Did you know that you can win life changing money by playing video poker? Yes, the game that most people feel only gives a small return can change your life! How? You just have to hunt for the online casinos that offer video poker with progressive jackpots. But who has the time? Just check out the grid to the right, we've compiled a list of the top online casinos that offer a jackpot for video poker!
So how does it work? How do you hit the jackpot? In order to snag the progressive, you have to hit a natural royal flush. I say natural because some of the games include some wild cards and if you use the wild card to hit a royal flush, it will not count as a progressive jackpot. So you need to hit T J Q K A of the same suit, and the jackpot is yours! But how much will you win? The grid to the right shows just how much you will win, depending which online casino and game you decide to play.
Why do we recommend a jackpot that isn't the highest? Well, there are a few reasons but mainly it comes down to what you can afford. You may see some jackpots listed for $100,000+, but these might require you to bet $25 per hand at a $5 machine. That can get quite steep! But you can find a jackpot for $5,000+ while only wagering between $1.25 - $5 per hand which is much more manageable. You also want to consider the pay outs of the other games. Some casinos might promote a massive jackpot, but then trim down how much you receive for hitting other more common prizes, such as two pair, flushes, or full houses. If they change the pay outs for those, it can make for a bad machine. So basically it comes down to what you can afford - if you can bet $25 per hand, definitely try for the high jackpots! If you're more of a small time grinder like me, but like the thrill of scoring some bigger bucks, then go for our recommended jackpots! Who knows, you may be just a few hands away from that royal flush!
Usually, a royal flush pays 4000 credits on max bet by standard. But some machines offer a progressive jackpot, and you can find those machines at the rooms listed to the right. These jackpots work like this - for every dollar that is bet, more money is added to the progressive jackpot. It keeps getting bigger and bigger until some one comes around and snipes the royal flush. Hey, that could be you!
Video Poker was one of the first casino games to find its way into the digital world. Dating back to the 1970’s, video poker was introduced to casinos on the famous Las Vegas strip. Video Poker is an extension of five card draw. Players are dealt five cards and given the option whether to draw anywhere up to five more to improve their hand. You can play video poker online for free to begin with and then move up to real money once you're comfortable!
Always, always, ALWAYS look at the pay table! This applies both to online video poker and video poker machines you see throughout b&m casinos. Many times you will find machines, often right next to each other, that have different returns. Machine A may give 9 credits for a full house and Machine B may give 7. And you will see the suckers pumping Machine B will all their money! Usually what you will find is most machines vary for Full House, Flush, Straight and Two Pair. An easy way to determine a good machine is to look at the Full house to Flush ratio. For example, a machine that pays 10 for Full House and 6 for a Flush would be a 10:6 machine. You will win A LOT more money playing at a 10:6 machine than a 7:5, just for one example. So, the lesson here is simple - always check the pay table so you know what you are winning in return. Don't be a sucker!
We have many reviews written for online casinos, each offering video poker. They all have their on strengths and weaknesses, click on them to read the full review!
There are many different versions of Video Poker including “Deuces Wild”, “Multi-Play Poker”, “Jacks or Better”, and many other variations. All of these games have slightly different rules and pay out odds. For simplicity, the easiest and most popular game is Jacks or Better. In Jacks or Better players are dealt one five card hand and just as its name suggests, must make a pair of Jacks (or a better hand) after their draw. Below is a picture of a standard jacks or better game found on Party Gaming.
Once players are initially dealt their five card hand, they will choose which cards to hold and which to discard. Once new cards are dealt, the players hand will be finalized and pay outs will be awarded according to the strength of their hand. Below is a standard pay out chart for Jacks or Better:
Looking at the chart the only difference between betting one credit and five credits is the pay out on a Royal Flush. Most amateurs make the mistake of playing a $5 machine betting one credit instead of a $1 machine betting 5 credits. If all else is equal, when you are fortunate enough to hit the royal flush you will make a lot more betting 5 credits at the $1 machine.
Other simple strategy involves what cards to draw after the first deal. Typically the better the pay out, the more likely you should chase your draw. If you are dealt 4 spades and one heart with a small pair, your best bet will be to chase the flush and discard the heart. Those who have played poker for some time will recognize simple math situations and should be able to act accordingly. You will have a 1 in 5 chance to draw to a flush, slightly worse for a straight. This means if you are dealt a high pair with four to a flush, it can be profitable to draw to the flush, but it would not be so to draw to the straight. In that case you should definitely hold the high pair (guaranteeing a pay out) and draw to two pair, three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind. In fact, it is normally more correct to hold your high pair than draw to a flush, because even though both actions will show a profit, over the long run holding the high pair will pay off more.
Even the most perfect strategy will not guarantee profits. In fact, as with most casino games, the house does have the edge. However Video Poker carries one of the smallest edges (player can get up to a 99.6% return) out of all casino games. Be sure to follow a simple strategy and always be responsible with your gaming.