Video Poker is a popular game that is able to be gambled on in casinos across the globe, or alternatively at home on your computer, using a web connection. The game rules are absolutely simple and involve the player attempting to achieve the highest mixture of cards as you can in order to come away with money. In this respect it is very similar as a normal game of poker, without the involvement with other players. Of course, tactics employed during a physical game of poker, like tricking, will be irrelevant in Video Poker.

The game of Electronic Poker starts when the enthusiast inserts credits (either tokens, tickets or money) into the machine and pushes the play button. A 5 card hand will be electronically ‘given out’ on the screen.

The Electronic Poker machine also has hold buttons, and gamblers should now choose which cards to hold and which to discard. For the cards the enthusiast wishes to keep, the ‘hold’ buttons must be pressed so that they light up. The player can decide to keep any amount of cards they want, from all to none.

After the bettor has decided on which cards she would like to keep, the player will then press ‘deal’, at which point any fresh cards will be handed out if desired. The round is now completed, with the Electronic Poker machine scanning the cards to see if it is the same as any of the winning hands printed on the payout schedule.

Normally, the lowest winning hand on an Electronic Poker machine is a pair of jacks with the award money increasing for each better hand. A common list of winning hands starts with jacks or better, and moves on to two pairs, three of a kinds, straights, flushes, full houses, 4 of a kinds, straight flushes and last but not least royal flushes. It definitely goes without saying that the payout schedule can vary from machine to machine, so that knowledgeable players are able to pick the most profitable game every time.

Once the first round has played out, the player can either decide to remain on and try to to increase their earnings, or they can press the ‘collect’ button to cash out any credits that have been won. Further, several styles of the game give the player an opportunity to double their winnings, in which case another round is played. There are also variations among specific games, with some virtual decks having wild cards and other varying characteristics to enhance playability.