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How to Play Video Poker 2026: Get Started with Our Video Poker Guide

Andrew Boggs

Sports Writer

Last Updated on 29/01/2026

Fact checked by: Alyx Tzamantanis

Video poker is a timeless classic and it’s common to see video poker machines lining the halls of bricks and mortar casinos. However, this card game is also incredibly popular online at US sweepstakes casinos.

If you are interested in learning how to play video poker online then I’ve got a treat for you. Below, I’ve created a guide on how the game works, the main hand combinations and odds, and the different game variants like Jacks or Better. I’ll even give you three recommendations of amazing social casinos where you can start gaming today.

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Table of Contents

What is video poker?
How to play video poker online for free
Video poker tips
Try these epic sweepstakes casinos for free video poker
Give classic video poker a try today and get in on the action
How to play video poker FAQs

What is video poker?

Let’s start with the game definition. Video poker is a card game. It’s a single player game where you are essentially playing against yourself/the cards. This is a major difference between poker games like Texas Hold’Em where you also need to account for the other players and their strategies and behaviours. It means you can concentrate only on the gameplay and the cards you are being dealt. Below, I look at the basic premise and hands involved in the game, plus the popular variants and its pros and cons.

The basic premise of video poker

Whether you are playing online video poker for real money or at a sweepstakes casino, the aim remains the same - you are trying to create the best hand possible from the cards you are dealt. Specifically, you are trying to create a hand that will result in a prize as some hands are duds and will get you nothing.

This is a core principle of video poker - that different combinations or hands of cards have different prize distributions, and different odds of occurring. To give you an idea, I’ve listed the main video poker hands and their odds in the below table:

Hand name	Odds	Description
Royal Flush	1/40,000	Ace, 10, Jack, Queen, King of the same suit.
Four Aces	1/16,236	Four aces
Straight Flush	1/9,150	Five cards in sequence of the same suit.
Four of a Kind	1/423	Four of the same card, i.e. four 7s
Full House	1/90	Three of one card, and two of another
Flush	1/85	Five non-sequential cards of the same suit
Straight	1/80	Five cards in sequence of different suits.

Pros and cons of video poker

Whether you’re playing using a video poker app or a desktop website, I think it’s important to understand the potential drawbacks of this game and this is reflected in the below pros and cons:

Easy-to-understand gameplay
No multiplayer distractions
Classic retro casino-style gaming
Higher average RTP than most slots

Lower RTP than other card games
It can be repetitive

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How to play video poker online for free

If you want to enjoy free video poker then I recommend checking out US sweepstakes casinos. With these sites, you play using Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins or other similar virtual currencies. This allows you to perfect your video poker strategy and not worry about blowing loads of money while you learn the basics. What’s more, is that at these social casinos, you can often get the chance to redeem your Sweeps Coins for cash prizes. You’ll usually need a minimum balance of around 100 SC, and there’s also often a 1x or more playthrough requirement on your bonus SC, but the conversion rate is typically 1:1 USD.

Video poker tips

I think that video poker is one of the easier casino-style games to learn. However, there are some key things you can do to speed up the process and make sure you get the most out of your gameplay:

🎴 Know Your Video Poker Hand Combinations

This is essential! When learning how to play video poker, you NEED to understand all the potential hand combinations you can make and their odds. Without this information you are basically playing blind and you won’t know what cards to hold or when you have a good hand or not. Before you start any video poker game, make sure you’ve looked at all the hand combos the game supports, and know things like how many decks are used, and any special rules for the different game variants.

📊 Understand the Video Poker Strategy for Different Game Versions

There isn’t one universal video poker strategy! This is because each game version has its nuances and a slightly different approach to what you should and shouldn’t do. For example, in Deuces Wild you should always hold 2s and focus on creating higher-value hands, whereas with Jacks or Better, it can be a good strategy to stick with any winning hand, unless you have a chance of making a Royal Flush.

⌛ Play at a Slower Pace

If you’re looking at how to play video poker, I recommend you take it slow. Each round in these games can be over in seconds and this can make things confusing, or you not knowing what’s going on. There’s no timer on the rounds and you can take as long as you want - take advantage of this. Play slow, analyze the cards, look at the hand combinations, and think carefully about what you are doing - there is no need to rush.

Try these epic sweepstakes casinos for free video poker

You should now have a clearer idea of how to play video poker, but I want to give you a starting point where you can enjoy this game. Below, I’ve used my knowledge and experience to recommend three fantastic sweepstakes casinos where you can participate in both single player video poker and multiplayer versions too.

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Real Prize has always been one of my top social casinos and it keeps getting better as new games are added constantly. I love the video poker here but also enjoy playing the live dealer games from ICONIC21. When you click one of the links or banners featured here and sign up to Real Prize, you will get a chunky welcome bonus of 100,000 Gold Coins and 2 Sweeps Coins. They also have optional GC first purchase bonuses, and a hearty daily login bonus of 5,000 GC and 0.30 SC.

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Use the STFSOCIAL promo code when registering at Stake.us and you’ll get a welcome bundle of 560,000 Gold Coins, a 5% rakeback, and 56 Stake Cash. This means you can instantly jump into the video poker action and check out all the other amazing games they have. The Stake Originals games include poker, but you can enjoy awesome titles like Crash, Dragon Tower, Snake, and Cases too which are heaps of fun.

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Sidepot.us kicks things off with a massive welcome bonus of 10,000 Gold Coins and 5 Sweeps Coins, and they keep the ball rolling with a 10,000 GC and 1 SC daily login bonus. I’ve always been a fan of the site design and the fantastic usability and I think this is a great option for new sweepstakes casino users. They have all sorts of casino-style games from developers like Pragmatic Play and Relax Gaming and this includes slots, table games, poker, and their legendary Sidepot Originals arcade games.

Give classic video poker a try today and get in on the action

If you want to give video poker a try then I think using one of the sweepstakes casinos I’ve recommended above is a superb starting point. Out of all the casino-style games you can play at these sites, video poker is one of the easiest to learn. All you need to know is the hand combinations, odds, and basic strategy for the version you are playing and you’re good to go!

When you’re playing and learning how to play video poker, remember to take it slow, play at your own pace, and think carefully about the decisions you are making. For a starting point, why not use the links or banners we have here and sign up to a social casino like Stake.us, Sidepot.us, or Real Prize? You can make your account, get your awesome welcome bonus of free GC and SC, and start gaming within minutes.

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How to play video poker FAQs

🎲 What are the video poker odds?

This depends on the game variant, but in a standard video poker game there are some common odds such as 1/80 for a straight, 1/85 for a flush, and 1/90 for a full house. Always make sure that you understand the different hand combinations that you can make and their respective odds as this plays a huge role in video poker strategy.

♠️ What is video poker?

Video poker is a classic card game that became popular in physical casinos. It’s basically a single player version of poker where you are simply trying to make the best hand possible from the cards you are dealt. Different hands have different prizes which is where the strategy comes in.

🃏 What is the best video poker strategy?

This depends on the version of video poker you are playing. For example, if you are playing Jacks or Better, a good video poker basic strategy is to hold any winning hand unless you have the chance to get a Royal Flush.

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