Video Poker

Play Free Video Poker

Online video poker can be played both for free and real money. If you are new to the game, we highly recommend that you practice playing free video poker before you decide to risk your own money. That way you will see which video poker game suits you and practice playing strategies. We list the best and most popular video poker variations you can play online for free. Simply click to play instantly here on our site.

Types of Video Poker Games

As already mentioned there are many video poker games on the Internet. In some of them there are odd varieties, but we generally suggest staying away from them unless there is obvious evidence that the added features lower the house edge. The following are the most common video poker games:

• Jacks or Better. To win in this video poker variant you need a hand of a pair of Jacks or better. Make sure you choose Jacks or Better full play because in this game the pay table is favorable and pays 9x for full house and 6x for flush. The max payout you can get is 4,000 coins if you bet the max of 5 coins and get a royal flush.
• Tens or Better. The game is similar to Jacks or Better because you need a pair of 10s or better to get a payout. The payouts for full house and flush are lower in this game (6x and 5x respectively), but it has the lowest qualifying hand.
• Deuces Wild. A wild card video poker variant, in Deuces Wild the 2s act as wild and can be used as any card in the deck. To qualify for a payout you need to get three of a kind. The max payout at max bet is received for royal flush without wild cards and it is 4,000 coins.
• Aces and Eights. This is a Jacks or Better variant and it gives payouts for four of a kind Aces, 8s and 7s to a smaller degree. When using optimal playing strategy, full play Aces and 8s give 99.78% payout percentage.

Multi-hand Video Poker vs. Single Hand

Some video poker variants can be played in single hand, while others in multi hand denominations. Some games can be played in both. As far as the odds are concerned there is no difference between the two types. The odds don't change if you play one hand or 10, 50 or 100 hands at once with the same video poker pay table. For example, the chances of winning are completely the same if you play single hand or multi hand Jacks or Better video poker with the same pay table. Therefore, it all comes down to the taste of the player.

Real Time Gaming software was the first to create video poker games with up to 100 hands and common types available are Jacks or Better, Deuced Wild and Joker Poker. However, if you play the multi-hand games make sure you have a bigger bankroll because even if the hand costs a penny, with 100 hands in play, it adds up quickly. The payout percentage of RTG video poker games is 98% which is excellent.

Microgaming also followed with its own suit of Power Poker video poker games like 50 play Jacks or Better power poker which plays 50 hands simultaneously. Compared to regular Microgaming's Jacks or Better with the Auto Hold function based on optimal strategy, in this multi-hand variant from the same software all 50 hands have their favorable card hold with the Auto Hold. So not only you can play more hands at a time but you also play with minimal manual intervention.

How to Read a Video Poker Payout Table - example

To explain how to read a video poker pay table let's consider the pay table of Jacks or Better. The ranking of qualifying hands starts with a pair of Jacks or better that pays min 1 and max 5 coins. The next hand is two pair, followed by three of a kind, straight, flush, full house and four of a kind. The highest paying hands are straight flush and royal flush. The pay table show you how much you will be paid for a particular ranking hand based on the number of coins you have bet. You can bet a minimum of one coin and a maximum of 5 coins. Royal flush at max coin bet pays out amazing 4,000 coins. A full play or favorable pay table in Jacks or Better is the one that pay out 6x for a flush and 9x for a full house. Full play doesn't mean that the game can be beaten, but it means that the game has rules that favor the player.

Video Poker FAQ

What are the odds of getting various video poker ranking hands?

Generally speaking, the odds of getting a flush are better than those of getting a royal flush which is the highest ranked hand in video poker. On average the odds of flush are one in 85, while the odds of getting full house are 1/90. A straight flush has 1/9,150 odds, while royal flush dealt has 1/650,000 on average. The odds also vary in improving or completing certain ranking hands. For example, the chances of turning one pair into two pairs are 1/6, while the chances of drawing one card to complete a flush are 1/5. The chances of drawing one card to make a royal flush are 1/47. If you know the odds of getting particular ranking hands you can device a better playing strategy.

Is there suitable video poker strategy?

Video poker is based on both luck and skills, so if you want to improve your winning chances it is good to know suitable video poker strategy. This way you will know exactly which card(s) to hold in a given situation. For example, the most desirable hand in video poker is flush which pays 6 to 1. But the flush shouldn't be broken in order to make a straight flush which pays 50 to 1 and has worse odds. Instead, break a flush if you want to complete a royal flush which pays out the highest.

Is there a gamble feature in video poker?

There are video poker games that have gamble feature which is activated at the end of a winning hand. This feature is a double or nothing game where you can double your win amount or lose it by trying to correctly guess whether the drawn card will be red or black. The gamble feature in video poker is optional.

Can I get an advantage over the casino in video poker?

Yes you can, but only if you pick a video poker game with full play or favorable rules and pay table and use suitable strategy. For example, if you play full play Deuces Wild and use optimal strategy for this game, the house edge is 0.76%.

Can I play video poker with welcome bonus?

This depends on the casino and its welcome bonus offer. In general, casinos offer welcome bonuses you can use to play video poker, but the game contributes a smaller percentage toward meeting the wagering requirement. Some casinos may also offer video poker-only welcome bonuses so you can freely use the bonus cash to play your favorite video poker game.