Read ‘em and weep: How to play your cards right in video poker 

Looking to master video poker gameplay? This guide will show you how to play your cards right, providing you with the basic tips to maximise your chances of winning here at Gamdom. Get ready to turn your hands into winning combinations and boost your bankroll.

Key takeaways

• Video poker combines RNG mechanics, like slots, with poker rules to determine payouts. 
• Most video poker versions let you keep a few cards for a second bet instead of always redrawing the entire hand.
• Video poker has many variations with minor differences in winning hand requirements, payout structure, and the use of wild cards. 

How to play video poker

Video poker is one of the earliest casino games to be introduced in digital form, with a high Return to Player (RTP) rate, ranging from approximately 98.18% to 99.54%. It operates using a random number generator (RNG), making it similar to slots in some ways, but with a poker-based twist. 

There are similarities to classic slot games where you place a bet, click the play button, and then claim your winnings. However, there are no reels or special symbols to collect. Instead, you win at video poker by having a hand of cards forming any 5-card winning hand. 

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The objective is to form the best hand possible

Video poker odds revolve around the standard poker winning hand hierarchy based on the rarity of every winning rank. Combinations that rank higher pay more but by how much can vary between versions of the game. The poker hand video poker casino games show the following in order from highest to lowest:

All versions of video poker share the same hierarchy as written above, but they differ in payouts and what qualifies as a winning hand. Some versions also tell you how high or low the cut-off is for what counts as a winning combination. For example, certain tables will pay for a high card Jack or higher while others won’t pay for combinations lower than Two Pair. 

How to bet on video poker

Video poker betting is easy in Gamdom. Sign up now or log in if you already have an account then top up your wallet to build your bankroll. Once ready, play any video poker game at Gamdom then follow these steps to place a bet:

1. Set a bet size: The money you’re betting is coming from the current active wallet balance. Raise or lower the ante using the in-game menu to adjust your stakes. 
2. Play the 1st round: Click the play button to place your bets and deal your hand. 
3. Payout: Landing a winning combination rewards you with an immediate payout. If you don't, then you lose your wager. Either way, the game continues. 
4. Place a bet: After the payout, you may adjust your stakes again. However, some versions of video poker will reset if you do so you’re usually encouraged to keep the ante when you play round 2. 
5. Choose which cards to hold: The 2nd round continues where you left off from the 1st. Choose which cards you want to keep and the rest will be redrawn. If you keep pieces of a winning hand, the next round will result in another payout or be upgraded by the new incoming cards.
6. Play the next round: Click the play button to pay the ante and redraw the unselected cards. 
7. Payout: After the new hand is dealt, the game pays again if you form any paying combination, including kept cards from the last round. 
8. Reset: The game resets and you can start a new round by repeating the steps above. 

How to win at video poker

Video poker is a luck-based game that uses RNG so it’s difficult to determine the outcome. However, you have little control over your chances compared to slots so you can use these video poker tips to improve your experience:

Know the poker ranking system

Knowing the poker ranking system is a good first step in making the right decisions. If you understand what kind of hands are possible with your current cards, you may choose correctly which ones to keep or discard. Likewise, knowledge also prevents you from letting go of good cards. 

Always aim for a full house whenever possible

A full house happens when you get a pair and a three-of-a-kind in the same band. It’s a rare winning hand but significantly easier to pull off than a straight flush. 

When you have a hand that is either a three of a kind or a two pair, you are already close to forming it. Simply keep the winning hands and redraw the rest for a chance to win a full house. You can even get lucky and hit a four of a kind, instead.  

Use a betting system to manage your bankroll

Video poker casino games have random payouts based on the odds of your winning hand. You can simplify this to consider all 1:1 or higher payouts as wins while less than 1:1 payouts are losses. With this in mind, you may follow any positive or negative escalating betting system.

A negative escalation betting system means you are increasing your stakes every time you lose so that the next win can cover your losses and earn profit. Positive escalation betting systems mean that you are doubling down on the ante every time you win so your win streak snowballs into consistent big payouts. 

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Different kinds of video poker games to try at Gamdom

As with many gambling games, you can find a variety of versions for video poker. There are only a few minor differences such as the lowest-paying winning hand. Some of them also come with bonus features that can trigger to help you win more frequently. Despite these variations, this video poker strategy guide from Gamdom applies to all of them.

Here are the different kinds of video poker games you can play at Gamdom:

Jacks or Better

The traditional Video Poker pays only on two pairs or better and Jacks or Better lowers the cutoff for more chances to win. However, it is so popular that it became the standard for other Video Poker versions including Deuces Wild and Aces and Faces. It pays 1:1 for any Pair of Jacks, Queens, Kings, or Aces and any hand lower than that is a loss. 

Deuces Wild

All deuces (cards ranked 2) are wild in any winning hand combinations in Video Poker. It works similarly in slot games where the wilds replace any missing pieces of a winning combination. There are 4 copies of deuces, one of each suit, in a standard 52-card deck, giving you plenty of opportunities to get a big payout. 

Joker Poker

Joker Poker adds 2 joker cards to the game, increasing the number of cards in a deck to 54. Every Joker card serves as a wild which replaces any missing card in an otherwise winning hand. If you get a pair of jokers, it counts as a Three of a Kind for the highest-ranked card, instead.

Aces and Faces 

‘Ace’ is the card marked with the letter ‘A’ while ‘Faces’ refers to Jack, Queen, and King because they have pictures of people. This video poker version offers increased payment for all Four of a Kind winning hands for Aces and Faces. That means A♧, A♤, A♡, A♢, 10♡ pays 80:1 but 2♧, 2♤, 2♡, 2♢, J♡ only pays 50:1.

Bonus Poker 

Bonus Poker enhances your potential earnings with improved payouts for Four of Kind or better hands. How much the increase is depends on the software provider or variation and one of the most popular ones is Bonus Poker Deluxe. It offers up to 400x the bet for Four of a Kind, 650x for Straight Flush, and 4,000x on a Royal Flush. 

Enjoy playing video poker and winning crypto at Gamdom 

Gamdom is your one-stop shop for all casino games you want to play, including a wide range of exciting video poker variations. Explore different titles and put the strategies you’ve learned from this Gamdom video poker guide into action to win crypto prizes. Top up your account to get started and don’t miss out on promotions that can boost your bankroll for more winnings.  

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