How to Play Video Poker

Learn the basics and become a winning player

Video Poker Screenshot from Tower Gaming

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Video Poker is similar to slot machines, but the game changes to poker. You’ll need to know the poker hand rankings to understand the hands you have and that’s about the only thing you need to know. You simply put your money into the machine and then press deal to receive five cards. You’ll then be able to click on whichever cards you don’t want in your hand and then click deal or draw on the machine. New cards will now replace the cards you clicked and you’ll see if you’ve won anything. If you do then it will be added to the machine credits and you can then press deal to play again.

Each time you get dealt cards it costs five credits so based on this I’ve added the payouts below for each hand. If you noticed pairs don’t make you money you only break even so make sure you aren’t expecting to win with pairs in your hand. If you’re dealt a pair it’s a good idea to keep it so that you at least break even in the hand unless you’re drawing for a royal flush, straight flush, straight or flush.

Hand Ranks

Royal Flush – 2000 Credits
A royal flush is any A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit, this is the rarest hand to get in poker.

Straight Flush – 250 Credits
A straight flush is any five cards of the same suit for example 10-9-8-7-6 of clubs is a straight flush.

Four of a Kind – 125 Credits
A four of a kind is simply four of any card for example if you have four kings you have a four of a kind.

Full House – 40 Credits
A full house is a set and a pair in the same hand an example would be 9-9-9-8-8.

Flush – 25 Credits
A flush is any five cards of the same suit, so as long as your hand is all the same suit you have a flush.

Straight – 20 Credits
A straight is any five cards in a row and don’t need to be the same suit and example would be 10-9-8-7-6.

Three of a Kind – 15 Credits
A three of a kind is any set in your hand an example of this would be K-K-K-Q-5.

Two Pair – 10 Credits
Two pairs are when you have two pairs of any value in your hand for example 9-9-8-8-3.

Pair – 5 Credits
A pair is simply any pair with an example being 9-9-5-3-2.

Nothing – 0 Credits
When you don’t even have a pair you lose your credits on the deal.

As you can see there is a good chance that with almost every deal you could potentially break even. If you don’t gamble a lot on the straights and flushes then you could definitely slowly build a bankroll in video poker. It’s a slow way to build a bankroll, but if you’re looking to have some fun inexpensively then video poker is also great.

To leave a winner from the casino after playing video poker you need to show a lot of patience and strength. You’ll need to leave with minimal profits each day, but if you can do this then it will add up over time. You should gamble when you only need one card for a straight, flush, straight flush or royal flush, but I don’t recommend chasing two cards. When you don’t have a decent one-card draw you should be looking to make at least a pair out of your hand so that you break even.