Video poker has a reputation amongst serious gamblers as being one of the very few beatable casino games out there. And because it can be beatable at a brick and mortar casino, that means if you find the right game and employ the right strategy, you can also find beatable games when you’re looking at online casinos. This is good news for those individuals looking for a thrilling experience and a chance to turn a profit. The best juicy online casinos all have top tier video poker games now, which is great for their clients.
Basically, video poker is a combination of traditional poker and slot machines, which makes this type of game very attractive to a wide audience. Today, these games have great 3D graphics, flashy animations, and very quick results. Some even have bonus games where you can multiply your earnings. The best online video poker games are now starting to carry progressive jackpots, too. While these might be tough to win, when you do, the amount you win could possibly be life changing.
In actuality, a double advantage can be gained when you play video poker. Not only can you give yourself a slight boost in your advantage when you play the right games with the right strategy, but you can earn even more money when you utilize a site bonus. All of the major online casinos offer welcome bonuses to new customers making their first deposit (assuming a qualifying amount is deposited), and this basically means free playing money for you. Think about it this way: if a casino is giving you a 100 percent match bonus of up to $1,000, and you deposit the full $1,000, now you have $2,000 with which to play with. That amount cannot be withdrawn right away, of course, but if you’re playing a game that can be won–such as video poker or blackjack–then you have an even better chance of making money. Obviously there will be ups and downs in your account total, but your odds now will have gone up significantly. Look around and find the bonus that works best for you. The more bonus money you can get, the better, but you also want to make sure that you have a realistic chance of keeping that money, too.
In a game like this, the software platform that you use makes a big difference. Pretty much anyone can offer you a video poker game, but whether or not you will enjoy it makes a big difference. Since this is technically a type of slot machine, the graphics are very important, so this means that even if the basic game is the same, you will have a lot more fun when the animations are superior. There are many good game design platforms out there, so regardless of how you play–on your desktop computer, your Android, or your iPhone device–there are going to be several choices for you that combine a winning game plus a great experience while you’re playing it.
Most video poker games are based upon five card draw, and require a hand of a pair of jacks or better in order for you to be a winner. The better the hand, the more money you will win. For example, three aces is going to pay a lot less than four aces. A straight will pay a lot less than a straight flush. And while royal flushes are extremely rare (I’ve only seen one in my entire life–and I’ve played a lot of poker!), if you ever hit one on a progressive jackpot machine, you’re going to win a lot of money. According to one expert, you’re odds of hitting a royal flush can actually be improved a little bit if you play right. And on a progressive machine, this can be the difference between a modest profit and an enormous profit. If you are just playing for small wins, you will hit a royal flush about one out of every 40,000 hands you play. That’s a lot of quarters! But if you’re on a progressive machine with a huge payout, you can–through perfect strategy–improve your odds to better than one out of every 35,000 hands. It might seem small, but if there’s a lot of money at stake, this is something that might prove to be worthwhile to you. Your odds are still not good, but the more you improve upon them, the closer you get to a big win. There’s one famous example of a man who spent about $50,000 on video poker in order to gain this edge. And he ended up turning it into over $600,000. Not too shabby!
As with anything worth doing, getting good at online video poker will take some time. But when you start winning money at the juicy casinos out there, that energy will be all worth it in the end.