Even if you've never played poker before, video poker is an easy game to like because it has some of the simplest and most straightforward rules of any poker variation. While there are literally hundreds of different video poker games, the basic video poker rules remain the same from one machine to the next, so understanding these rules can open a portal to a whole world of gambling possibilities.
At the core of all video poker rules is the poker game of Five Card Draw. Virtually every video poker machine-online or otherwise-uses the basic Five Card Draw format. Fortunately for total poker novices Five Card Draw is by far the easiest poker game to learn. Essentially each player is dealt five cards and then has the option of drawing new ones. When it comes to planning a successful strategy, video poker rules change the game dramatically by removing other players. When you sit at an online video poker machine, you're no longer trying to outsmart other human opponents, you're literally trying to beat the odds.
To get started at video poker, you'll need to load the machine with credits in much the same way as you would a slot machine. With online video poker, this process has been simplified. If you're playing cash games, then you'll select the amount of money you want to transfer from your account to the machine. If you're playing free video poker then the machines will appear preloaded with credits. Once the machine has accepted your credits, the buttons will light. The Bet and Max Bet buttons are used to set your bet per hand. You can use the single Bet button to wager from one to four credits while the Max Bet button automatically bets the maximum of five credits. You can adjust your bet at any time between hands. Once you've placed your bet, press the Deal/Draw button to start a new hand. Five cards will appear face up on your game screen. Beneath each card is a button used to select the cards you want to hold or to deselect the cards you want to discard. Press Deal/Draw again and your discards will be replaced by new cards. This represents your final five card hand. The machine will automatically register any wins and will credit your account. Once you have finished a session, you can hit the Cash Out button to transfer your machine's credits back to your account.
Changes in pay tables or the introduction of wild cards will not change the video poker rules but should change your strategy. Some video poker variations have higher payouts for certain combinations while others offer a more generous payout percentage in general. Likewise some machines feature a wild card that makes it easier to get larger combinations thus smaller combinations like a single pair may lose value on those machines. Always check the pay table prior to playing a game to ensure that you are using the best possible playing strategy for that specific video poker game.
