The 2 Most Popular Video Poker Variations

Video poker games are considered the safest games at an online casino as they are thought to give the player a slight edge over the machine. This is not completely true, but if you look for the most generous pay tables, and play the perfect strategy, you may actually win if you take into account the various offered incentives, like bonuses, cash back, free play and other promotions. Thus if a player plays properly, he can actually beat the machine. But a number of factors will limit the perfect strategy as the choices of the player to hold or to drop keep changing depending on the amount a dealt hand can win. A stronger hand receives more money and this is why most players who play the game usually target the royal flush or a straight flush. In many variants a wild card is used. It is a joker in Joker Wild (or Joker’s Wild) and a deuce in Deuces Wild, but can actually be any other card according to the set of rules adopted. You must pay attention to the fact that the wild card modifies the odds and lowers the payouts of the machine. These are two most played video poker games at online casinos.

1. Jacks or Better

This is ranked as the most common video-poker game you can find online. Among the different variations, it is the one considered as the most basic variation of video poker because the player needs only to hold a hand containing two Jacks or Better to get paid. Better refers to combinations better than 2 Jacks of course. The basic strategy is to get a royal flush. A royal flush is when the player is dealt a hand that has five cards in sequence and belonging to a matching suit starting with 10 and ending with Ace. This is the highest paying hand for Jacks or Better. Tips to win at Jacks or better

• Play 3 to a royal-flush only when you have lower hands. A high pair, 3 of a kind, and a straight all outrank a 3 to a royal-flush.
• Always hold any pair the dealer gives you.
• Hold any 3 cards to a straight-flush.
• Lastly, if you do not have any the above cards, ask the dealer for five new cards.

2. Deuces Wild

This variant allows all deuces to be a wild card; the deuces are used to replace any good rank or suit. It is, therefore, an advantage to the player as it makes it easier for the player to get a winning hand. The major disadvantage of playing a wild card is how significant it reduces the pay scale. Tips to win at Deuces wild

• If by any chance you are dealt 4 deuces hold all the cards since it is impossible to improve on this hand.
• Hold 3 cards to a royal-flush.
• In the absence of any deuce, hold all paying hands.