Video Poker
When it comes to casino gaming, there are a few games often hunted by punters out there. Video poker is one on the list, more so for fun it provides, and the fantastic returns or lower house edge when compared with other casino games. This game has been quite popular since its introduction in the 1970s and has even grown more popular with advancements in technology. Whilst back then, you would have to visit the brick and mortar casino to enjoy this game, now you can do it within the comfort of your home using your PC or mobile device. This has seen even a higher uptake of this game world over, whose interest in online video poker has grown.
Irish online casinos do not shy away from either by providing the best video poker games. But, of course, to get the best experience, you would also need to use the best casinos. This article takes a look at the Irish video poker field, explains how to find the best casinos offering video slots, how to play the game of video poker, tips, and answer frequently asked questions to enhance knowledge and make sure you understand the market better. So here we go
Best Online Casinos to Play Video Poker
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The Best Video Poker Online Casinos to Play
Nowadays, there are many online casinos where one can invest their time, effort, and money. From this seemingly endless casino pool, how can one select the best casino to play video poker online? The following factors are important.
- Casino Licence – The most important point here is to check whether the casino has a valid operating licence and is indeed registered by a reputable regulatory board. In Ireland, online casinos are regulated under the Ireland gaming and Lotteries act, and the other offshore casinos should be registered in reputable territories such as Malta and the UK. In most cases, the licence details are detailed on the casino home page bottom section. Using a registered casino ensures that you receive the best online video poker service whilst the casino provides fair services.
- Security – As you deposit funds, sometimes with debit/credit cards or with even bank accounts, you would want to make sure your data is safe and secure. The best video poker casinos will have SSL encryption to ensure that data is securely stored and not stolen by hackers.
- Bonuses – Casino bonuses offer incredible opportunities to explore new games, new casinos, or even enhance one’s chances of making a profit. The best video poker casinos have several bonus offerings that include welcome bonuses, free cash/spins, no deposit bonuses or reload bonuses. We provide a list of casinos with the best casino bonuses, together with their associated wagering requirements.
- Payment methods – Another important part is the payment gateways available from the casino. The best online casinos to play will provide options that include the popular and trusted ones such as debit/credit cards, e-wallets, and bank transfers. We also make sure you get to hear of only the best online video poker casinos that provide this wide range of reputable payment methods that are fast.
- Game options – Who would want to get stuck with a casino that has game limitations and only offers you a limited selection of games. The best online casinos provide a wide number of game options, including many video poker choices and other games such as slots and the like. We list only casinos with such a wide game choice.
- Mobile accessibility – One key consideration is that casinos should have the capability to use mobile devices such as phones and tablets. The best casinos should offer players an option to gamble on a mobile phone or a PC. You will be able to use your browser to access the casino from your device or download the casino application to play online video poker.
- Customer support – If you have any issue that would need to be resolved, you would want to get in touch with customer support quickly. The best online casinos for video poker have readily available customer support, which is reachable 24/7.
Using the criteria above, we come up with a list of some of the best casinos you can use in Ireland for your video poker experience, which includes names such as Casumo, Genesis, William Hill and many others
What is Video Poker?
The game of video poker is not complicated at it involves a standard deck of 52 cards from which cards are drawn during the game with an ultimate objective of getting the best hand card combinations/patterns. The dealer starts the game by drawing a total of 5 cards from the deck. These 5 cards may or may not form a pattern that will result in a win. Players/Hands will then have an option to change their cards or suit them, whichever meets their needs. Whilst it may appear that simple, there are a few tricks and strategies useful to make meaningful inroads towards winning. The decisions you make when you play online video poker are variable, but all depends on the current situation.
One major advantage of playing video poker games online is that the players can select to have multiple hands at a time, which is riskier but overall increases the chances of making a profit. Additionally, if you want to master the concepts of poker, you can select to use the free poker version, which allows you to learn whilst having fun! Sounds good, doesn’t it?
How to Play Video Poker
Learning how to play video poker online is quite simple, and you will undoubtedly have not much time required to learn about it. You will need to make use of the following steps.
Step by Step Instruction
- First, you need to select your wagering amount. Depending on your bankroll, you would need to set your game wager as a fraction of the whole balance. Poker games often list your funds as coins, so you would need to check first how much each coin is worth before placing bets. There is also a paytable that shows you the possible returns for each type of win you get in online video poker.
- Drawing of the first set of cards – the video poker (machine) dealer then proceeds to draw out the firsts of five cards for each hand. Some casinos/poker game variants deal the cards facing downwards whilst others will be facing upwards.
- Holding or exchanging – After the first draw process, the video poker hands can hold on to their first five cards or exchange them. This is where poker strategy is essential. You would need to select the cards you intend to hold and leave out the ones you want to be exchanged.
- Drawing of the second set of cards – for the hands that select to exchange their first set of cards, this stage allows the dealer to draw out more cards to replace them.
- The outcome of the game – at this stage, the video poker winning hand(s) will be notified of their winnings. If you are a beginner and do not know the possible winning combinations, the game will inform you. The highest pay out combination in online video poker is a Royal Flush, a combination of the cards A, K, Q, J, and 10 all of the same suit. The pay-outs for other possible combinations are as follows: Jacks or better pays x1, Two pairs pay x2, Three of a kind pays x3, Straight pays x5, Flush pays x6, Full House pays x9, Four of a kind pays x20, Straight Flush pays x40 whilst the Royal Flush pays x250
Playing free video poker games online will also help you understand these steps easily for no risk.
Video Poker Rules
As with any game, there are a set of rules that need to be observed. The basic ones are that you need to have the best combination of cards in your hand after completing the dealing rounds. In online video poker, the type of rules vary with the game type or variant, and these are summarised as follows:
- Jacks or Better video poker – here, you will get a pay-out only if your hand has at least two jacks. Additionally, the highest pay-out for a royal flush is 250x of the stake amount, and players are only paid for their highest value hand in the case of multiple hands. Five of a kind hands and pairs lower than jacks also do not receive any winnings.
- Bonus, Double Bonus, and Double Double Bonus Poker video poker – This variant is somewhat based on the basic rules of Jacks or Better, and the additional rules are that there are more winning hands, with different hands receiving different pay-outs. When compared with the Jack and Better games, the pay-out percentages are lower.
- The Rules of Deuces Wild and Jokers Wild – These variants of online video poker make use of extra wild cards that can substitute a card of your choice, increasing your chances of winning. For the Jokers Wild version, this wild card will be in the form of a Joker. As the chances of winning are higher, the pay-out is now lower. The hand rankings are now similar to those in the classic poker tables, and you can discard as many cards as you so wish before the second round of card drawing.
Glossary of Video Poker Terms
Coming to some terms of video poker, there are few terms that you would need to be acquainted with. These are by no means exhaustive but provide newbies with important and useful knowledge. These include the following:
- Aces and Eights – this is a video poker variant in which four-of-a-kind hands have aces or eights. This results in the player being awarded a higher pay-out.
- Ace-High – this happens when a player has no pairs or better card combinations. They will be only holding an ace.
- Coins – When you are playing video poker, your money is denominated in coins whose value depends on the type of video slots game you are playing. You will need to check the coin value each time as they vary.
- Deuces wild – This happens in a variant of video poker called Deuces wild, in which a deuce is a wild card and can replace any other card on hand to increase one’s chances of winning.
- Face card – These are cards that have face symbols and include the Jacks, Queens, and Kings.
- Four of a Kind- this is when you have four cards of the same rank, for example, four aces. You will have a high pay-out with this combination in the order of x20.
- Full House – This is a video poker hand consisting of a three of a kind and a pair and is often referred to as a boat. An example of a full house is a player holding three queens and two jacks. The pay-out here is x9 of the original stake amount.
- Hand – these are the five cards a player is holding at any point or may even refer to a combination of cards that a player has on hand.
- Hold – After the dealer draws out the first set of 5 cards, players have the option of holding or exchanging their cards. Holding is done by pressing the hold button on the specific card you wish to hold.
- Multi-Hand – this is when players are allowed to have more than 1 hand in a single video poker game and allow for placing bets on each hand. Overall, whilst the risk is higher, this increases the chances of making a profit.
- Royal Flush – This is the best online video poker combination that almost every poker player will be aiming for. This is a combination of five suited cards, or in a wild video slots version, may involve four suited cards plus a wild card. The pay-out is the highest, and you will get in the order of x250 of your stake amount.
- Straight – This is a five-card video poker hand in sequential rank order. An Ace can act as high or low for straights e.g 10, J, Q, K, A, is a straight, as is A, 2, 3, 4, 5.
- Straight Flush – This is a five-card hand in sequential rank order and all of the same suit. The ace can act as a low or a high.
- Three of a Kind – This happens when you have 3 ranked cards in your hands that form a 3 of a kind pattern.
- Two Pair – This happens when you have two aces and two tens or other combinations of two sets of the same type cards.
Game Strategy
Whilst the game of video poker may principally sound simple, you have to apply some well-thought-out strategy to have any reasonable chances of winning. The possible strategies we recommend are mostly applicable after the first card draw. Of course, with the availability of free video poker, you can take time to practice and perfect them. Here is how you would typically react in various scenarios which vary with the game variant:
- Jacks or Better video poker variant– There are variations in your strategy if your hand has Jack cards or better. If you have four cards to a straight or a straight flush, OR a three to a royal flush or a straight flush, then we advise you hold your cards. If you have a pair of cards, you would need to hold on to them and draw the rest of the cards. You will need to hold to any jacks or higher cards if you don’t have any of the above card combinations. You can master this variant by using the Jacks or better free play version.
- Deuces Wild – When it comes to this variant of video poker, the best hand you will get is that of four deuces, and the moment you have them, you will have to hold them. You will also need to hold in the case of 3 cards to a royal flush or a pair but with no other combinations. If you do not have any deuces, you need to keep only the paying cards.
- Double Bonus – Here, you would need to hold on to any three or four cards to a flush, a single high card, or a pair, even if they are low cards. If you have no pairs in your hand, you will need to discard them. In general, when you have a hand with flush cards, that is Royal or Straight, you need to hold on to the hands as any exchange will reduce your chances of winning.
Video Poker in Ireland
When it comes to video poker in Ireland, we know punters would want to know as much as possible about where and how they can play this simple and exciting game. The good news is that it is indeed possible to play this game, both for real money and free online video poker in Ireland through various online casinos. The casinos we recommend meet the criteria we discussed earlier and include some big names such as Casimba, Casumo, Playzee, and many others. You will most likely find the common types of video poker in these casinos.
Main Types of Video Poker
The main types of video poker in Ireland include the Deuces Wild, the Double bonus, the Triple play, the Joker’s Wild, and others
Deuces Wild
This is the most popular variant of online video poker and involves deuce cards acting as wild symbols and increasing the chances of winning. The odds are, however, lower because of this wild card element.
Double bonus
With this type, the players will unlock bonuses for selected four-of-a-kind cards in hand. This can result in massive winnings if you get this bonus. However, there is also a bigger gap between the possible winning hands.
Triple play
This is the ideal online video poker game for gamblers with a preference for higher risks and more thrills. The game involves three hands simultaneously, increasing their exposure, fun, and ultimately potential returns.
Jokers Wild
In this online video poker game, the Joker is a wild card, and gamblers may choose whichever symbol they desire to represent. Therefore, the total number of cards involved in this game is 53, i.e., a standard deck of 52 cards and one joker card.
Multiplayer
This variant of online video poker involves many hands that can be played at a single time. Players may select up to 25 hands simultaneously, which offers superiority over land-based video poker that only allows a single hand. However, the risk is much higher, and so are the returns when wins are hit. We would advise using this version when you have mastered the basics of the poker game.
Video Poker Tips
Here are our tips that may be useful in combination with the strategies to increase your chances of winning whilst having fun in video poker.
- Know the game type and pay table – The first tip would to be aware of the game type and associated pay table before placing any bets. We have talked about the various types above, and for newer players, it would be best to avoid the Multiplayer type.
- Bankroll management – As with any gambling game, you would need to manage your bankroll carefully in online video poker and not lump all of your funds in one single bet as you never know the outcome. We advise using only small fractions of not more than 1% of your total bank when placing bets. This is a marathon and not a sprint.
- Try Maxbet – This might appear to be contrary to the point above, but you can have a shot of possible higher winnings by putting max coins provided that it does not blow up your bankroll. This overall increases potential winnings in online video poker.
- Maximise on winnings – This ranges from first selecting a casino with the highest RTP. The same also applies to the games in the particular casino in which you should target those with higher pay-outs.
FAQ
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1️⃣ Can I play video poker online using my mobile device?
- Yes, it is possible to play this video poker game using your mobile device. The modern casinos all allow you to access their game platforms through a mobile browser or through downloading the respective application. Thus, you will enjoy the games, just as in the case of using a PC. Additionally, you will be able to exploit the mobile casino gaming benefits, such as the capability to place bets from anywhere at any time.
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2️⃣ Can I play video poker online for free?
- Indeed, it is possible to play video poker online games for free with several casinos in Ireland. This allows you to get a feel of the casino games without investing an inch of your money. Of course, you can also have fun whilst learning any of the strategies above.
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3️⃣ Is it possible to beat a video poker machine?
- An interesting question that comes up often is that is it even possible at all to win this game. Unfortunately, the answer is there is no fool proof method that will guarantee a profit always. Still, you can use various strategies discussed earlier to make your chances of winning even better.
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4️⃣ How do I find the best casino to play video poker?
- To find the best casino to play your video poker, you do not need to struggle as there are several issues you need to look at. These include looking at the casino licence, the withdrawal methods, the game offerings, site security, and customer support. In Ireland, several casinos meet these criteria and can be extensively used to play video poker.