Video poker is just a slot game with a poker face, right? Think again…
What if you could play a digital spin on poker that skips the slow play, ditches the opponents, but still rewards a tight strategy? If that sounds appealing, keep reading.
In this essential guide to video poker, we’ll be pulling back the curtain on this fascinating part-casino, part-poker game. We’ll dive into what it is, how it works, and why it’s way more skill-based than you might expect. Seriously, video poker is an underrated online gambling gem—but great poker players in the know have been quietly obsessed with it for years.
So, let’s dive in!
Breaking It All Down
Let’s begin at the beginning… what exactly is video poker?
The game itself is a hybrid, fusing slot-style mechanics with poker gameplay. Unlike most of the poker variants you’ll be used to in the digital space, it’s a solo game, so you’re not competing against other players, but you are playing a legit five-card draw variant.
When played online, video poker works much like the in-casino version—only with a tad more flexibility. The game deals you five cards, you choose which to hold and which to discard, then it replaces the rest. Outcomes are decided by poker hand rankings, so if you rack up the best hand, you’ll win.
Sounds pretty easy, no? Well, not quite, as there are hidden layers of complexity. For instance, every decision matters when you play (it’s a bit like classic Texas Hold’em in that respect), so you really need to bring your best strategy.
Plus, since there aren’t any other players involved in a game to read or beat, it’s got that whole self-mastery thing going on. Can you play at your best consistently over time?
Oh, and did we mention the house edge can be as low as 0.5% if you pick the right format?
Player-friendly house edge aside, another major appeal of video poker is just how many variants are out there.
Okay, so it’s not exactly hard to find an abundance of online poker formats and tourneys here in the digital age, but it’s good to know that you don’t even need to head to a specialist poker site to get your hands on a great selection. Hit up a reputable online casino and you’ll get to take your pick from some cutting-edge online video poker games. Jacks or Better is the most iconic, but you can also expect to run into Deuces Wild, Double Bonus, and more niche versions like Joker Poker. Each one has its own quirks, so you’ll need to adapt your playstyle along with them.
What’s Different?
The number one difference is that in this game, you’re playing against the machine, not other opponents. For a traditional poker player, that might sound like a downside, but it’s actually one of the top features of the game. No more worrying about losing to someone who got lucky on the river. The odds are always fixed, as is the pay table, so it’s a matter of solving the poker puzzle before you, rather than trying to outthink an entire table.
Naturally, all this has an impact on the pace. We’ve all been stuck in online poker games that drag on and on, especially those multi-table formats. In contrast, video poker is rapid fire: get a hand, hit, draw, collect (or don’t), and move on.
Let’s Talk Numbers
Intrigued? Time to dive a bit deeper, then.
Now, it’s important to state that the house edge in any online video poker game will vary depending on the variant and the paytable. Having said that, it’s known among gambling experts that the key Jacks or Better (aka 9/6 Jacks or Better) shrinks the casino’s edge massively. The player can have a potential RTP of 99.54%—that’s higher than almost every other game on the digital casino floor, except for certain blackjack variants.
Compare that to your top-performing online slot, where even the most volatile spinners come in at somewhere between 94 and 97%, and you can see why it appeals to gamblers on both sides of the table. Crucially, as a poker nut, strategy matters here far more than in any other RNG-based game.
Time To Pay Attention?
It’s unlikely that video poker will ever replace No Limit Hold ‘em in the annals of digital poker. But, if you’re serious about cranking up your edge, it can pay off to diversify. Especially when a game gives you low-variance hands with a high RTP—translation: more consistent wins, provided you nail your strategy.
Basically, if you’re a bit worn out from coming up against unpredictable opponents or losing faith in online tournaments, this might just be the game to bring you back from burnout. It offers a handsome potential boost to your bankroll too. Video poker’s not going to set your world alight, but, like many other retro strategy games, it will reward your focus and know-how.
So, are you in?
Introduction
Still only in his late twenties, Saarbrücken-born Fedor Holz has already enjoyed an extraordinary poker career. So far, he has won just one World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet, in the High Roller for One Drop event in 2016, but collected $5 million for his trouble and enjoyed his biggest payout yet, $6 million, when finishing runner-up to Justin Bonomo in the WSOP Big One for One Drop event in 2018. In his short, but highly lucrative, career, Holz, who specialises in high roller tournaments, has pocketed seven-figure earnings on five other occasions. Currently ranked sixth on the all-time money list, with $32.6 million in live earnings alone, he is, unquestionably, one of the most talented and, arguably, luckiest tournament poker players of his generation.
