Video Poker |
Video poker first became commercially viable once it was economical to combine a television-like monitor with a solid state central processing unit. The earliest models appeared at the same time as the first personal computers were produced, in the mid-1970s, although they were rather primitive by today's standards. Although the internet was huge when video poker was being launched, the two didn't become friendly and launch the ever popular online video poker until years later. Video poker became more firmly established when IGT (now a market-leading provider of gaming devices) brought out Draw Poker in 1979. Throughout the 1980s, video poker became increasingly popular, as people found the devices less intimidating than playing at the tables. Today, video poker enjoys a prominent place on the gaming floors of many casinos, and the game is especially popular with Las Vegas locals, who tend to patronize properties off the Las Vegas Strip for the better odds offered by those establishments. Video Poker is an extremely popular game both online and offline. It was first introduced in Vegas in the 1970's and its popularity has been growing ever since. It's popular with novice gamblers as its so easy to play. It's a game which combines both skill and chance and the house advantage is pretty low. Video poker is based on the usual five card draw poker. Once you have chosen how much you wish to bet, players are dealt 5 cards and then can choose to discardany or all of them to improve their chances of winning. New cards are dealt to replace the ones you have discarded. You are then left with the final 5 cards which will determine how much you be paid. As there is no other player to beat, your main objective is to hold one of the 5 card winning combinations listed. Your payout will be determined by the strength of your hand and how much you have bet. The card rankings are as follows: A Pair of Jacks or Better To begin playing, press the ‘BET MAX' button and then five cards will be dealt to you. Choose which cards to keep by pressing the ‘HOLD' button. These cards will be held while you are dealt replacement cards. This new set of cards will be your final hand. There are an increasing number of variations in video poker some with wild cards, multiple decks, extra bonuses for top ranking hands. It is possible to totally negate the house edge by playing perfect or near perfect strategy on some of these machines. If you want to be a serious player, you will need to do your research on the best variation and the best payout tables. |
