Many successful online casino gamers acknowledge that Strafe.com advanced them at some point in their gambling journey. Our team of experts consistently puts out content like this Stake.com video poker guide to help you understand the ins and outs of different games.
Because we've played these games and know them well, in this guide we can explain the game rules, strategies, and top casinos in the simplest terms. If you are new to playing video poker at Stake.com, use the exclusive promo codes at sign-up: STRAFECASVIP for use at the Casino or STRAFESPOVIP for the Sportsbook.
What is video poker? No need to have a deck of cards
Before we get into the ins and outs of video poker, we feel it's vital that we briefly explain what it is, for anyone who needs an introduction. Our Stake.com Video poker guide wouldn’t be complete without it.
Dating all the way back to the 1970s, we can think of video poker as simply the electronic version of five-card draw poker. The player is dealt five cards and is allowed to replace however many of them they want. An equal number of cards is drawn from an unseen deck. The value of the resulting hand and the bet size determine how big of a payout you will get.
The best places to play video poker online – our top choice
For the past 20 years, more players have continuously moved away from land-based casinos and now prefer gaming online. And as internet access becomes more widespread, more gambling platforms are putting their hats in the ring. While this abundance means you have many more places to find video poker games, it also makes it much more challenging to find the very best online casinos.
However, if you know what to look for, finding the right online casinos to play your favorite video poker games is so much easier. Our team of experts has found that all the best online casinos share a few things in common. These features include an aesthetically pleasing, user-friendly UI, a variety of banking options, data encryption technology, extensive games libraries, and valid licensing by relevant bodies. The best sites also generally tend to consistently offer the most generous bonuses to reward customer loyalty and encourage user activity on their platforms.
An excellent example of a website with all of these traits and more is Stake.com. Not only is it one of the cleanest looking sites out there, but it’s also easily navigable, offers a range of payment methods, and features all kinds of video poker games. Another highlight of picking Stake.com for your video poker needs is the exclusive Strafe promo codes we're offering to new players. When you insert these codes during the signup process, you'll receive awesome extras, such as a 10% rakeback on your losses and a massive 200% deposit match bonus of up to $1000! If you want to play video poker on the Stake.com online casino, use STRAFECASVIP, but sports fans can also get in on the action at the Stake.com sportsbook with the code STRAFESPOVIP.
How to play video poker games – basic gameplay
If you’re a beginner, you definitely shouldn’t skip this part of our Stake.com Video poker guide, where we explain how to play video poker. Being a virtual version of one of the most iconic card games globally, video poker has many different variants that you can play. Each version differs slightly. However, as we briefly touched on in the intro, the general gist of video poker is the same.
You, as the player, are given 5 cards. You can keep any or all the cards you think are most valuable or trade other cards with new ones from the unseen deck. Once you have your new hand, the winnings are paid out based on the paytable. It’s important to study the paytable and understand what the different card combinations in your final hand are worth. For example, the royal flush is considered the best possible hand. In contrast, holding 2 and 7 off-suit is the worst possible hand.
Video poker RTP, volatility, minimum stake & maximum stake – 99% +
Every casino game has different minimum and maximum stake amounts and maximum payouts. Video poker is no different. While putting together our Stake.com video poker guide, we learned that the minimum bet on the native Stake.com video poker game is 0.00000013 BTC or 1c. You can bet between 1 and 5 coins, with a Royal Flush win using the maximum number of coins winning 4,000 coins! The RTP is just about 99.5%, which indicates reasonably low volatility.
Popular video poker game variants – for different tastes
As you may have gathered in the preceding sections of our Stake.com Video poker guide, a bit more thought goes into each round. That’s especially true if you compare gameplay with that of online slots, like in the Stake.com Scarab Spins guide we have also done. Checking out the following video poker variants will ensure that you always find the best game for your experience level and risk tolerance.
Jacks or Better
It’s only natural that we start off this part of the guide by talking about the most popular type of video poker first. Jacks or Better is named after the fact that having a pair of jacks is the minimum winning hand.
Deuces Wild
In the second most popular kind of video poker, twos are considered "wild". This means if you have any twos, they can be traded in for any card of your choice, potentially helping you make a better hand.
Bonus Poker
It is very similar to Jacks or Better. The only difference is that it offers a bonus for four of a kind.
Double Bonus Poker
This one is like Bonus Poker, except instead of a bonus for four of a kind, you get one for having four aces.
Video poker hints and tips – for advanced gameplay
What kind of Stake.com video poker guide would this be if we didn't offer a few valuable tips and tricks you could use to get more from each round? Similar to what we have done in our Stake.com Baccarat guide, we want to help you make the most out of your gameplay. Obviously, much about the outcome of a poker game is down to luck, but there are a couple of things you can do to limit your risk.
Most websites out there offer generous bonuses to attract users and reward them for their activity on their platforms. Not only do they give you more funds to put down as a stake, but they can also give you more opportunities to play and possibly win.
It's crucial to play poker games with good paytables. While this won’t affect your losses in any way, it will allow you to take home much more cash when you do win, as each winning hand will have a bigger multiplier.
Play progressive jackpot video poker
The fantastic thing about progressive jackpots is they give you the chance to make big wins from relatively small bets. If you're lucky enough to hit the top jackpot, you’ll walk away with thousands.
Conclusion – ready to play?
At this point in our video poker guide, you should know what poker is, its rules, and the factors to use when judging the quality of a video poker platform. You should also know a thing or two about the volatility, RTP, minimum and maximum bets. While you’ll have fun playing video poker at most online casinos, Stake.com will undoubtedly give you plenty of bang for your buck. Even more so if you make use of our exclusive Strafe promo codes for the Stake.com online casino and sportsbook! For more gaming fun, our Stake.com Roulette guide is also worth a read if you want to play a game based on chance.
♣️ Can I play video poker online for real money?
When you're new to online gambling, it is highly recommended that you try the free versions of your favorite casino games before you go for the real money versions. This can give you a better feel for how the game works and ease you into the feeling of losing. If you’re looking to play video poker for real money, check out our guides for insight into how the game works.
😈 Can you cheat at video poker?
It’s possible to cheat on many games. However, before we can get into whether or not you can or can’t cheat, you may want to check out some legit video poker strategies in our guides and reviews. Most online casinos take cheating very seriously, and if you're caught, it could lead to the freezing of your account, you being banned, and the confiscation of your winnings.
⚙️ What are the best poker strategies?
Just like with any popular casino game, there is an element of chance or luck. It’s pretty much impossible to guarantee that you'll win once, let alone every time unless you're very lucky. Our guides outline some common strategies you can use to manage your gaming sessions and court lady luck. If you want to try another game that is based on strategy, our Stake.com Dragon Tower guide can fill you in with the details.
🤔 What’s better: slots or video poker?
Both slots and poker are iconic examples of what most people think about when they imagine a casino. Both are exhilarating games of chance where luck can grant you a massive win or major loss, depending on the day. Though many consider slot machines easier to grasp, other players love the challenge that comes with video poker. Our guides explore the inner workings of different games to help you decide which ones to start playing first. You might want to read our Stake.com Dice guide for something completely different!
