Video Poker

Play the Best Video Poker in The U.S.!

Video poker is second only to slots on the casino floor. Just place your bet, take five cards, then decide how many cards you want to trade out.

The strength of your hand determines how much money you’ll get paid. Most video poker games only payout if you have at least a pair of jacks.

For the purposes of this guide, we are focusing on standard video poker, rather than the other variations of the game. 

Find the Best Online Video Poker Casinos in New Jersey

Virgin and Tropicana Online Casinos

Virgin and Tropicana have some of the best video poker you'll find. They also have amazing bonuses for new players.

You'll find super low house edge on several video poker variations at Virgin and Tropicana:

• Triple Play Draw Poker (playing Deuces Wild): 99.73%
• Five Play Draw Poker (playing Deuces Wild): 99.73%
• Jacks or Better: 99.54%
• Double Double Bonus Poker: 99.51%
• Bonus Poker: 99.16%
• Double Bonus Poker: 99.11%

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Golden Nugget Video Poker

Of course, with the largest legal online game selection in the U.S., it's not surprising that Golden Nugget has some of the best video poker you'll find.

1. Bonus Poker
2. Double Bonus Poker (Game King; RTP: 98.98%)
3. Double Double Bonus Poker (Game King; RTP: 99.51%)
4. Triple Play Draw Poker Multi-Hand
5. Five Play Draw Poker Multi-Hand
6. Jacks or Better
7. Game King Poker
8. Jacks or Better
9. Jester Poker
10. Regal Poker
11. Regal Poker Delux
12. Destiny
13. Deuces Wild
14. Deuces Wild Elite
15. DJ Wild Stud Poker
16. Double Regal Poker
17. Double Double Regal Poker

What is Online Video Poker?

Video poker, sometimes called virtual or RNG (Random Number Generator) poker, is much like face-to-face poker. Video poker observes the same rules as physical poker in terms of the order of hands. But you play against the dealer, not other players. 

Games are much quicker as the rounds and betting strategies are simpler. 

What is the difference between video poker and online poker?

Video poker is played against a computer only. The deck is made random by using a RNG (Random Number Generator) in the software programming. 

Online poker sites also use RNG (Random Number Generator), but you are playing against other live players. The other players' screens look the same as yours (except of course they only see their own cards).

Online poker sites follow the full rules of a physical poker game (with ante bets, the Bend, River, and so on). 

In video poker and poker sites, trying to read other players or the dealer obviously doesn't work as you cannot see them. 

Online Video Poker Strategy

Video poker is part luck and part skill. A comprehensive video poker strategy will make it more likely that you’ll get a stronger hand and avoid losing your money.

Like with any casino game, a video poker strategy shouldn’t be looked at in terms of immediate results but in terms of long-term profitability.

Best Beginner's Strategy

Following the best strategy is tough for beginners because there are so many rules involved. However, there’s a quick strategy you can implement right now to increase your chances of making a profit.

There are only a small number of rules that are easily remembered:

• Always hold anything that’s two pair or above. With a three of a kind, always discard the other two cards so you have a chance at a four of a kind and a full house.
• Only break up a flush or a straight if you are four cards to a royal flush. The chances are you’ll miss, but the one in every 47 times you hit it will more than make up the investment.
• Break up a jack pair or stronger only if you have four cards to a straight flush or to a royal flush.
• Don’t break up a low pair just because you have a single card jack or higher.
• Don’t draw to complete a straight if the card missing is in the middle unless you have three strong cards.

This simple strategy is easy to remember and will enable you to increase your wins immediately. In particular, it’ll help you solve the quandary of what you should do if you’re thinking about drawing for the royal flush. 

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Video Poker Tips for Beginners

So now you’ve got an idea for the strategy, it’s time to start playing. Before you load up a video poker game, there are still some aspects you need to take into account first.

Know the Rules

This may seem like a stupid rule for video poker strategy, but so many beginners apply exactly the same strategy for every type of video poker.

Playing Deuces Wild and Jacks or Better is largely the same as standard video poker, but the variations in the rules mean you need to adjust your strategy accordingly.

Study the rules of any video poker variations prior to wagering any money.

Always Play the Maximum Wager

Although it may seem silly to play the maximum wager, it actually leads to a bigger payout in the long-term. Here’s an example of what you would win if you hit a royal flush on one video poker game.

In coins:

• 1 equals a payout of 250.
• 2 equals a payout of 500.
• 3 equals a payout of 750.
• 4 equals a payout of 1,000.
• 5 equals a payout of 4,000.

Do you see a huge difference? This is why you should always play the maximum wager when playing video poker.

Look for Bonus Structures

Online casinos regularly have bonus structures in place to entice players to play with them. Make sure you play with an online casino that has bonuses on video poker games.

These bonuses may only result in a few dollars here and there, but in the long-term, you’ll be able to enjoy a few extra percentage points of profitability.

Play Progressive Jackpot Games

Progressive video poker is exactly the same as normal video poker. Since you’ll be placing the maximum bet, you’re automatically eligible to win the jackpot.

These progressive jackpot games likely won’t trigger the jackpot, but you may get lucky. And if you’re playing with the optimal strategy you’ll be a long-term winner anyway.

How Much of an Impact Can a Video Poker Strategy Have?

Different video poker strategies can have different outcomes. A stupid strategy can cause you to throw money away.

Let’s say you’re one or two cards away from a royal flush. The payout on a royal flush can be as high as 800:1, depending on the casino. But if you already have a straight flush would you throw that away to take a shot at hitting the big time?

The odds say this would be a smart strategy. A royal flush will hit once every 649,740 hands on the initial five cards.

But if you already have four cards to a royal flush you’ll hit the huge payout in one out of every 47 attempts. Those odds are way better, right?

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Types of Video Poker Games

Gone are the days where standard video poker was your only option in both land-based casinos and online casinos. There are a variety of variations of video poker in online casinos.

As stated above, the video poker strategy changes slightly with these variations, but the principles of the game remain the same.

Jacks or Better

Jacks or Better is one of the most popular variations of video poker. You’ll find it in practically every online casino in the world.

Make sure you look for a 9/6 version of Jacks or Better. In short, this offers a higher payback percentage, thus increasing your chances of winning.

Deuces Wild

Deuces Wild is a type of wildcard game and remains one of the most popular options for video poker. If you hit a two of any suit you can use it as a wild card to fill a flush or a straight. This makes it the most powerful card on the board.

In ordinary video poker, there’s no such thing as a wild card, so your odds of success are increased when playing the Deuces Wild variation.

The number one strategy for Deuces Wild is to look at the paytable. Search for either full pay games or a variation called Not So Ugly Ducks Deuces Wild.

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Bonus Poker

Bonus Poker is Jacks or Better in a fake mustache. The only difference between Bonus Poker and Jacks or Better is that there’s a bonus payout for a four of a kind.

Make sure you choose a game that has an 8/5 paytable, as these games offer the best payouts.

Tens or Better

Tens or Better is another version of the Jacks or Better video poker game. The main variation is you only need a pair of tens or better to score a payout.

Again, take a look at the paytable. The key to figuring it out is to look at what it pays for a four of a kind. One type of Tens or Better pays $0.25 for a four of a kind, the other pays just $0.20. This can make a big difference in your profitability in the long-term.

Making crucial decisions like this can make all the difference. Remember, you’re in control of the five cards you can either keep or swap.

 Why Play Online Video Poker?

There are a few good reasons to play video poker online, but perhaps the best is this: you have the best chance to make money. Video poker has the best odds of any casino game, taken as a whole, if you play the right game. 

Even though craps has an even-money bet, its overall house edge is higher than video poker. But if you'll find casino games with the best RTP if you play the Game King video poker games at Virgin, Tropicana, Golden Nugget, Borgata, and BetMGM.

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Play "Deuces Wild" on Game King's Triple-Play and Five-Play poker for an unbeatable RTP: 99.73%! Available at Tropicana and Virgin.

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Video Poker Bonuses

Of course you can play video poker for free by using a casino bonus. If you sign up for welcome cash or a matching deposit, use the bonus dollars to play for free! Withdraw your winnings after you've satisfied wagering requirements.

Unlike playing in demo mode, playing with bonus dollars allows you to actually make money!

Is Online Video Poker Legal in the US?

Online video poker is legal in a few states in the U.S. These are:

• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• Delaware
• Michigan (legal, but not yet available)
• West Virginia (legal, but not yet available)

If you're of age and located in these states, you can play there. You can register anywhere in the U.S. for a legal online casino, but you can only make bets while in the state. 

Here at USOnlineCasino, we only give links to legal casinos. This is because only legal casinos give you federal protection in the case of fraud. 

Are Video Poker Games Rigged? 

That depends. Legal, state-approved online video poker games are definitely not rigged. Not only does the software use a Random Number Generator (RNG), but the state also audits the games. 

If a legal online casino gets caught tampering, they'd be very heavily fined. But you see that off-shore casinos can do what they want without legal action. 

That's why we only support legal online casinos.

 

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