How to play video poker for real money and free

Poker rules by variety

The card game is available at online casinos in dozens of variations. The differences lie in the number of pocket cards, how the hand is played and how the payout is calculated. Consider the rules of the most popular disciplines.

Caribbean

A 5-card variant of poker. The game is played on a single box. The hand is played according to this pattern:

1. A mandatory bet, the ante, is placed at the start;
2. The dealer puts 5 cards on the participant’s box and himself;
3. The poker player decides whether to fold or continue playing and double the ante.

If the dealer passes, the bet made at the beginning of the deal goes to the casino. When the game continues, the dealer reveals his hand and the total is determined. When the dealer opens an A-K or higher hand, it is compared with the poker player’s cards. If he has a stronger hand, the payout is calculated according to the odds in the table below. Otherwise, the player loses his bets, as with a tie hand. When the dealer opens below the King’s Ace, “no game” is declared. The dealer’s ante is paid at odds of 1:1. The second bet is refunded in full.

Table of payouts in Caribbean poker:

Oasis

A special feature of the discipline is the presence of an exchange. The game is played on a single box according to the following rules:

• An ante is paid at the start;
• The dealer deals 5 cards each to himself and to the participant’s box;
• The player evaluates his hand and makes a decision. You can declare fold, call or exchange any number of cards for an additional fee.

Showdown comes – the showdown stage and comparison of combinations. The dealer plays with a hand A-K or higher. It is then matched against the poker player’s cards. If he has a stronger hand, a payout is awarded. When the dealer’s hand is below the Ace-King, the ante is paid 1:1, with all other bets refunded unchanged.

Oasis poker payout table:

Casino Hold’em

A type of poker discipline with a board without an exchange phase. The player receives two cards after placing an ante. Three additional cards are dealt on the table. A decision is made based on this – to declare a fold or a call. If the deal continues, two more cards are placed on the board and the showdown phase begins immediately

The dealer plays if he receives a pair of fours or a stronger hand. In this case, the combinations are compared. If the poker player’s hand is higher, the dealer receives the payout table winnings. When the dealer has a hand younger than fours, the ante is paid 1:1 and the second bet is refunded unchanged. There is a bonus field at the table. An extra bet can be placed on it. It is calculated separately, provided the player has a pair of aces or higher from the hand.

Hold’em Casino Payout Table:

Russian

A more challenging poker discipline. You can play on all three boxes simultaneously. In this case, decisions are made in the open on the first two – the participant chooses his own moves, on the third – in the dark with automatic confirmation of the bet. A hand in Russian poker is played according to the following rules:

1. The player bets;
2. For each active box, the dealer deals 5 cards and lays out a similar number to himself;
3. The decision-making stage begins. Fold, call, exchange and extra sixth card are available.
4. The dealer compares the hand and the hand.

When the dealer’s hand is below the King’s Ace, the player is paid ante 1:1. If the dealer draws A-K or stronger, the poker player wins with the higher combination.

Table of payouts in Russian poker:

Stad

A discipline without an exchange and board stage. At the start of the game an extra Jackpot field can be bet on. It pays at separate odds if the contestant collects a higher-order combination.

The game of Stud is played similarly to Caribbean Poker.

After a participant has deposited an ante the dealer deals 5 cards each. If the poker player continues to bet, an extra bet is made, followed by a showdown. Combinations are matched if the dealer has A-K or higher. Otherwise only the ante is calculated at odds of 1:1.

Table of payouts in Stud poker:

Working strategies for winning at video poker

Players use strategies to increase their chances of winning. It is necessary to rely on the discipline of choice. If there is no exchange, the following guidelines should be followed:

• If a pair or a stronger hand comes in, bet to continue the hand;
• If an A-K has come in, the dealer’s open card is used as a starting point;
• If it has a rank between 2 and Q, continue playing. If the dealer shows A or K, it’s a call only if Q or J is in hand. Otherwise, it’s a fold.

In exchange disciplines, experienced players adhere to the following principles:

• If there is no pair, it’s a fold;
• An exchange is made with 8 outs or more;
• If the dealer has an open ace or king, the dealer passes on a low pair.

Having the opportunity to strengthen the current combination, the probability of improvement must be taken into account:

RTP in Video Poker

Also, videopoker can be much more profitable for the client than video slots. For instance, in some models you can achieve a mathematical advantage over the casino, which is never the case with slot machines. Of course, the advantage would be small (usually a few tenths of a percent), and it appears only in the long run and only if you make the right decisions. In other words, if you choose the most profitable videopoker and play it correctly, you can achieve, for example, a theoretical return of 100.3%.

In a slot machine, however, you can expect, at very best, a 98% return. Video slots rarely give more than that. That’s why professionals usually prefer video pokers to slot machines.