Video Poker

Video Poker is a relatively new game if we compare it to golden oldies like Craps or Blackjack. Video Poker was launched in Las Vegas in the late 1970s, whereas for example Craps has a history that goes back centuries. Despite being around for only a couple of decades, Video Poker is currently one of the most popular casino games.

Video Poker combines elements of both traditional draw poker and slots:

A Video Poker machine looks just like a Slot machine, but that's where the similarity ends. If you play slots you pull the lever (press the spin button), wait for the reels to stop spinning, and check if the resulting combination shows up in the pay table. With Video Poker you have the option to hold one or more cards of your initial hand, and draw again to improve your hand. This introduces the element of skill to the game, which is totally absent from slots. If you know the optimal strategy for Video Poker, you generally can achieve much higher payback ratios than you could playing slots. Some Video Poker variants even offer a payback ratio that's actually in favor of the player in the long term.

At first sight Video Poker might look to you as draw poker played on a machine, because the basic mechanism of holding & replacing cards is the same. This doesn't mean however you can use the same strategies with Video Poker as you were used to playing draw poker with your friends. Video Poker is a game between you and a machine, and not a game between people. You can't bluff against a machine!

The oldest game of Video Poker is Jacks or Better. It's still very popular, though Joker Poker (Joker's Wild) and Deuces Wild are very strong contenders. In our Video Poker directory we will describe all Video Poker variants that are available in online casinos powered by the biggest casino software providers.

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