker games in demo mode and have fun!
FAQs
Here we’re dedicated to helping you learn the basics of playing video poker, rather than focusing on how to play video poker and win., That said, there are a few ways to enhance your experience, such as learning which cards to hold and which variants to play. We’ll cover these video poker strategies in another post.
Video poker is played using a 52-card deck (sometimes 53 including the joker), with the aim being to get the best possible five-card poker hand after the deal and draw.
Some people like multi hand video poker as it allows them to play multiple hands at once. This can save you time if you want a shorter session but remember that your bet only covers one hand. If you’re playing multiple hands, your bet will be multiplied by the number of hands you’re playing.
The easiest video poker game to play is single hand Jacks or Better as it follows basic rules with only one unique hand: Jacks or Better. Once you’ve mastered this variant of the game, you can try the three hand version or other variants such as Joker Poker and Aces and Faces.
