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Rules

Video Poker Rules & How to Play Video Poker Online

Whether a beginner looking to learn Video Poker rules or a seasoned gambling pro, we’ve got the Video Poker rules you need to fill in the gaps in your game. The below Video Poker rules include tips on playing game variations like Jokers Wild, Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild.

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Basic Video Poker Rules & Game Flow

First off, learning how to play Video Poker requires a quick lesson in game flow and basic Video Poker rules. Generally, Video Poker rules adhere to the same general formula as Draw Poker rules.

A player receives five different cards from a standard deck of fifty-two cards (or fifty-three, in the case of Jokers Wild). The player then selects which card(s) he wants the Video Poker machine to “hold” and which he wants to discard in order to improve his hand. Clicking on either the “hold” button or the card itself indicates to the Video Poker software that this card is not to be replaced.

The Video Poker software then selects new to complete the draw. If the player has a minimum winning hand, he is awarded the amount outlined on the Video Poker machine pay table. The higher the five-card poker hand, the more the player wins.

Video Poker Rules – Hand Rankings

But before we get into qualifying Video Poker hands and Video Poker rules by game type, it’s important to understand what you’re aiming for. Below are winning and qualifying Video Poker hands, ranked in order from highest to lowest:

  • Royal flush – A-K-Q-J-T series, all of the same suit. Example: A♠ - K♠ - Q♠ - J♠ - 10♠
  • Straight flush – Any five card, same suit series. Example:  5♠ - 6♠ - 7♠ - 8♠ - 9♠
  • Four of a kind – Four cards of the same value where the suit is not the same. Example: 9♠ - 9♣ - 9♦-9 ♥ - K♥
  • Full house – Three of a kind plus a pair, where cards need not share the same suit.  Example: 8♥ - 8♣ – 8♠ - 9♠ - 9♥
  • Flush: Five cards of the same suit with no shared value.  Example: 2♠ - 4♠ - 6♠ - 8♠ - K♠
  • Straight – Five card series, each of different suits.  Example: 4♦ - 5♥ - 6♦ - 7♠ - 8♣
  • Three of a kind – Three cards of the same value plus any two additional cards. Example: 5♦ - 5♥ - 5♠ - 7♠ - 8♣
  • Two pair – Two cards of same value plus any three cards. Example: 5♦ - 5♥ - 6♠ - 8♠ - J♣
  • Pair of Jacks or better – Example: J♠ - J♣ - Q♦ - K♥ - A♥

Video Poker Rules – Qualifying Video Poker hands by Game Type

With most machines, the player must have a “qualifying hand” to win. Minimum qualifying hands vary by game type:

  • In a Jacks or Better game, players must have a pair of Jacks in order to win any money.
  • In Jokers Wild, the minimum hand is usually two pair or a pair of Kings, depending on the software being used.
  • With Deuces Wild, the lowest winning hand is three of a kind.

With this in mind, it’s important to know which cards to keep and which ones to discard. Often, the best strategy is to throw out a low winning hand so that the new deal will improve it.

Knowing when to do this is, of course, the real trick. It is assessed by calculating risk versus payoff. The player who has successfully grasped Video Poker rules and strategy will, as the saying goes, “know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em.”

Wild card games pose another challenge to classic Video Poker hand rankings. In “Deuces Wild”, for example, any two (“deuce”) can be played as any other card in order to complete a winning hand. For instance, with a hand of AKQJ2, the 2 can substitute for the 10 for a straight.

In “Jokers Wild”, the single Joker in the deck can be used for the same purpose. If you have a hand with four clubs and a Joker, the smart play would be using the Joker as a fifth club.

For additional game information, visit our strategy, tips and odds pages.

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