Video Poker Rules

Any new game may be daunting at first - but the best way to learn how to play is to learn the rules.

Video poker is in essence a combination of 5 card poker and slots, with a bias towards poker rules.

Card Ranks

Due to the fact that the game works around finding the best 5 card combination, the first thing that you should get your head around is the ranking of the cards.

Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, Ace.

The Ace can be used at the top or bottom of a combination - almost like in blackjack when the Ace can be used as 11 or 1.

How the Hands Play Out

Even though there are several different video poker games, the hands themselves do not change in rank. A winning poker hand requires you to use the 5 cards that you end with to make up the best possible combination.

This is a table of winning hands that you can have in video poker as well as the amount that you can win on the hand (the number of credits shown here is just an example - games at various casinos will differ i9n payout value). Payouts you see on video poker machines will normally assume that you are playing max bet.

Royal Flush = 2000 credits. This is in essence a straight flush, with the Ace being the highest card. Ten, Jack, Queen, King and Ace, all of the same suit.

Straight Flush = 250 credits. This is a straight flush which is 5 consecutive cards of the same suit. For example, Four of Spades, Five of Spades, Six of Spades, Seven of Spades, Eight of Spades.

Four of a Kind = 125 credits. This happens when you have 4 cards of the same value.

Full House = 40 credits. This is when the 5 cards in your hand are made up of three of a kind and a pair.

Flush = 25 credits. This hand is made up of 5 cards of the same suit - irrespective of their values.

Straight = 20 credits. This is a hand of 5 consecutive cards. It does not make a difference what suits these cards belong to.

Three of a Kind = 15 credits. This refers to three cards of the same value, example three Eights.

Two Pair = 10 credits. This is any two pairs of cards - example two Eights and two Jacks.

Pair = 5 credits. This is when two of the cards in your hand are of the same value.

However, for this to be a winning hand most online casino insist that the pair of cards has to be at least a pair of Jacks.