Online video poker paytables should be easily accessible when playing and can usually be found in the specific game’s information or ‘i’ section. However, it’s important to remember that these percentages are based on the player making the best mathematically possible decision for every hand. Some video poker games will even publicise an RTP of more than 100%. There are two main classifications of video poker games when it comes to payouts, ‘full pay’ and ‘short pay’, with full-pay machines boasting average RTP (return to player) percentages of over 99%. When playing slots, consulting the paytable before staking any money is vital and the same is true in video poker, where payouts for the various hands can vary widely from game to game. The importance of the video poker paytable

Any winnings are paid out according to the paytable.

Receive replacement cards from the same ‘virtual deck’.

Discard cards you don’t deem useful (up to all five can be discarded).

Hit deal to receive your initial five-card poker hand.

Deposit credit into the video poker machine.

This then makes up their final hand.īelow is a simple step-by-step guide to playing a hand of video poker: The player is dealt a five-card poker hand, then given one opportunity to keep the cards they wish to keep and discard the ones they don’t wish to retain, receiving new cards in return. Video poker has many variants, but all are based on one of poker’s simplest varieties, five-card draw.

Unlike slots, there is a skill element to video poker, which involves playing the hand you are dealt in the optimum manner according to the poker-hand rankings. However, it differs from slots in one key fashion.

As a result, video poker is often referred to as poker slots.

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