Video poker

The video poker phenomenon is not really very new in heaven. But the question is whether the majority know what kind of game video poker is? As the name suggests, video poker is an electronic game of chance. You play via slot machines and if you have played poker before, you probably recognize the card combinations that appear in video poker as well. At the casinos that offer slot machines with video poker, it is not uncommon for these to be called just poker and if there is so-called real poker, it is called live poker.

Older then you think

One would easily think that video poker is something new and fresh. Modern. In a way, this is also true because you can compare the game with many other casino games and then see that the video machines are quite new in the casino world. When it comes to video poker, it can be said that the game is related to so-called slot machines that were developed as early as the end of the 19th century in the United States. At that time, they had 50 cards that rolled on four wheels. Usually there are 52 cards in a deck, but to reduce the player's chances of getting a ladder, they chose to remove spades ten and spades jacks.

Maybe the name Liberty Bell sounds familiar to some? This is the name of the very first real slot machine that came as early as 1899. You might be wondering what it has to do with video poker? This is because even if the slot machines are not poker, it has a big impact on the history of video poker. But not in a positive way, rather as a dark chapter. Because with the advent of slot machines and the increasing popularity, the value of having a machine that showed poker hands instead of the usual symbols found in the slot machines disappeared.

If we fast-forward a number of years and return to video poker. In the 1970s, something developed that would revolutionize our entire modern world. The computers. And it is at this point that the video poker saw the light of day for real. Dale Electronics was the name of the company that launched the Poker-Matic machine in 1970. It took another nine years and then the first real video poker machine, Draw Poker, hit the market. With that, the popularity of video poker soared!

Advances in technology

The technology has developed in recent decades at an almost explosive pace and with that video poker. The suspicion that previously existed towards the game was as if blown away. And like much else in the world, video poker has made good progress thanks to the internet. The younger generations today can probably not imagine a life without the internet but one must remember that it is a relatively new invention after all. And through the internet, big heavy gates have finally opened up. Suddenly, anyone, anywhere, could have the opportunity to play video poker. In other words, video poker has made a pretty incredible journey over the years. Today, the game has been further developed and is available in several different variants. There are those that are a little more difficult for those looking for a bigger challenge, there are more different wins or bonus games that have very varied hand combinations.

Video poker, along with the slot machines, is one of the most popular games at the various online casinos available today. But also at physical casinos. Despite the fact that there are often hundreds of machines in a row that offer video poker, there are usually an incredible number of people who are forced to play and have the chance to win money. Today, you have the advantage that you can actually play at home online. Or on the train via your mobile phone. Or in the evening when there are only boring programs on TV. You have the opportunity to play exactly when it suits you and wherever you are, as long as you have access to the internet. You do not have to queue, be crowded or listen to noise and do not have to dress up in any special way. Instead, you can snuggle up with your laptop on the couch with maybe a cup of tea or a glass of wine and treat yourself to a moment in front of a virtual video poker machine. And you still have the chance to win money!

Classic poker

Video poker is a game based on what can be classified as the classic poker game, 5 Card Draw.If you compare video poker with its relative, the slot machine, there is a significant difference. You have a strategic advantage when playing video poker. You can namely bet on the odds and through mathematics surprise both chance and luck. If you want, you have the opportunity to play several hands at once, either on the same or a number of different machines when playing online. With video poker, it's hard to get bored. Instead, it is a game of excitement and if you play so much that you get enough experience to play multiple hands on multiple machines, the player of video poker can reap the rewards at an ever faster pace.

If you have not previously tried playing video poker, it may be a good idea to start playing online. For the land-based casinos that exist, in many cases have a payback that is around 70 to 75 percent. In other words, the casino wins about 25-30 percent of your bet for each hand you choose to play. The numbers are based on an average that has been calculated from the millions of players who play and after all, the average payout will not be more than 75 percent. Something that the casinos that are online can take advantage of because they do not have to finance staff, a large room with all that entails or countless rows of slot machines of various kinds that are on more or less around the clock. As online casinos avoid all these expenses, they can instead keep a refund of up to 98 percent.

As previously mentioned, there are a number of varying variants of video poker that thus differ in how they are designed and in its graphics. But usually the game is based on a simple variant that is influenced by dark poker that goes about in the following way. The player decides on a sum of money that he wants to bet. Then the player sees five cards on the screen in front of him. Now the player chooses which cards he wants to keep from the five shown to him or her. The remaining cards are replaced with new ones. Then the player gets a so-called poker hand and depending on which of the different poker hands the player has the luck or the ability to win, the player gets paid based on a predetermined table. You as a player can start from these basics but keep in mind that the games may differ slightly in terms of appearance and rules.

No psychology

As I said, one of the most common and popular video poker games is Jacks or Better which is played without a joker and a poker hand with a pair of jacks is the hand that you must have as a minimum for payout. In the variants of video poker that are played with jokers, a lot changes. The odds and price structure will be different. Some forms of video poker also involve so-called wild cards. Wild cards mean that the cards can represent any card, including the joker. Some games also have a feature called quit or double. The machines that offer this give the player the opportunity to bet their last won hand and either double the win or lose it.

A significant difference between video poker and regular poker is that video poker completely lacks the psychology that often occurs in regular poker play. The reason is that the player's opponents are not natural persons but a computer. In addition, you can not influence how you invest more than in your first bet. This is because betting rounds do not exist in video poker. The only thing that the player of video poker actually has the chance to influence is which cards he or she wishes to keep and how much the player bets from the beginning.

Does it sound like video poker is a game for you? Virtually all casinos, both online and landbased, offer video poker. Surf around and find the site you feel most comfortable with and start playing! Maybe you are lucky enough to win money that can make the coming weekend a little more fun?