A Lucky Hand in Video Poker

Video Poker, a draw poker in slot machine form, is an increasingly popular game of chance among casino players in the U.S. Introduced in the 80s, the climbing popularity Video Poker is evident from a recent survey in Las Vegas wherein 80 percent of respondents said they played the game.

Although derived from Table Poker, Video Poker is quite different in many ways. The video machine, acting as the dealer, does not attempt to beat the player. The player doesn't have to figure out what the other player's hand was so one cannot bluff. Being just between the Video Poker player and the machine, the former wins if he has a strong hand, unlike in table poker where a player can beat some of the players but eventually lose to another player having the best hand in the lot. Moreover, in strategies, it may be useful to hold a hand in Video Poker but this may not be the case in table poker and vice versa.

In playing Video Poker, the player is initially dealt five cards which are shown on-screen. The player may choose to Hold or Discard any or all of the cards, and if he discards any, he would be dealt a second time with cards equal in number to the number of cards discarded. The player may also opt to stand with a pat hand.

Based on the classic Five Card Stud, Video Poker challenges players to build the best possible five-card hand. Payoffs are based on a scale, paying players for hands as low as a pair of tens all the way up to a Royal Flush. The ranking of hands are in the following order: five of a kind, royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pairs and a pair. The five of a kind hand is possible only when using wild cards or joker in the game.

Video Poker machines are available in many denominations like slot machines, with 25c and $1 machines being the most popular. In Las Vegas in particular, regulations require that the outcome of any hand in Video Poker is not affected by the number of coins played, that is, if you get a good hand with one coin bet, you would have been dealt the same hand with two or more coins. Many casinos also offer progressive payoffs or bonuses for Royal Flushes or other special hands. There are also a number of Video Poker varieties available such as 'Jacks or Better', 'Deuces Wild' and 'Jokers Wild'.