Electronic Poker is a beloved game that usually will be enjoyed in casinos all over the world, or alternatively at home on your computer, through a net connection. The game rules are very simple and consist of the player trying to get the greatest combination of cards achievable in order to acquire money. In this respect it is much the same as a normal game of poker, apart from the involvement with competing players. Of course, tactics used in a physical game of poker, such as tricking, will be irrelevant in Video Poker.
The game of Video Poker begins when the bettor puts credits (whether it’s tokens, credit slips or money) into the video poker machine and pushes the play button. A hand of 5 cards will be electronically ‘handed out’ on the screen.
The Video Poker game also has hold buttons, and bettors will need to now decide which cards to hold and which to discard. For the cards the gambler wishes to retain, the ‘hold’ buttons need to be pressed so that they illuminate. The player can choose to keep any amount of cards they wish, from all to none.
After the player has chosen which cards he wishes to keep, they should press ‘draw’, which will mean that any new cards will be needed they will be handed out. The hand is now finished, with the Electronic Poker machine analyzing the cards to see if it is the same as any of the winning hands printed on the pay out schedule.
Normally, the minimum winning hand on a Video Poker machine is a pair of jacks with the prize money getting larger for each and every better hand. A common list of winning hands starts with jacks or better, and moves on to 2 pairs, 3 of a kinds, straights, flushes, full houses, 4 of a kinds, straight flushes and last but not least royal flushes. It goes without saying that the payment schedule can vary from machine to machine, so that discerning players are able to pick the most money-making machine every time.
As soon as the initial round has finished, the player can either decide to continue on and try to to maximize their earnings, or press the ‘collect’ button to cash out any credits that they may have won. Further, a few versions of the game give the player an opportunity to double their profits, in which instance a further round is played. There are also variations among individual machines, with some virtual decks having wild cards and other differing characteristics to enhance playability.