Millions of people visit casinos and think they know what they are doing. The machines that are spread out in casino lobbies across the world seem like video games, and none seem easier than video poker machines. There is a great number of people that sit down and play the games and don’t understand what they are doing, then proceed to lose serious amounts of money when they don’t have to. They assume that part of gambling is losing, and while that can be true for small increments, it’s not the only thing that happens. Learning how to play video poker is crucial to move forward with gaming, and more importantly, making a serious amount of money. Believe it or not, playing with your friends in a garage, or playing the game online is not the same as playing video style. You’ll be facing an all-new beast when going to a physical machine, so shake your mind of preconceived notions or else you’ll get confused.

The game in video form started getting popular in the 1970’s as casinos were starting to become more than just places for irregular visits. Many professionals started to see big money at the tables and with video trials, and they became increasingly popular throughout casino floors by allowing bets to be anywhere from 1 cent to high rolling hundreds. The original machines took coins, now everything is digital, but the gameplay remains the same.

Before you start to seriously learn how to play video poker, you’re going to need to learn a few basics. There are some very basic points that you’ll need to master, or else you’ll get taken for a quick ride. The very basic gameplay that you’ll encounter will most often have a full deck (they list if not), and will deal a full hand of five cards. The five cards will be in a combination of 2 – 5 and each will give you a certain amount of leverage. In a variety of games you will not be able to play against an opponent, and winning is based solely on the hand you’re dealt, and whether or not you’re playing “draw poker”.

Each hand that you’re given, and you decide to play, you will have to pay. The bet can range from small bets of 1 cent to triple digit bets and high rolling options. You will have the option of changing your cards, keeping certain ones and getting news ones before finishing a round. Each round will solely give you the chance of making money or losing, by what the hand you’re dealt has. If you have a pair, for instance, you can win a single bet amount. If you have three of a kind, you can win more, and if you run through the better hands in poker, you can win upwards of jackpot money depending on the machine.

Understanding what you’re being dealt, when to hold certain cards and chase flushes, straights, and more, become the ideal component to winning with video poker, but before you can get there, you have to understand the rules. Take time to read through the rules that are offered on your machine, then start playing small bets, on your way to learning and conquering these great games.

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