Developed by a gentleman named Si Redd back in the 1970s, Video Poker is today every bit as popular as during the Video-Poker-craze of the 80s and 90s.
Unlike traditional slot games, Video Poker requires a bit more thinking and strategizing on the player’s part. Players who use a decent Video Poker strategy are successfully cutting the house edge right down to size. Knowing the ins and outs of Video Poker and getting your hands on a half-decent strategy will make the game to be just about the best bet of all of the games you could possibly play at the casino.
Even though the basics of the game have remain pretty much the same to what applied nearly a half-century ago, there are today several varieties of the game, each presenting the player with a different set of circumstances and varying levels of volatility.
Jacks Or Better
Jacks or Better was the original game and the way it was played right at the beginning. Interesting to note is that Jacks or Better, even after all this time, remains the most popular of all the game’s versions to have been developed over the years.
Jacks or Better is just about as straight-up, uncomplicated, and satisfying as what its ever going to get. There are no strange or crazy variations and no wild cards (Jokers). A win is any hand comprising of at least a single pair of Jacks. The more Jacks, the better the payout. Simple and Fun.
Joker’s Wild
Joker’s Wild isn’t all that different to the original Jacks or Better version of Video Poker. The only difference is that there’s now also a Joker thrown into the mix. The benefit of playing Joker’s Wild is that the Joker, when landed, acts as a wild card, completing a five-of-a-kind result. The down-side is that the minimum hand for a win is now bumped up to two pairs.
Deuces Wild
An even further elaboration on the concept of Joker’s Wild, Deuces Wild is also played with a standard 52-card deck. The difference is that all of the Twos are suddenly wild cards. Since we’re now back to the odds being slightly more in our favour, a three-of-a-kind result is the minimum combination for a win.
Bonus Poker
Another variation of Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker comes in a variety of versions. A four-of-a-kind result is what is required to bank the moolah.
Double Double Bonus
Double Double Bonus is merely Double Bonus on steroids. The only difference between the two versions, is that Double Double Bonus pays a bit more for paired hands than its single-barreled counterpart.
All The Rest
The variations mentioned so far are but a fraction of what is available. New variations of the game are released almost weekly. The ones that we have discussed are however the variations that are most commonly played and enjoyed. And even though they differ, they’re all good fun.