What Is Video Poker?
Video poker is the popular digitised version of the five card poker format where a player attempts to build poker hands to win prizes. The player is initially dealt five cards and from there has the option to hold between one and five of the cards. Once the second round of cards has been dealt the player will be rewarded a prize based on the value of their hand. The value of the prize is determined on the declining chance of that hand being dealt. Ultimately, the more difficult a hand is to attain, the higher the prize.
Of course, here at Canada’s number one online casino, we understand that poker hands are something of an enigma for our regular casino players. That’s why we wanted to provide you with a quick guide on the various poker hands you will be required to build. Use this guide as an easy reference point for the poker hands you’ll need to learn.
Video Poker Hands
1) One Pair
- Two of the same cards
The lowest possible video poker hand which generally returns your stake when acquired. In most video poker games, the lowest pair you need is jacks or better. Of course, there are some varieties of video poker machine that differ on this rule.
2) Two Pair
- Two of one kind and two of the other
Two pairs is next up on the list and is a relatively low hitter in the grand scheme of things. This hand usually returns twice your stake unless otherwise stated. Be warned, some games will only pay out your initial stake when dealt this hand. Landing a two pair in the first round is a great way to land a full house in the second round.
3) 3 Of A Kind
- Three of the same cards
Often confused with two pair in terms of ranking, 3 of a kind is actually a more valuable hand in video poker and normal poker. You will receive three times your stake with this hand and this is across the board in our collection of video poker games. If you land this hand on the first round you have a great opportunity to make four of a kind the next round.
4) Straight
- A run of five cards from high to low
Next up on this list is the first serious money hand known as the straight. Straights pay four times your initial stake so if you are playing with five coins this results in a return of 20 coins. If through the first round of dealing you land a straight you should definitely hold as your odds of doing better are extremely slim.
Related – A Guide To Lucky Nugget’s Video Poker
5 )Flush
- Five cards of the same suit
Another stumbling point for poker and video poker players is the flush which, in terms of ranking, is often confused with the straight. Landing a flush will return six times your initial stake. If you are playing with the maximum five coins this will result in a return of 30 coins.
6) Full House
- Three of one and two of the other
The full house is the first of the power hands and is responsible for earning players large wins. Whilst the average win for a full house is nine coins you need to be aware that some machines only pay out six coins. It is best to check the paytable beforehand.
7) Four Of A Kind
- Four of the same cards
Four of a kind is where the real money can be won with on average 25 coins being paid to the player. If a player stakes five coins they can, on landing four of a kind, win 125 coins. Three of a kinds are most commonly converted to four of a kinds so watch out for them landing on your screen!
8) Straight Flush
- A run of five cards from high to low in the same suit
An extremely difficult hand to land and as such rewards the player 50 times their initial stake. This offers a potential maximum return of 250 coins depending on the game you are playing. Increase your odds of landing this land by playing a deuces wild video poker variant.
9)Royal Flush
- A run from 10 to A in the same suit
The odds of landing a royal flush in regular poker are 0.0032% which makes this an equally difficult hand to land in regular poker. Striking a royal flush can return a player 250 times their initial stake. As you can probably tell landing a royal flush will bag you plenty of cash! The royal flush is equivalent to a typical slots jackpot and as such we recommend you concentrate of turning 3 of a kind into full houses and 4 of a kind.
If you found our guide helpful then please share it with your friends. If you’d like anymore advice then please drop us a comment in the section below. Have a great 2016 from team Lucky Nugget!
