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Tens or Better

In this variant, the player receives a payout for every hand that is stronger than is a single pair of tens. Hand strengths less than a pair of tens are almost never paid out. In order to compensate for the payouts for the weaker hands, stronger hands like a flush, a full house or a straight flush are paid worse are hit more often than stronger hands. In other words: The player wins smaller amounts more often, while in other variants he wins less often, but more so in each case.

Damit bietet diese Form des Videopokers für den Spieler eine niedrigere Varianz, da schwächere Hände wesentlich öfter getroffen werden als stärkere Hände. In anderen Worten: Der Spieler gewinnt häufiger kleinere Beträge, während er bei anderen Varianten seltener gewinnt, aber dafür jeweils umso mehr.

Jacks or Better

With Jacks or Better everything works the same way in Tens or Better, only that a pair of jacks is the weakest hand for a payout. This is the classic variant of video poker and is used in most online casinos.

Bonus Poker

Bonus Poker is a variation of Jacks or Better. Again, a pair of jacks is the lowest hand that the player will receive a payout for. The difference in bonus poker is that a four of a kind is rewarded with a higher payout. Depending on the casino, different types of quadruples are rewarded with different bonuses. For example, a four of a kind jack could be paid more than a four of a kind kings. With the example of the bonus for a four-of-a-kind jack, it makes long-term sense to keep two or three jacks and exchange all other cards.

Strategisch gesehen ist es für den Spieler sehr wichtig, sich dieser Auszahlungen bewusst zu sein. So macht es beim Beispiel des Bonus für einen Vierling Buben langfristig Sinn, zwei oder drei Buben zu behalten und alle anderen Karten einzutauschen.

Double Bonus

The variant of the Double Bonus is similar to that of bonus poker. Here, however, a four-of-a-kind aces is always rewarded with the bonus. The ace four of a kind pays twice as much money as any other four of a kind, hence the name of the game. To compensate for this extremely high bonus, flushes and full houses are paid worse.

Here is an example table for the payouts in Double Bonus Poker:

Double Double Bonus

Another form of Bonus Poker is the Double Double Bonus. In this form, several types of quadruples are rewarded with a double bonus. In addition, the fifth card in addition to the four of a kind often makes a difference in what payout the player gets. An example would be that a four-of-a-kind aces with a 2, 3 or 4 as a fifth card would get an even higher bonus. Again, the additional bonuses are offset by lower payouts for weaker hands

Here is an example of the Double Double Bonus payouts:

Aces and Faces

Another variant of bonus poker, where four of a kind of aces and all other picture cards are paid particularly high. The additional card for the four of a kind is usually irrelevant.

Aces and Eights

And another variation of the bonus poker. Here (as the name suggests) quadruplets of aces and aft are particularly valued. In many casinos, these two quads give twice as much as all other quads.

All American

A very popular form of online video poker is All American. Here, instead of four of a kind, straights, flushes and straight flushes are rated particularly highly. This variant is also one of the most complex forms of video poker, as the diverse payout structure requires special strategies. With the right strategy, this variant is often the most profitable variant for the player.

Joker Poker

If you used to play 5 Card Draw with friends, you may already be familiar with the Joker be. This is an additional card that can replace any other card. The Joker Poker deck thus has a total of 53 cards instead of just 52. The presence of the Joker gives the player a slightly better chance of producing a winning hand. For this reason, variants with jokers are often played with payouts from a pair of queens or kings.

Double Joker Poker

As the name suggests, this form of video poker is a total 2 jokers in the deck. To compensate for the player's higher chances of winning, either stronger hands are set as a minimum or the payout structure is changed.

Deuces Wild

Deuces Wild is a particularly crazy variant of video poker, here all twos can be used as jokers. There are 4 jokers in the game, which increases the player's chances of winning enormously.

Progressive Jackpot Poker

Another special form of video poker is progressive jackpot poker. Just like with the video slots of the same name, small amounts are put into a jackpot from every bet by the player. This grows progressively until it is finally cracked by a particularly lucky player.

To win the jackpot, you almost always have to hit a royal flush, sometimes even in a certain color. Since this only happens extremely rarely, the jackpots often grow to unbelievable sums. 6-digit jackpots are not uncommon.

Video Poker on the Internet - Rules and Course of the Game

The course of video poker is very simple. This is exactly what makes it so attractive for new players to play video poker online. You don't have to learn the complicated rules like in normal poker, you can place your bets directly and start playing. This makes video poker very similar to the incredibly popular video slots, which are among the most played titles in almost every online casino.

At the beginning of a round of video poker online, the player makes a bet. The size of the bet can be re-determined before each hand, just like with slot machines. After the bet is set, the player starts the round and receives 5 random cards. Then he can decide which of the 5 cards to keep and which to exchange. Any number of cards can be exchanged, including all 5. After the exchange, the player's hand is complete and he receives a payout based on the specified table.

Even if this course of the game seems extremely simple, a degree of strategy that should not be underestimated is involved. When exchanging the cards, the player must be exactly aware of how high the payouts are for the respective hands. He can then decide, for example, whether it is more worthwhile to speculate on three of a kind or a straight.

Video Poker Online - Play for free or play for real money

Who If you want to play video poker on the Internet, you can do so either for real money or for play money. Of course, winnings in real money are only possible when playing for real money. As a result, most players will prefer this form of video poker. The stakes when playing for real money are mostly in the euro or cent range. But there are also casinos that offer stakes of up to 100 euros per hand (or even more).

Even if you only get real thrills, video poker has advantages for the player to play for free. In this way, a new player can learn the game process and the rules of the game in peace without having to risk his own money. Especially with the various special forms, it is advisable to play video poker for free and test different strategies in the process. It can also be fun if you play video poker for free and try to set a new high score.

The best way to play online video poker

The best way to play video Poker depends heavily on the respective variant and the corresponding payouts. Especially with the variants with bonuses or double bonuses for four of a kind or other hands, the player should always try to reach these hands, even if he misses a chance on another hand.

However, there is also for the standard game Jacks or Better offers a number of tips on how to get the highest chance of winning a new player. Here are a few examples of how the player should behave in certain situations:

• A, K, Q, J, x in a suit (e.g. hearts or spades): Here the player should break the flush and Instead, speculate on the royal flush, as it pays out much better. This is essential especially in jackpot games!
• A, K, Q in one suit + Q, Q: Here the player should keep the three of a kind and exchange the other two cards. The chance of a royal flush is too low and the payouts for three of a kind or a full house are quite high.
• 4, 5, 6, 7 in one suit + 8 in another: Here the player should keep the straight even if he is missing a straight flush card. This is a common mistake many gamers make. The payout for the straight flush is tempting, but mathematically not worthwhile (unless a bonus is paid for the straight flush).
• J, 2, 6, Q in one suit + Q in another: This is another case where many players break up the pair to hunt for the flush. Even if the payout for a single pair is often quite low, mathematically speaking it is worth keeping the pair.
• 7, 8, 9 in one color + 6, 2: Here the player should only use the Exchange 2, giving up the chance of a straight flush. Mathematically speaking, the probability of hitting a 5 or 10 makes this move the most sensible.
• 7, 8, 10 in a suit + J, A: It looks different if only one card hits the street fills and not two (called inside straight draw). Here it is worthwhile to speculate on the straight flush and exchange the jack and the ace. The probability of hitting exactly one 9 is simply too low.

These are just a few examples of the optimal strategy in video poker. The best course of action for new players is to play video poker for free and get a feel for the different situations yourself. By playing video poker for free, new players can gain experience without any risk.

How did video poker come about and develop?

The history of video poker goes back even further than that of online casinos. The first machines were installed in casinos and other facilities as early as the 1970s. The very first examples were very primitive compared to today's machines.

In 1979, SIRCOMA introduced the first machines to offer 5 card draw poker in the United States. During the 1980s, this form of poker became extremely popular in Las Vegas casinos. It wasn't just the players who enjoyed this simple form of poker. The machines were also very popular with the casinos, as they could be operated completely without staff and took up very little space compared to normal poker tables.

Video poker was so popular with players mainly because in contrast to conventional poker, it could be learned within seconds. In addition, many players did not want to compete against other people, they just wanted to enjoy a round of casino action.

All of these reasons have ensured that video poker has become more and more popular over the years. Even today, video poker is still one of the most popular games in many casinos around the world. Jackpots in Las Vegas casinos often go up to over $ 500,000. It is very interesting that for an intelligent player with the right strategy from a certain jackpot size, there is a considerable mathematical advantage. For example, skilled players can expect several dollars per hand at high jackpots if they swap the right cards in the right situations.