At first glance, the video poker machine (both online and in the casino) will resemble a slot machine much more than the semi-circled green table we\’re used to seeing play host to a poker game. Since its first visit into the casinos back in the 1970\’s video poker has quickly become the most popular form of coin operated machines offered. More recently it has started to enjoy the same success online. Poker Site

One of the most attractive elements of the online version is the combination of excitement, man against machine action, user-friendliness, and immediate winnings. While online machines offer the players the opportunity to decide how much they choose to wager, these online video poker machine provide that same sense of strategizing and negotiations with oneself so often yearned for by players who miss the land-based casinos. Online Casino

The only other competitor in an online video poker game is the machine itself. While you the player decide how much to wager and whether to accept the first five cards you were randomly handed, an online machine will often rank your hand for you. In the same hand you have the opportunity of cashing out with a royal flush, or attaining more modest winnings- according to the wager you went with at the game\’s onset and the luck of the draw of that particular hand.

Poker is what started it all- the godfather of the Casino. Video poker took the game to the next generation and boosted its credentials with speed and excitement. Now, with sites such as Casino Bonus and other popular sites, online video poker is taking the game to the home of the online player and bringing the action to the personal computer. The \”final frontier\” of the classic game has now finally made it to the web.

Video poker machines can still be found at the corner of many barrooms and always seem to attract a loyal player following even if, by law, they are not located within a legal gambling area and offer no payouts! Poker Site

Most machines accept bets from a quarter all the way up to one or five dollar bills. There are many different \”games\” of poker, but most video poker machines are set up based on traditional \”five card draw\” style of poker. A player is \”dealt\” five cards. The player can then choose to discard any or all of the cards to attempt to improve their poker hand. New cards are dealt to the player, replacing those discarded cards. At that point the dealer and player hands are shown and evaluated. The best hand is a Royal Flush and the lesser winning hands all pay out according to the rules printed on the machine, down to a Pair. The player is playing against the Dealer – the machine. The machine will either pay out onto a pre-paid plastic betting card the player used to place his bets, or will print a receipt to be taken to the casino cashier for payout. Or the player can choose to play his winnings and continue betting against the machine in hopes of increasing his winnings. Casino Bonuses

Video poker especially lends itself to online Internet gaming, as it utilizes a computer display screen even if played \”live\” at an actual casino, so there is little difference in play between casino and at-home online play. Casino Site

It is not the same as the usual poker game in casinos.

Knowing the basics of the usual poker game in casinos is not enough to make you a success online. Although the rules, especially the ranking of the cards, are the same with the table game, there are differences that even the most adept player must learn. As mentioned above, the structure of the video poker game is the same as those of slot machines. In fact, even the video poker games inside casinos have much the same look. Online Casino Promotions

In video poker, one is dealt with five cards from a deck. What is different in video poker is that you are able to discard some of the cards that you are holding and replace them with another. The combination of cards that you will have after clicking the draw will be your final hand. If the final hand is good, you?ll be given the pot.

This is good for people who want to test their wits against the machine. Although there is some chance involved, majority of the wins that a player will get will depend upon his skills in the poker game.

It is not the same as slot machines.

Although both video poker and slot machines are housed in the metal cabinet with coins slots, the games are quite different. While slot machine winnings depend solely on chance and luck, video poker games involve a lot of thinking skills as well as familiarity with the game. Poker Games

With video poker, a person can select the cards that he will retain and discard. This means that winning the game depends on the decision that the player has made while playing the hand.

Bluffing does not work.

Obviously, the age old technique of bluffing your way to a win in poker games will not work in video poker because well? you don?t have any opponents. You are basically playing against a computer, which of course know what you hand is. With video poker, it is the strength of the hand combination that you have created that will determine your win.

Another major difference is that whatever combination you will get, you will always win. Of course, the different hand combinations will have different range of payback but basically you will win unlike the live poker games in casinos where only one player wins the pot. Internet Poker

Two kinds of Video Poker

Although there are basically many different kinds of video poker games, there are basically two major kinds. The single hand video poker is often played with one to five coins. And because this is a single hand game, there will be no confusion on how much you have bet for a particular game. Players of the multi-hand video poker, on the other hand, have the option to play a lot of hands. A player can choose from three hands up to a hundred hands.

As you can come to expect of such popular games, there are several variants of video poker, some of the more famous being \”Deuces Wild\” , there are also multi-play options available going from Triple Play, Five play up to Fifty and hundred play versions. In games like full play mode, where pay back percentages are very high, that is players lose in the order of $1 to $2 for every $100 wagered over a period of time. But this of course can be only achieved with near perfect playing strategies. Play Poker

Games like Full pay jacks offer the highest pay back percentage of 99.54%. Systems are designed to work such that the higher you bet the higher are the pay back percentages. We can see this in a statistical format, where a person who bets 3 credits has a higher pay back percentage of say 98.5% than someone who bets 1 credit with a lower pay back percentage of 98%. There are solutions that offer even larger pay back percentages going over a 100% especially in games like Double bonus, which are known to offer up to 100.2% in pay back percentages. Online Casino Blackjack

It is however useful to know that although the chances of winning sound enticing, the pay schedules offered by many casinos is below standard and only a few of the top casinos offer higher returns and greater probabilities of winning. Video poker is truly a hit. Las Vegas Casino

The Early Years of Video Poker

It may be a big surprise to many, but video poker can be considered as the predecessor of slot machines. In 1891, in Brooklyn, New York, Sittman and Pitt have created a machine that had five drums with card symbols printed on them. By pulling the lever, and spinning the drums, the player would get a poker hand, which would determine his winning. Looks pretty much like modern slot machines, don\’t you think? Online Casino Blackjack

Video Poker in the 20th Century

It was not until the \’70\’s, when the true video poker was developed. Dale Electronics\’ Poker-Matic developed in 1970 was the first electronic video poker machine installed in the casinos. People were suspicious about electronic mechanisms at first, but with time video poker became very popular. A decade later you couldn\’t find a casino not having a video poker machine in it, with numerous variations of the game been developed. The fact that you didn\’t have to interact with other players made video poker extremely popular and has generated amazing income to casinos. Poker Room

Video Poker in Present

In 1994, MicroGaming has transferred video poker to online casinos, which has proven to be a very good step. Video poker was probably the easiest casino game to transfer online, because the players didn\’t observe any differences between land-based and online variations of the game. Today you will find hundreds of video poker variations in online casinos. There are even progressive video poker games, offering thousands of dollars in jackpot. But with the development of online casino games, video poker still remains one of the most popular entertainments in land-based casinos. And with the recent boom of traditional poker, casinos have registered a big income from video poker machines. Online Poker Room

Playing video poker is easier than playing the traditional card games. If you know all the strengths of hands, you\’ll be able to enjoy video poker for as much as you like. And you don\’t have to deal with other players to do that. This is what makes video poker so popular.

Alljackpots.com provides a personal online video poker game, featuring over a dozen classic video poker games ranging from Aces and Faces video poker to Jacks or Better and Tens or Better. The software (which you need to download) features Stats, Analyze Chart, and Autoplay, among others. Poker Tournaments

Freevideopoker.com is a click-and-play poker video website where users don?t have to install or download any software. There are nineteen different variations of Video Poker available, and if you win at least 100 credits, you can enter the FreeSlots Monthly Sweepstakes to win five $500 prizes and ten $250 prizes.

Intercasino.com video poker games are available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and include All American, Double Bonus, Deuces Wild, Jacks or Better, Joker Poker, Tens or Better, Super Jackpot 25c, Super Jackpot $1, as well as Single-Play, Triple-Play, Five-Play and Ten-Play options. You can play for fun or for real with the download or no download version. Online Casino Bonus

Cyberbingo.com offers video poker games that are all flash-based, so that means no download hassles. You need to get a registered username name before playing the video poker games that include All American, Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Double Joker, Deuces and Jokers, to name a few. Online Casino Blackjack

Casino.com offers web-based, online video poker, based on Shockwave Flash. The latest version, Shockwave 6.5+, works best for the game. You can play without registering a username but, if you want your game score to be recorded on the high score list, you need to log in.

The machine plugs directly into the user’s wall and there is no need or installation. The machine carries a charge of 110 volts. There is two years warranty with each slot machine and the warranty covers every thing in the machine except the light bulbs. The warranty ensures that the machine is well looked after. There are some places where the machines are illegal to be sold. Las Vegas Casino

This machine accepts tokens only and cannot be readily changed to accept coins. A key for complete access to the machine is provided. The machine provides full light and sound, the effect is like the light, and sound provided by casinos that the user has come across. The machines are factory refurbished. There is a reset switch or key to change the odds.

An operating manual is provided and there is unlimited technical support by phone. This unlimited technical support is provided for the convenience of the customers and ensures that the customer faces no problem while using the machine. The unlimited technical support provides the customers with many benefits. Casino Games

They do not have to worry about the way the machines have to be operated or the problems they face when the machines go out of order. The unlimited technical support is a good quality service that is provided by the respective company. There is also toll free customer is support and it ensures that all of the user’s questions are answered with great care.

A key for complete access to your machine is also provided. The key is very helpful as it provides the direction to the user’s proper use of the machine. Play Poker

The user can play he coins 1, 2or 3 times at once and not more than that. The machines are in fact not intended for coins and have tokens. The machine accepts tokens only and there is no room for accepting coins.

There are custom-made labels in each machine. This ensures that the user easily locates the reset switch power and volume controls and he does not have to refer to the manual repeatedly. A lot of time and energy is saved in this manner.

The Neozete Video Poker Machine has animated displays and video screens and these depend on the titles. These make the machine more attractive. Internet Poker

There may be cabinet defects and they are done away with. The machines are electrically overhauled. The trained technicians take the machine through aeries of tests that ensure the proper refurbishment of the machine.

Video poker games first appeared in the 1970′s, but didn’t start enjoying widespread popularity until the 1980′s, when slot machine manufacturer IGT became involved in the production of video poker games. Many people in casinos who are nervous or intimidated by table games find video poker to be a lot more “friendly” than blackjack or live poker. This is probably because video poker combines the strategic thinking of a table game like blackjack with the solitary playing experience of a slot machine. Casino Site

Video poker games are easily played. The player wages 1 or more coins in order to get dealt five virtual cards on a computer screen. (A smart player always plays the max bet, usually 5 coins, since the max bet triggers the bigger payoffs on the higher ranked hands.) The player chooses which cards to hold and then draws cards to replace his discarded cards. The final hand pays out based on the payout table for the particular video game.

Popular video poker games include deuces wild and jacks or better, both of which are often played either as single hands or in a multi-hand version, where the player gets to play 3, 5, 10, 50 or even 100 hands of video poker at the same time.

Depending on the payout schedule for the different poker hands on a certain machine, the payback percentage on a video poker can be very good indeed. Jacks or better with a “full pay”, or the highest standard payback schedule, pays back at 99.5% with perfect play. A full pay deuces wild machine pays back at 100.7% with perfect play. In actual practice, players who don’t play perfectly and make mistakes reduce the practical payback percentage on those machines by 6% or more, making video poker one of the most profitable games in the casino, especially since many video poker players play upwards of 500 hands per hour. Online Poker Games

Learning how to play video poker with perfect strategy is not terribly hard to do. There are numerous video poker strategy guides available for sale, and Bob Dancer’s excellent tutorials and software teach video poker strategy through a series of both charts and lists of principles that will work effectively for different learning styles. Poker Site

Practicing has become much easier also, now that free video poker games have become so prevalent online. Games like these allow you to play online with no download and no cost, and they’re played using the same rules as the video poker games found in traditional land-based casinos.

Present day Video Poker games come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. The most common game, Jacks or Better, has been around for over 20 years and continues to remain a player favorite. Poker Site

Jacks or Better is played just like the original “Draw Poker” game. The player receives five face up cards, and chooses which of those five cards he/she would like to hold, and which he/she would like to discard for new cards. After you’ve selected which cards to hold, click “Draw” to receive your new cards. If your final hand is a pair of Jacks or better you receive a payout that varies in size depending on the hand and the pay table used at the specific Jacks or Better machine.

That brings us to our next point in this article: pay tables actually vary from machine to machine, even if both machines are running the same game. Jacks or Better, for example, is offered with over five different pay tables ranging from full pay (the best for the player) to low pay (the best for the casino). If you’re going to play video poker, you should research the respective pay tables for the machine you’re playing to make sure it is offering the best odds possible. Full pay Jacks or Better pays out a maximum of 99.54%, while some of the low pay versions pay back as little as 95%.

Another fact to note about Video Poker games is that some games actually have twists on them such as wild cards, progressive jackpots, or bonus rounds. Wild card games like Deuces Wild designate a certain card (in this case, twos) as wild, and they can be used as any card in the deck to improve your hand. Progressive video poker games have progressive jackpots that are won by the first player to hit a Royal Flush. Bonus games offer players the opportunity to double their winnings every time they have a payout by picking a card that has to be higher than another card. Casino Site

Overall, video poker has really developed and matured over the last thirty years since its inception.

The Early Years of Video Poker

It may be a big surprise to many, but video poker can be considered as the predecessor of slot machines. In 1891, in Brooklyn, New York, Sittman and Pitt have created a machine that had five drums with card symbols printed on them. By pulling the lever, and spinning the drums, the player would get a poker hand, which would determine his winning. Looks pretty much like modern slot machines, don’t you think?

Video Poker in the 20th Century

It was not until the ’70′s, when the true video poker was developed. Dale Electronics’ Poker-Matic developed in 1970 was the first electronic video poker machine installed in the casinos. People were suspicious about electronic mechanisms at first, but with time video poker became very popular. A decade later you couldn’t find a casino not having a video poker machine in it, with numerous variations of the game been developed. The fact that you didn’t have to interact with other players made video poker extremely popular and has generated amazing income to casinos.

Video Poker in Present

In 1994, MicroGaming has transferred video poker to online casinos, which has proven to be a very good step. Video poker was probably the easiest casino game to transfer online, because the players didn’t observe any differences between land-based and online variations of the game. Today you will find hundreds of video poker variations in online casinos. There are even progressive video poker games, offering thousands of dollars in jackpot. But with the development of online casino games, video poker still remains one of the most popular entertainments in land-based casinos. And with the recent boom of traditional poker, casinos have registered a big income from video poker machines.

Playing video online poker is easier than playing the traditional card games. If you know all the strengths of hands, you’ll be able to enjoy video poker for as much as you like. And you don’t have to deal with other players to do that. This is what makes video poker so popular.