Video Poker: A Unique Blend of Action

Video Poker has been going since the late 1970s, when technology allowed for the game to be played on large screens in land-based casinos. While one of the newer gambling entertainments in real life, it was one of the first games to be adapted to an online format.

How Video Poker Works

Video Poker brings elements of instant-win, pokies-like action together with the strategic thinking of conventional card games. This makes it fast-moving and exciting enough to keep the thrill-seeking players of New Zealand enthralled, while also being an enjoyable challenge. Your objective is always to build the best possible hand that you can, according to standard poker rankings. The first thing you need to do is place a bet of up to 5 coins and then get dealt a hand of 5 cards.

You can keep or discard and replace as many of these as you wish to, but you have to do it all at the same time; there’s only one time for you to make your move in a round of Video Poker. Once this is complete, you’re paid out according to what you wagered in the first place and your final line-up of cards.

Developing Poker Strategy

As you keep playing Video Poker games, the way poker hand rankings and a few other rules work will become almost second nature to you. This frees up a lot of your mind to concentrate on other, challenging aspects of the games and makes Video Poker a great way to start getting into the more complex card games.

To hone your skills even more, look out for strategy charts that tell you exactly what to do for each possible hand, in all versions of Video Poker. You’ll soon be making the right moves automatically, and will suddenly realise that your understanding of the game goes much deeper than you though.

Variations in Video Poker

The original game was Jacks or Better, but this entertainment has proven so popular over the years that many other versions have arisen. We have a great selection for you to explore at Casino La Vida, though finding a favourite among all the quality options may prove difficult! Discover the enjoyable nuances between the following games:

  • Jacks or Better
  • Aces and Faces
  • Bonus Poker Deluxe
  • Deuces Wild
  • Joker Poker

When you’re in the mood for something a little different, you can also play multi-hand Video Poker games with us. They work in the same way but operate independently on the screen, so they challenge is focusing on and playing them all at the same time. Challenge yourself with 4-, 10-, 50- and 100-play Video Poker games.

Boost Your Wins with the Doubling Phase

At the end of each round, there is the option to increase your takings by activating the Doubling Phase. This works similarly to the Gamble Feature that you seen in certain pokies games, and adds another element of chance and risk that may ultimately be rewarded. In the Doubling Phase you draw a card, and if it has a higher value than that of the dealer’s card your payout is doubled. If this happens, you can play another round if you choose to. This continues but if you draw a lower-value card before collecting your wins, you forfeit everything so you really need to be feeling lucky – and brave!