Online Video Poker

Video poker has been one of the most popular gambling games in casinos for decades. And now, you can play free and real money video poker games online at home.

The rules of video poker are simple: You get dealt five cards and must decide which to hold and which to discard. Make the best five-card poker hand and win a prize according to the paytable. Video poker games are easy to learn, and you can enjoy many variations with different features and jackpots.

Jon Young

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How We Select the Best Video Poker Sites

At Gambling.com, we rate and recommend the best casinos offering video poker. Our knowledgeable team has been playing casino games for years, so we know where you should play online.

Video Poker Promotions and Bonuses

First, we study online casinos to check their video poker promotions. The welcome bonus should let you play video poker games, and the eligibility rates must be high. You can even put your video poker play toward earning loyalty points. You'll find that brands are offering various promotions in specific states. For example, NJ online casino bonuses might be different to PA online casino bonuses. Check how they apply to video poker.

Security and Support

It’s vital you stay safe when you play online video poker, whether you are playing for free or real money. The best casino sites with video poker will have trusted encryption and SSL protection. Customer support staff will also be knowledgeable and friendly.

Video Poker Game Variety

Top casinos with video poker games should offer a wide variety of titles like Jacks or Better and multi-hand. Major developers such as NetEnt, IGT and Microgaming should be represented too.

Supported Platforms

It’s great to play video poker online whether you’re on a PC, Mac or smartphone. We test video poker variants to ensure they work on a variety of platforms.

Signup Process

How easy is it for a video poker player to open a new casino account? Top casinos make it simple to register your profile so you can start playing video poker games in minutes.

Deposit and Withdrawal Options

Easy banking is a real concern for many online casino players. We test out the payment options at all video poker sites to see how simple it is to get money into your account.

Payout Speeds

While quick deposits are essential when you play video poker, it’s also important to get quick cashouts. We review all online casinos to test the speed and accuracy of their payouts. You can also check out our comprehensive list of the best online casinos that payout

How to Play Video Poker

Getting started with video poker is easy. Essentially, video poker is a version of 5-card Draw played against the house.

At the start of a hand, you receive five cards from a standard deck of 52. You have one option to hold any cards and discard the rest. You will then receive new cards in place of your discarded ones. You will win a cash payout if you make a qualifying hand.

Step 1: First, open up a video poker screen on your PC or mobile. You can usually find video poker titles under a dedicated tab in the casino lobby.

Step 2: Choose your bet size and coin denomination. Bets may range from $0.01 to $5.00. Plus, you will be able to bet 1-5 coins per hand.

Step 3: Hit the Deal button. You will be dealt five cards. Your aim is to make the best five-card poker hand possible.

Step 4: Click on the cards you want to keep. They will be marked with the “Held” tab. You can hold as many or as few cards as you want.

Step 5: Hit the Draw button and receive new cards in place of your discarded cards.

Step 6: The computer will display your winning hand and payout, if applicable. You can start a new hand by clicking on the “Deal” button.

RELATED: Looking For An Online Poker Room? Check out the top poker sites in New Jersey | Pennsylvania | Nevada | Michigan

Basic Video Poker Strategies

You don’t need to be a video poker expert to play – it’s actually quite easy – but there is some video poker strategy you can employ to increase your long-term payouts.

Each type of video poker has its own basic strategy, but there are some basic tips you can follow when playing games.

1. Understand Hand Odds

It’s important to understand the odds of improving your hand when playing video poker games. The basic strategy that is key to video poker is in knowing what to hold and what to discard.

For example, if you have four to a royal flush, the odds of completing the hand are 47/1. Similarly, the odds of making a four of a kind from a three of a kind are 24/1. As a player, you need to assess whether the return warrants the reward.

2. Play Multi-Hand Games

Multi-hand video poker gives you the chance to play up to 100 hands at once. The idea is simple: You hold the cards you want in one hand, and these are replicated across multiple hands. New cards are drawn individually in each separate hand.

Luckily, the optimal strategy for multi-hand video poker is the same as single-hand. So, if you have two pair, hold it and it will replicate across every hand you’re betting on. Similarly, if you get dealt a high card ace, it’s better to redraw and receive a completely new set of five cards.

3. Find the Best RTPs

All video poker games have different RTPs (Return to Player percentages). In fact, the RTP can vary depending on your own decision making. However, as a first rule always play the video poker variants with the best long-term returns. You’ll find a table of video poker RTPs on this page.

4. Use an Advanced Strategy Chart

It’s important to understand the strength of your video poker hand during the game. You can do this by using a strategy chart.

Start by looking at the top hand on your video poker strategy chart and comparing it your 5-card hand. If the hand matches, hold it and press the Draw button. If not, look at the next hand down on the strategy chart. Keep doing this until you find your hand.

Look for one of the hands in this top 10. You always need to be drawing to a better hand in order to maximize your win potential.

• 1. Royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind
• 2. Four cards to a Royal Flush
• 3. Full house, straight, flush, three of a kind
• 4. Four cards to a straight flush
• 5. Two pair
• 6. Pair J-J, Q-Q, K-K or A-A
• 7. Three cards to a Royal Flush
• 8. Four cards to a flush
• 9. 10-J-Q-K of different suits
• 10. Small pair

Variations of Video Poker

It’s easy to start playing free video poker. But the best online casinos will offer a wide range of game types. Here are some of the most popular video poker games to play.

Jacks or Better

Jacks of Better is one of the most common types of video poker. The minimum payout is made for a pair of jacks (so, a pair of 10s or 9s won’t pay a dime). The jackpot is a royal flush, and you will get a special prize if you’re betting 5 coins.

Look for 9/6 games that have a better RTP. 9/6 Jacks or Better pays out around 99.54%, while 6/5 Jacks or Better pays a much lower 95.51%.

So, why the vast difference in RTP? In a game of 9/6 video poker, a full house pays 9 coins, while a flush pays 6 coins. In a game of Jacks or Better 6/5, a full house only pays 6 coins and a flush just 5 coins.

Aces & Faces

Aces and Faces is similar to 8/5 Jacks or Better where a full house pays 8 coins, and a flush pays 5. This variant has special jackpots when you hit a four of a kind with aces or picture cards (faces). Four jacks, queens or kings pays a 200-coin top jackpot, while four of a kind with twos to 10s pays 125 coins.

Double Double Bonus Poker

This classic IGT online video poker variant offers five different bonus jackpots. You can win special prizes for hitting four aces with a two, three or four, or four twos, threes or fours with an A, 2, 3 or 4.

Pick’em Poker

This variant of video poker was developed by Bally, but IGT also offers its own version called Pick a Pair. You are dealt two cards and must select which card to add further cards to. Ultimately, you build a five-card poker hand to play with.

Deuces Wild

In Deuces Wild, all twos are counted as jokers, a wild card. That alters the payout structure, so you must hit a minimum three of a kind to earn a prize. A royal flush with no deuces is the jackpot hand.

2 Ways Royal

2 Ways Royal, or Split Way Royal, gives you the chance to earn a jackpot with both a low and high royal flush. So, you can win a top prize for hitting 2-3-4-5-6 of the same suit as well as 10-J-Q-K-A.

Multi-hand Video Poker

Major video poker developers like IGT offer at least one variant of multi-hand poker. In these games, you can play five or more hands at once for a better chance at a payout. The variance is much higher, but so are the potential prizes.

Triple Play

IGT’s Triple Play is one of the most exciting real money video poker games around. You can try Triple Play across various IGT styles like Deuces Wild, Double Double Bonus and Jacks or Better.

In Triple Play, you play three hands at once. Hold cards in your base hand and they will be replicated across the other two hands. This gives you three chances to win in every game.

All-American Multi-hand

All-American Multi-hand is a good online video poker game that is similar to Jacks or Better. You earn special payouts for straights and flushes, plus you can opt for the Double or Nothing bonus to try and spin up your previous payout.

Winnings Hands in Video Poker

All video poker machines will list the possible payouts for their games. Payouts can vary from game to game depending on the rules.

Essentially, hand ranking is according to standard five-card Draw. The Royal Flush is the best hand, followed by the straight flush, four of a kind, full house and so on. In a standard game of Jacks or Better, the lowest paying hand is a pair of jacks.

Payouts are made for 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 coins. A special jackpot is reserved for a Royal Flush with 5 coins.

Here are the basic payouts for a game of 9/6 Jacks or Better.

Video Poker Games with the Highest RTP

Video poker games each have their own RTP (Return to Player percentage). The value can vary dramatically from game to game.

For example, a game of Deuces Wild video poker actually offers an RTP of 100.7% if you play optimally. However, most casual gamblers will find the real RTP around the 96-97% mark. As with slot machines, video poker titles may offer slightly different returns depending on the developer.

Here are some of the best RTPs found in video poker games.

Video Poker Games Bonuses

You can claim an online casino bonus when you play video poker games. All you need to do is sign up to one of our top-rated casino sites and open your account.

Always be aware of game eligibility when claiming a casino bonus. Most sites will only count around 20-25% of your video poker play. So, you may need to play a lot of video poker games to claim any money.

Video Poker Deposit Bonus

Most good online casinos will offer you the chance to earn free money when you sign up. Just make a first deposit and play video poker to unlock free cash.

Wagering requirements will normally apply. You may have to gamble your deposit total 25-50 times over before releasing any free money.

No Deposit Video Poker Bonus

Some casinos award money when you play video poker games even before you deposit real money. Open your account and earn $10-25 of free cash to play with on your favorite video poker tables.

Any winnings you earn will have to be wagered on other games before they can be withdrawn. Always check the no-deposit bonus terms before you commit.

Here’s a quick how-to guide to claiming your video poker online bonus:

Step 1: Register your account at one our recommended casino sites

Step 2: Enter the special promo code and make a first deposit

Step 3: The casino will match your deposit 100% with bonus funds

Step 4: Play eligible video poker games within the allowed time period

Step 5: Withdraw free cash from your casino account or claim another bonus

Video Poker Game Software Developers

You can try free video poker games from a variety of developers. Not all games are available in the US, but many of the world’s biggest providers now supply regulated states like New Jersey.

IGT

IGT (International Game Technology) is one of the most recognizable suppliers of online video poker. You can try many IGT free video poker games online, especially at regulated casinos in the US. IGT has developed some of the most popular video poker brands around, including Double Double Bonus Poker and Multi-Hand video poker.

Spin Games

Spin Games supplies a range of video poker to online casinos in the US. Popular Spin Games titles include Deuces Wild and Destiny Poker, with a special bonus game where you can win free games or a jackpot.

Microgaming

Microgaming is one of the oldest and largest providers of video poker games online. The developer supplies over 20 video poker variants to online casinos, including Aces & Faces, All Aces Poker, and Louisiana Double Poker.

Bally

Bally has been supplying land-based casinos in the US with video poker machines for decades. And now, you can try video poker games by Bally online. The most popular Bally variant is All-American Poker, close cousin of Jacks or Better.

FAQ

Contributors

Hi, I'm Bill Ordine

"A longtime reporter and editor who began writing on casinos and gaming shortly after Atlantic City’s first gambling halls opened, Bill covered the world Series of Poker and wrote a syndicated column on travel to casino destinations for a decade."

Interests

• Online poker
• Gambling industry
• Casinos

Reviewer since May 2020