One of the most appealing aspects of genuine poker play is the ability to read other players, to take calculated risks and try to gain an advantage over an opponent by your play at the table, your demeanour and by trying to figure out what your opponent is thinking.
This more cerebral side of the game is what makes poker so attractive. For sure, you are reliant somewhat on the cards you are dealt, but a great poker player can make the most of even a meagre hand if they have the skills to bamboozle other players into thinking they hold the nuts.
So why would you then want to play a game that totally does away with this aspect of poker and instead offers a game of complete chance; one where your poker skills are limited to recognising which hands have potentially the best value?
When viewed in these terms video poker doesn’t seem all that appealing, especially if you are a poker player but if you enjoy playing at the Bet365 Casino, then you should be checking out the video poker games available for several reasons.
Before we delve into the world of video poker, be sure to check out our series of in-depth Bet365 site guides – a great resource for anyone looking to take advantage of all that the Bet365 family of betting sites has to offer.
What is video poker and how is it different to traditional Texas Hold’em poker?
Video poker is something of a misnomer as many of the elements that make up a game of poker are completely absent from the game. Unlike poker, which is a game of skill and luck combined, video poker is essentially a game of luck, with just a very small strategic element thrown in.
In video poker you pay to play and you are dealt five cards. You then decide which of these five cards you are going to keep and which of the five you are going to discard. The aim is to keep the cards that give you the best chance of a strong poker hand and discard those that don’t.
For example, if you receive 3♥, 6♣, 7♠, J♥ and A♥, then you don’t have a winning hand as it stands, but you may opt to keep perhaps the Ace and the Jack in order to try and land a pair of either card, or you may keep the Ace, Jack and three in the hope of landing a flush of hearts.
Winning hands are based on the traditional poker hand values and their relative rarity. A pair is usually the lowest winning hand, although in most games you have to achieve a pair of either ten or jacks or better. So any pair from two to nine would be a losing hand in video poker.
Any pair of tens or jacks or better is a winning hand and the better your poker hand ranking, the bigger the prize you win. So if you get three-of-a-kind in any hand, that would win your more than a pair, a flush would win you ore than a straight, a full house more than a flush and so on.
Hit a Royal Flush and you usually win the game jackpot, which can be a considerable sum depending on how much you wagered in the first place.
The only skill aspect for the player is in the selection process of which cards to keep and which cards to discard to be replaced. At this point, a good understanding of poker hands is beneficial, though hand rankings are often clearly displayed on the payout table for each video poker game.
A player can play more than one set of five cards on any given turn on a video poker machine. The cards are often called “lines” and players can play games that have 4, 10 or even 25 lines available to play. A player can select how many of the available lines they want to play, however the more lines you play, the more credits you have to pay. So if it is 1 credit for 1 line, to play 10 lines would cost you 10 credits per turn.
What video poker games are offered at Bet365 Casino?
At Bet365 Casino there are currently 10 video poker games available to play on the website:
- Jacks or Better – Perhaps the best known form of the game. Players win with poker hands that include a pair of jacks or better.
- Deuces Wild – Another popular format of the game, here a players chances of winning are increased as the four ‘2’ cards in a pack are wild and can be used by the player to make up the best possible hand.
- 10-Line Jacks or Better – This is a progressive jackpot game where a small percentage of each wager is paid into a central pot and when a player hits the big combination (usually the Royal Flush) they win the Progressive jackpot. Players can play up to 10-lines per game on this video poker machine.
- Joker Poker – Similar to the Deuces Wild game shown above but this time it is the Jokers that are the wild cards.
- 4-Line Aces and Faces – The Player receives four lines per hand rather than one and must make a hand on each of a pair of Aces, or face cards (jack, queen or kings) or better.
- 10’s or Better – Similar to jacks or better but this time hands that pay out start at a pair of tens.
- 4-Line Deuces Wild – Similar to the Deuces Wild game above, but this time players have four card sets for each play on the game.
- 25-Line Aces and Faces – Similar to the Aces and Faces above but on this game the player receives 25-lines as opposed to one (or four).
- 2 Ways Royal – A similar game to Jacks or Better but featuring High and Low Royal Flush win options.
- Mega Jacks – A progressive jackpot game based on Jacks or Better
In several of the games above players are allowed to gamble any winnings by selecting a card that is higher than a card selected by the computer. If you pick a card higher than the computer then you win. If it is lower, you lose. And if it is equal, you keep your money.
You can double each win as many times as you like, provided you keep winning. You also have the option to bank half of your winnings and double the remaining half (Double Half option).
Why should I play video poker?
There is one great reason why if you are a poker player and a casino fan, that you should consider playing video poker on Bet365 Casino and that is because compared to many other casino games, video poker has one of the lowest house edges of all casino games.
Indeed apart from Blackjack, video poker games such as Jacks or Better offer a house edge of just 0.46%, which is extremely low and means that a player is likely to win more often.
When compared to other casino games, such as roulette (where the house edge is 2.7% for a single zero wheel and 5.26% on a double zero wheel) or slots (where the house edge can be anywhere from 2% to 15%), video poker offers a far greater chance of success each turn.
Admittedly, video poker will not be a genuine test of your poker skills, but it is still a fun and enjoyable game and more importantly, it is one of the best games in the casino in terms of the player’s chances of winning.
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