How to Play Video Poker

To play a Video Poker machine, a player needs to understand the rules to 5-card draw poker. But, it is essential to realize that there are differences between Video Poker 5-card draw and playing 5-card draw poker in real life.

In real life, poker players are used to keeping a “poker face”—in other words, making certain to keep their feelings about their hands to themselves. Players also often bluff when they don’t have good hands. Neither of these is important at all for Video Poker.
In real life poker, three 10’s ranks higher than three 7’s; however, in Video Poker, the two hands have the same rank and payout. The same goes for pairs in Video Poker—a pair of 2’s ranks the same as a pair of 8’s.

It is important to understand how the payout schedule affects a player’s odds in Video Poker. There are three main items that the payout schedule should contain:

• Pairs of Jacks or better should return the player’s original bet

• A Full House should pay out 9 units, whereas a flush should pay out 6 units

• A Royal Flush should pay out 4000 units

Before playing Video Poker at any machine, it is best to read the machine. By reading the machine, players can find out about the machine’s payout schedule, hand rankings, and more.

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