Stake.com Video Poker Guide 2026

Many of the games we end up reviewing here on Strafe.com are Stake Originals. This is because these games are so unique, fun to play with and overall valuable for a player to wager on. Well, Stakes iteration of Video Poker is no different, as it's one of the most interactive video poker option we've come across recently.

In this guide we will explain the game rules, strategies, and tips on how to play Video Poker for the most optimal results. 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

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.

It eliminates the dealer, but it also eliminates other real time players. You are playing completely virtually, against virtual players, which can come with many positives and negatives. In the case of Stake's edition of Video Poker, it leans more towards the positives.

The best places to play video poker online – our top choice

Finding the right online casinos to play your favorite video poker games is vital. 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.

Stake is excellent example of a website with all of these traits. 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 slots, table and Original games. Games such a Stake Snakes are a great example of the great Originals that Stake provides, and their range of video poker games are no different.

Another highlight of picking Stake for your video poker play 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 the Stake welcome bonus, which offers a 3.5% rakeback on your losses and a massive 200% deposit match bonus of up to $2000!

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.

You keep playing against the virtual players until the pot runs dry, or until you decide to cash out. It functions very similarly to video poker, only with Stakes own virtual twist and with a much higher RTP, which will we cover in the next section. Similarly, this is why Original games are so valuable to play with, such as Stake Wheels: the RTP and volatility is higher than classic variations of the game.

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.

For a full rundown of all the features and details regarding Video Poker, check out our table below:

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. Any pairs below that do not count as a win.

Texas Hold'Em

Texas Hold'Em is played with seven cards, rather than the standard five cards that poker will be played with. Two for the dealer, and five for the player, rather than two for the dealer and three for the player. Texas Hold'em also has four betting rounds, to accomodate for the additional two cards.

Deuces Wild

This is the second most popular kind of video poker, with twos being 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.

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.

Stake.com Video Poker Guide FAQ