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Welcome to CasinosJungle Video Poker Free Play Casino. If you love gambling, video poker is one of the best casino games you should play. What makes video poker games truly exciting is that they combine poker’s complexities with the speedy gameplay of slots.

Here you can try some video poker games, check out our video poker game reviews from top software providers and learn tips and tricks on how to play video poker online.

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CJ’s guide to Video Poker: How To Play

Video Poker shares some of its game style with video slots, in as much as it’s a casino game on a terminal and requires no interaction with a dealer or other players.

Many online gamblers sign up on the online casinos to play online video poker. Video poker machines in land-based casinos have been a favorite of players for decades. However, you can play video poker faster in an online casino.

However, what makes it stand out from slots is that it requires some skill to influence the game outcome. A key attraction is that the RTP (or return to player percentage) is much higher than many other games, as much as 99.5% which is why most gamblers choose them over slot machines and roulette.

There are many different variations of video poker. You may have heard of Jacks or Better, but Double Double Bonus?

The game you choose directly impacts the RTP and the payout per hand. Be sure to check out the paytable before placing any real cash bets.

Poker Hands Ranking

Almost all video poker games are based around the fundamental ranking hands of 5 card draw poker.

Royal flush: Ace-king-queen-jack-10 all in the same suit. 

Straight flush: Five consecutive cards of the same suit; for example, 2-3-4-5-6, all of spades.

Four of a kind: Four cards of the same rank; for example, king of hearts, king of clubs, king of diamonds, king of spades.

Full house: Three cards of one rank, two cards of another rank; for example, 8 of diamonds, 8 of clubs, 8 of spades, 3 of hearts, 3 of clubs.

Flush: Five cards of the same suit; for example, ace, 10, 7, 4, 3, all hearts (not in consecutive order)

Straight: Five consecutive cards of mixed suits; for example, 2 of diamonds, 3 of hearts, 4 of diamonds, 5 of clubs, 6 of spades.

Three of a kind: Three cards of the same rank; for example, 5 of hearts, 5 of clubs, 5 of spades.

Two pairs: Two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank; for example, queen of spades, queen of clubs, 7 of hearts, 7 of diamonds.

Pair of jacks or better: Two jacks, queens, kings, or aces.

Once you’ve been dealt your cards, it is up to you whether to keep or discard each of those cards. For any card that you choose to discard, you’ll get a replacement. The real challenge of video poker is to make the decision on every hand that’s optimal mathematically.

For each hand, you’d want to maximize the return that you expect. Of course, you’ll have a sense of the cards if you’ve got some experience as a poker player. When you’re playing poker against other players, the hand rankings will determine the winner.

A royal flush beats a straight flush, while a straight flush wins against 4 of a kind. A full house loses against 4 of a kind, while it wins against a flush. A flush wins against a straight, while a straight beats 3 of a kind. If you have 3 of a kind and your opponent has 2 pair, you win. A 2 pair wins against a pair.

Video Poker Game Variations & Strategies

Since most video poker games follow the payout ranking above, the main difference is what you get paid for each type of hand. The game name will often give you a clue as to which winning combinations will offer you a special payout or bonus. Let’s take a quick look at some of the most popular variations of video poker.

Jacks or Better

This is the classic video poker game. Jacks or Better is a game where your decisions have a significant impact on the outcome. It is a type or version of video poker commonly found in the casinos. The name implies that a pair of jacks or better gives you a minimum winning hand. In the very first round of any game of jacks or better, you get a 5-card virtual hand.

How to play Jacks or Better

It could not be more simple. You are dealt 5 cards. You can then choose to hold the cards you want to keep and redraw the remaining ones in the hope of making a better winning combination. This is where your skill and your luck come in. If you already have two pair, the chances of drawing another matching card of the same rank are not that high but it’s worth a shot. You already have Two Pair so it wouldn’t make much sense to redraw all 5 cards in the hope of getting something better. It is possible, but why throw away a winning hand?

The best thing you can do is practice in free play mode. You’ll get a good feel for how the game is played and what decisions to make depending on the cards you have drawn.

The paytable at the top will display your potential winnings depending on how much you bet. 

Jacks or Better Strategy

You won’t discard anything if you’ve got a pat hand of a royal flush, 4 of a kind, or straight flush. You’ll move on to the next hand after collecting your winnings. If you have 4 cards to a royal flush, you’ll try to hit the royal flush by drawing one card. The only exception here is when you have a pat straight flush. Let’s understand this with an example. Say, you have a straight flush, with the spades of 9TJQK.

Here, you can discard the 9 of spades with the hope of getting the ace of spades to win a jackpot. You’ll now have a 2% probability of filling the royal flush. That will pay off 800 for 1, which is for an expected value of 16 units. However, you also have a guarantee of getting a 50 for a single payoff. It means that the expected value is 50 units. You’ll always go with what offers the best expected value.

Next, you have a pat hand of either straight flush, 3 of a kind, or a full house. If you’ve been dealt any of these hands, you’ll hold them unless you can also draw to a royal flush. It’s not possible to have a 4-card draw to a royal flush if you’ve got a full house or 3 of a kind. Now, suppose you’ve got a straight and 4 of the cards are of the same suit. In this case, you should break the straight.

This will allow you to draw to the royal flush. The next best hand is a 4-card straight flush draw. If you’ve got none of the other hands as an option, you must go for it. You should hold 2 pair as a hand. To upgrade to a full house, it’s essential that you discard the singleton. You’ll still get a payout, even if you miss. Most of the time, you’ll break the high pair in order to go for a royal flush or straight flush.

Tens or Better

As above, except this time the lowest paying hand is, yep you guessed it a pair of 10’s or better

Deuces Wild Video Poker

Deuces Wild

The minimum paying hand is 3 of a kind, but you have the added bonus that 2s are wild. The max bet RTP is 99.45% and 97.22% for bets 1 to 4 coins. It’s always better to max bet in video poker.

How to play Deuces Wild Video Poker

You’ll be playing with a standard 52-card deck in this version of video poker, just like the other versions. This type of video poker is almost similar to that of the other variations, such as Jacks or Better or Double Bonus. However, it has something that you’ll not find in other versions. Here you can have the possibility of replacing any card by a deuce. So, we can say that the 2s or deuces act as wilds in deuces wild.

You can learn how to play deuces wild using three ways. First is to play Deuces Wild video poker games for free. You can learn to play this variation of video poker risk free. It will help you in understanding the wild card aspect while playing. Today, you can also find video poker training software. Through such a software, you can learn what the right holds and discards are. You can set it up in such a way that you’re playing a deuces wild pay table. You’ll be prompted during the game the moment you make a mistake. 

Deuces Wild Strategy

The only way to get the best payout for the royal flush hand is a max bet. This is especially true if you’re a beginner. If playing the max bet on each hand is too expensive for you, consider moving down to a lower denomination. If you don’t see a wild card appearing, never be afraid to discard your whole hand.

You might come up with a deal occasionally that doesn’t have a wild card but has the potential of something good. It is important to keep in mind that you’ll be at an advantage if you have more chances for drawing a wild card. A 2 pair hand on the deal that has no wild card involved will not be of much use. You’ll be in a better position holding just a single pair and looking out for wild cards on the draw.

Aces & Faces

The lowest paying hand is jacks or better, but 4 of a kind of Jacks, Queens or Kings (the faces) will pay out x40 (compared to the x25 in regular jacks or better) and 4 Aces will pay a higher reward of x80

Joker Poker

In Joker Poker, you have a fairly typical video poker set up, but jokers are wild and can be used to complete a hand to make a winning combination.

All American Poker

In Habanero’s version of All American Poker you will be asked up front how many hands you want to play either 1, 5, 10, 50, or 100. When you first look at the game, you’ll be thinking this looks exactly like Jacks or Better. And basically that’s because it is the same game. The key difference is in the pay table. The hand rankings are identical, but where Jacks or Better pays 125 coins for four of a kind, All American Poker pays 170 coins for the same hand. Straight flush you’ll win 1000 coins in All American Poker and 250 coins in Jacks or Better. So given these big differences, why would you even play Jacks or Better? Well you’ll win 5 more coins for two pairs in Jacks or Better. Big deal, 5 coins doesn’t sound like much! But actually, the way the payouts have been constructed based on the frequency of times a hand is likely to occur means the RTP is actually higher on Jacks or Better.  We’re looking at 99.5% RTP on Jacks or Better and 99.3% on All American Poker. 

In effect, whilst the games are the same, All American Poker is more volatile with bigger wins happening less often so it can make for a more exciting game.

Bonus Poker

Most bonus poker games pay off in a manner that’s quite similar to Jacks or Better. This is true in case of bonus poker games that you play in casinos as well as the ones you play on casino websites. Bonus poker offers its players a bonus for 4 of a kind. If you can manage a 4 of a kind comprising 2s, 3s, or 4s, you can get a boost while playing a basic form of bonus poker.

If you can manage four aces, you can get an even bigger boost. Mostly, the pay is different only for the flush and full house hands. Many online casinos will allow you to play a simulation of this form of video poker for free. This gives you a good practice of bonus poker.

How to play Bonus Poker

You’ll get to know which cards to discard and the ones you must hold. Another great way to learn bonus poker is through a training software. It has some great settings that lets you know every time you play incorrectly.

You can assure yourself of a perfect play if you can memorize a strategy chart. It has all the possible combinations of hands that you can possibly get on the deal. The chart also ranks them from the most beneficial to the least. Of course, memorizing around thirty combinations won’t be easy for anyone. The key is not to memorize the obvious ones. Instead, you should focus on the hands that are most complex.

Bonus Poker Strategy

For a royal flush, playing the max bet will assure you the maximum payout. You might be excited to see the cards in your hand that has been dealt. It’s important to contain your excitement here as you could make the mistake of keeping all four of the cards.

Another strategy is to watch your 2s, 3s, and 4s. You won’t consider holding on to a pair of low cards normally if another hand is being formed. However, it is important to remind yourself the potential payoff for the three lower cards. They might not pay like the four aces, but they pay better than four of the other cards in the deck.

Double Double Bonus Poker

This version of video poker is not for the faint hearted. It is much more volatile than Jacks or Better, giving an opportunity for bigger wins, but bigger losses too.  Double Double Bonus Poker includes “kickers”.  This means with certain cards you’ll get paid a bonus with a kicker card, which is a card that doesn’t make up part of the winning combination. For example, you get x4 aces and the kicker (think of it like a spare card) is a 2, 3, or a 4 and you win 2000 coins.

In this variation of video poker, even the lowest payout for 4 of a kind hand is two times as high as that offered by jacks or better for all 4 of a kind hands. The payouts are even higher when the 4 of a kind hands have aces, 2s, 3s, or 4s. If you’re a player who loves to have big payouts in a single hand, you’ll be drawn towards double double bonus poker.

How to play Double Double Bonus Poker

As with bonus poker and deuces wild, you can learn double double bonus poker with the help of training software. It allows you to play this variation of video poker in a simulated environment. When you make an incorrect move with a discard or hold, the software alerts you. In this way, you learn the right plays with some practice.

You can print the double double bonus poker strategy chart by downloading it from the internet. You can then concentrate on the winning hands and try comparing your hand with the ones that you see on the chart. It will help you understand what to discard and what to hold.

Double Double Bonus Poker Strategy

It would be hard to ignore the difference between a royal flush obtained with five coins and the one achieved with less than that played.  Here the difference would be 800 to 1 to 250 to 1. This is why you must switch to a lower denomination if you find it too hard to play 5 credits per hand. Low pair over straight is another great strategy. In jacks or better, you hold on to 4 cards to a straight instead of a low pair.

However, the premium on the 4 of a kind hands encourages you to go for the quads and hold the low pair. The third strategy is to take it slow. You can easily overlook a great possibility if you’re too quick. This is why you must take your time while you’re in the game. Always remind yourself that you’ll not be rewarded anything for playing the game faster, unless it’s a tournament.

Video Poker Betting Strategies

Consider what kind of wins you are going for. Jacks or Better is all well and good for a slow steady game at 99.5%, but you’ll only win a decent amount with royals. Double Double Bonus Poker has a lower RTP of 98.98% but the prize values are more weighted to hands at the top of the paytable so the game is more volatile (and to some players, therefore; more exciting)

Play with a strategy suited to your chosen game. Each version of video poker requires a slightly different strategy to get that high RTP since the odds will vary slightly depending on the winning hand combinations and the hand you are playing for to get the best payout will also vary.

Top Reasons to Play Free Video Poker Games with No Download

Are you an avid gambling enthusiast looking to up your poker game without breaking the bank? If so, then free video poker games with no download might just be the answer you’ve been searching for! In this article, we explore the top reasons why playing free video poker games can provide a thrilling and educational experience without any financial risk.

Instant Gratification: Skip the hassle of downloading and installing software – with no download games, you can jump straight into the action! Access your favorite video poker variants instantly on any device with an internet connection.

Risk-Free Thrills: Embrace the excitement of gambling without wagering real money. Free video poker games allow you to indulge in the rush of a casino experience without the financial stress.

Sharpen Your Skills: Beyond mere chance, video poker requires strategic thinking and quick decision-making. Practice and hone your skills by playing for free, mastering the art of holding and discarding cards like a pro.

Learn the Ropes: New to video poker? No worries! Free games offer a risk-free environment to familiarize yourself with the rules, paytables, and unique gameplay of various poker variants.

Variety Galore: Explore a vast array of video poker variants, from classic Jacks or Better to wild Deuces Wild and more! Try them all out, and discover which one suits your playing style best.

Zero Financial Stress: Say goodbye to anxieties about losing money during your gaming sessions. With free video poker, the only thing at stake is the fun you’re having!

Instant Play, No Registration: No need to create an account or share personal details. Enjoy seamless gameplay with no registration required – just pure, unadulterated poker enjoyment.

Entertainment Unplugged: Even seasoned players can revel in the entertainment of free video poker games. Unwind, pass the time, and relish the thrill of the game without any financial pressures.

Practice on the Go: Whether you’re at home, at work, or on the move, free video poker games are easily accessible on your favorite devices. Sharpen your skills wherever you are!

Clean and Clutter-Free: No download means no software clutter on your devices. Enjoy a hassle-free gaming experience without occupying precious space on your computer or mobile phone.

Free video poker games offer an unparalleled opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of poker without a financial commitment. While the rewards might not be monetary, the entertainment and knowledge gained from playing for free can be invaluable when you decide to venture into real-money play.

Remember, responsible gambling is the key to a pleasurable gaming experience. So, play wisely, have fun, and let the virtual poker chips fall where they may! You can play free no download video poker right here at CasinosJungle.com or choose one of our recommended video poker real money casinos online. Once you register an account you’ll be able to play games for free without having to make a deposit.

An overview of video poker’s history

Before the advent of video poker machines, 5-card poker or 5-card draw was extremely popular. New Orleans became a major hub of 5-card poker games after the American Civil War. By the mid-1970s, it became quite economical to combine a central processing unit with television-like monitor.

Soon, the earliest models of video poker were introduced, although they were a lot more primitive compared to today’s machines. SIRCOMA, which is now known as International Game Technology came up with Draw Poker in 1979. Video poker became much more established than ever before and were extremely popular in casinos.

Players found these machines less intimidating than the games they played at the tables. In recent times, many casinos have a considerable number of video poker machines on their gaming floors. Gradually, the online video poker games are also gaining immense popularity among many gambling enthusiasts.

Video poker in land-based casinos vs online video poker

The video poker machines are considered templates, in a way, for their online versions. Players still need to deposit funds and place their wagers with standard denominations of coins. They need to click buttons to manipulate the on-screen card graphics to try and land winning hands. You’ll notice many similarities and at the same time you’ll also find some differences.

One of the major differences is that you’ll have lesser variety in the video poker machines of land-based casinos. You’ll find many different variations in online video poker. Another big difference is that you don’t need to wait for your payouts. While playing a video poker online, you can withdraw funds into your bank account or let the money remain in the online casino’s account.

The online version offers you greater convenience while playing. No matter where you are in this world, all you need is a reliable internet connection to play your favorite video poker game. Playing video poker online will be a natural choice for online gamblers owing to certain conveniences that it offer. Besides, the online versions come up with new and interesting innovations in the game every now and then.

Is it possible to get an edge on video poker machines?

Video poker machines are designed to be random and fair, and they operate based on a Random Number Generator (RNG) that ensures each hand’s outcome is statistically independent and random. This means that there is no surefire way to gain a consistent edge over these machines in the long run. However, there are strategies you can employ to maximize your chances of winning, such as:

  1. Learn the Art of Strategy: Video poker is no ordinary casino game; it’s a game of strategy. To gain an edge, you need to familiarize yourself with the optimal strategies for different variants. These strategies can help you reduce the house edge and increase your chances of winning.
  2. Paytables Matter: Not all video poker machines are created equal. Look for those with favorable paytables that offer better odds. Higher payouts for specific winning hands can make a significant difference in your overall success.
  3. Maximize Your Coins: Want a shot at the big jackpot? Always play with the maximum number of coins. Some machines offer a Royal Flush bonus when you go all-in. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to boost your potential winnings.
  4. Bankroll Management: Smart gamblers know that setting limits is crucial. Managing your bankroll effectively ensures that you don’t blow your budget too quickly. It’s the key to maintaining your gaming enjoyment while staying responsible.
  5. Promotions and Bonuses: Casinos love to treat their players. Keep an eye out for promotions and bonuses that can give you an extra edge. Cashback offers, free play, and other incentives can supercharge your video poker sessions.
  6. Practice Makes Perfect: Remember that video poker is a combination of skill and luck. Even with the best strategy, there are no guarantees in the short term. So, keep practicing, hone your skills, and embrace the journey to becoming a video poker pro! Start by playing free demo video poker games, no download required.

FAQs

What’s the RTP on video poker?

You can get 99.5% RTP on Jacks or Better, making this one of the best games you can play in the casino, and much higher than video slots games.

What video poker games can I play?

Jacks or Better is the most popular but there are many variations including Tens or Better, Deuces Wild, Aces and Faces, Aces and Eights, Bonus Poker, Double Bonus Poker, Joker Poker. The basic format is similar across all versions but the hand payouts will be different.

Why do video poker games look so basic?

That’s a good question. They started life as quite basic looking video terminal games and they haven’t really evolved much over time. Sure, you’ll get a few with sharper graphics and animation but the overall format has really stayed the same since their inception. Maybe casinos don’t want you to play since the RTP is so high! They’d rather you play video slots.

Is video poker a skill game?

Yes! Of course you still need lady luck on your side, but you can heavily influence the outcome of your game by being smart. You’re looking to make the best possible hand so you’ll be required to use cognitive reasoning to make your hold decisions to give yourself the best possible chance of making a winning hand. This is the key reason that makes the RTP is so high. The other casino game you’ll find like this is blackjack, where you the player can influence the outcome to a certain degree.

Can I play more than 1 hand?

Yes you can play up to 100 hands at once on some video poker games. Don’t worry, you won’t have to look at each one, your wins will be automatically calculated and highlighted for you.

What’s a kicker in video poker?

A kicker is basically a card that doesn’t make up part of a winning combination of cards. Even though it’s not part of a winning combination, you might hold it in the hope of making another pair. For example you have two of hearts, two of diamonds, Ace of Spades, seven clubs and five hearts. Right now, you have a pair of twos which you decide to keep, in the hope that you make 3 of a kind but you also might choose to keep the Ace in the hope of getting another Ace. In Double Double bonus poker, the kicker is important since if it’s a low card and you hit 4 aces as well you score a big payout.