Best Real Money Video Poker Online Casinos for 2023 & Beginner’s Guide to Playing Video Poker

All the different video poker games use the standard hank rankings system which is borrowed from standard five-card poker games. Below, you have a list of all the hands starting from the strongest to the weakest.

• Royal Flush: This is the strongest hand consisting of the same suited 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace.
• Straight Flush: Straight Flush hands feature the same suited five consecutive cards. The highest-valued card determines the hand’s value.
• Four of a Kind: These are hands with four same-ranked cards.
• Full House: Full House hands feature a Three of a Kind with a Pair. The value of the Three of a Kind sequence determines the hand’s value.
• Flush: In Flush, there are five same-suited cards and the value of the hand is determined by the highest-valued card.
• Straight: In Straight, there are five consecutive cards that are not necessarily of the same suit.
• Three of a Kind: Three of a Kind hands feature three same-ranked cards.
• Two Pairs. These are hands packed with two same-ranked pairs.
• One Pair: This is a hand with the same-ranked two cards.
• High Card: Having a High Card means having no matching cards, flush, or straight.

This is the standard hand rankings system but, in some games, such as Jacks or Better, you need a Pair of Jacks or higher to qualify. In some video poker games, you can use wild cards to strengthen your cards, such as Deuces Wild.

When it comes to payouts associated with each hand, they also vary depending on which video poker game you play.

When compared to other casino games, the game of video poker is just one of the few games in which using the right winning strategy can get you an advantage over the casino. At the same time, the use of different winning strategies depends on which video poker game you play and the associated paytable.

Since Jacks or Better is the most popular video poker game, below you check out the simplest Jacks or Better winning strategy you could easily modify for other video poker variants.

• When you have a Flush, keep all cards
• You also want to keep all five cards when you have a Straight
• Consider keeping all five cards when you have a Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, or Full House
• If you need one card for a Straight Flush, get one new card
• When you have five unmatching cards, get five new cards
• Get four new cards when you have a High Card
• When dealt a low pair, draw three new cards
• When dealt three cards with a Royal Flush potential, get two new cards
• With one High Pair, get one new card
• With two Pairs, draw one new card
• Get one new card when you have four cards with a Flush potential
• Get one new card when you have four cards with a Straight potential
• Get two new cards when you have three cards with a Straight Flush potential
• Get three new cards when you have two cards with a Royal Flush potential
• With two High Cards, get three new cards

The strategy we discussed in the previous section outlines some of the basics. You want to modify this strategy based on your bankroll and based on the video poker game you are playing. Either way, this is the most basic strategy that can help you boost your winning odds. While having a strategy to guide you is important, video poker is a game of chance, so make sure you always play responsibly.

There are several benefits related to playing real money video poker when compared to other casino games. One of the biggest benefits is the simplicity and excitement video poker games deliver. As we mentioned before, video poker combines the best of slots and poker. When playing video poker, you competed against the machine and not against other players which make the game perfect for beginners, since you do not have to worry about other players being better at video poker than you.

In addition, when you engage in online video poker gaming sessions, all of the payouts are very easy to track. There is also a paytable on the gaming screen with all the different hand combos and their associated payouts.

Then, there is the opportunity to benefit from the special welcome bonuses that many online casinos offer to their video poker fans. Aside from welcome bonuses, playing video poker online will make you eligible for no deposit and reload bonuses and you can use your bonus funds to play your favorite video poker games. Since you are playing against the machine and not other players, video poker offers very relaxing gaming sessions and you will never feel pressured to make your betting decisions faster than you are comfortable with.