If you have played at an internet casino for a while, you will no doubt have noticed that video poker games are usually hosted there.
They can be tricky to spot in some casinos. A handful of sites have a dedicated video poker genre, but most lump these titles in with table games, poker, or instant win titles. However, video poker games deserve a bit more respect than that. They may be based on an old, 70s and 80s style of gaming, and they might not have the thrills and spills that modern slots do. However, there are still some top reasons why you may wish to try video poker games at your online casino today. Here are just a few of them…
You Do Not Have to Face a Dealer
First and foremost, you will not have to face a dealer when playing video poker at online casinos. Why does this matter, you ask? If you get a qualifying hand, you are guaranteed to get something from the paytable – you cannot lose if you have a poker hand. When playing table poker games, you can have a decent-paying hand and still pick up nothing if the AI (or live human) dealer has your number and sports a better hand. That cannot happen in video poker, so your odds of success are better.
Decent Pay-Rates Compared to Table Poker
Despite the increased chance of success, video poker payouts are no worse than in table poker. We would even argue that with the right variant, you could end up winning far more with a semi-decent hand in video poker than you would expect to win playing an RNG (random number generator) or live dealer poker game online.
Lots of Variants to Spice Things Up
There are lots of video poker variants out there which you may wish to have a look at. Some of them offer you something that few table poker games can do – a wild card. These make winning a touch easier – albeit often at the expense of reduced prizes for top hands. If you need a helping hand to land the top paying poker hands, then opting to play video poker variants is the way to go. On top of that, some of these games have additional, non-conventional and unofficial poker hands that are worth exploring.
Plenty of Free to Play Games
You will find that not only are there plenty of video poker variants out there for you to try, but there are also lots of free games. Most video poker variants can be played for free, which allows you to practice how you want to play and hone your strategies. While you can play some RNG table poker games for free, not all of them can. You have certainly got no chance of practising for free with live dealer games.
Simplistic Graphics Ideal for Older Devices
Video poker does not look as shiny, flashy, or as stylish as live dealer or RNG poker games. This, for some players, is considered a bit of a drawback. However, let us put a pin in that. Video poker games do not use outdated graphics – they use the same graphics as you used to see in these games when they were in their heyday. They are more authentic looking than most other online casino games. On top of that, the simplicity of the graphics and interface means that you can often load up a new video poker game in seconds, and it will run a lot smoother on older devices than new, 3D slot games and the like.
More Flexible Betting Ranges
With video poker games, you will find that you get more flexible betting ranges than with table poker. Live dealer and RNG poker games often have table limits that stretch into figures that many amateur players are not comfortable paying. That won’t be an issue with many video poker games. The average price ranges from 0.10 up to 1.00, and some can cost as little as 0.01 per hand. This makes video poker the ideal stomping ground for cheap and potentially prosperous poker gameplay.
Do All Casinos Offer Video Poker?
Most do, yes. However, the size of the video poker portfolio can vary from site to site. Some casinos have put together vast portfolios of video poker games from twenty-plus providers. Others may have just the classics (Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild). If you are interested in playing internet video poker, it is always worth finding an internet casino packing a decent arsenal. These may appear in table games, poker or instant win game sections, or their own dedicated area at a casino that is known for its video poker collection.