Video Poker
Video Poker is an online casino game which is nothing but a five-card draw poker played on a computer console similar in size to a slot machine. Its origins date back to the 1970s when the CPU first came into commercial use, and the game slowly got is foothold in casinos in the 1980s as people found it more interesting and less intimidating than table poker. Today video poker is an inevitable presence in almost all casinos across the globe, especially in the 'city of casinos' Las Vegas.
Video poker game starts with the player placing bet on one or sometimes more than one credit, by pushing money – in modern machines, a paper ticket with a barcode showing its value is used instead – into the video poker machine and banging the 'Deal' button. Once the 'deal' button is pressed, the player will be dealt with five cards in each round, which the player can either accept or discard.
For each discarded card, he/she will be issued a new one altogether. After the issue, the dealt card combination is matched by the machine against the winning hands in the posted schedule. Should any match be found, the player will be issued a corresponding payout.
The payout usually starts with a pair of jacks – which is 5 points – and increases according to various card combinations, the maximum being the Royal Flush that is equivalent to 2500 points. While playing, each turn with the video poker console or a 'hand', as it is often referred to, costs the player 5 points from the initial 50 allocated to him/her, and he/she can only continue to play until all the points are exhausted.
But, if the player wins a 'flush' or 'straight' or 'four of a kind', then it is a different game altogether; now, the player can either continue playing as long as he/she wishes – trying to increase the scores – or get the accrued points exchanged for equivalent money and leave the game. Naturally, it is the second option that is preferred by the players most of the times.
Over the years, GClub video poker has evolved much from its earlier form and now it is available in various versions and variants in different casinos across US and the world. The popular types of video poker in vogue are 'Jacks or Better', 'Deuce Wild', 'Double Bonus', and 'Double Double Bonus'. But, from a player's perspective, always try to go to a casino that has decent pay schedules. Most strip casinos fall in the second category, and better you avoid such places.
