All You Need To Know About Video Poker In Canada

Lily Simpson
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Video poker is available at casinos throughout Canada. It is accessible via video lottery terminals, bar top consoles, and other areas on the casino floor. Even though slot machines have evolved significantly over the years, video poker fans still prefer the more conventional forms of the game. They offer a fun gaming experience while also including elements of strategy, the possibility of high prizes, and even progressive jackpots. 

Wild card games, bonus pay tables, multi-hand games, and newer versions with bonus side games are all accessible as online video poker variations. Because the house has a modest advantage in this game, you must have a plan for deciding which cards to keep and when to draw new ones for each version. 

This guide will teach Canadian players everything they need to know about playing video poker for real money. You’ll find a list of the various variations of the game, as well as information on what to look for in pay tables, the house edge, money management, and bonuses and comps, all of which are listed below. 

The finest online casinos that provide real money video poker 

Caesars Palace 

Video poker games occupy a prominent position in Caesars Casino’s offering. They have their specific tab, which comes in over 15 different varieties. The IGT Game King collection is the pick of the bunch. It includes nine game types, including Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker, and Bonus Poker Deluxe. 

Other notable video poker alternatives at Caesars include Deuces Wild, Regal Poker, Five Play Draw Poker, and Five Play Ultimate X Poker. The most recent addition to the lineup is Five Play Ultimate X Poker. This one, like Game King, offers nine different pay tables inside a single game. Caesars offers a free-play trial version of each video poker type if you want to try it out before betting real money on it. 

The Stars’ Casino 

A dozen different video poker games can be available at PokerStars’ Stars Casino. The games may be found in the “Card & Table” menu, and each game has its area, making navigation considerably easier. The vast majority of these video poker games are well-known versions with comparable pay tables, such as Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Double Bonus, Joker Poker, Aces and Eights, and others. 

However, in addition to the standard video poker varieties, there are several unique variations of the game, such as All American Video Poker, which pays slightly more generous rewards for certain cards than Jacks or Better. Stars Casino’s game list is continuously updated with new titles; video poker games are among the most often introduced new games. 

Casino FanDuel 

The FanDuel Casino offers a wide range of video poker games. Unfortunately, there are just a few distinct types to pick from, so the variety is limited. One of these games is IGT’s Game King video poker; others are Five Play Multi-Hand Draw Poker and Ten Play Draw Poker. 

Fortunately, the Game King option gives players access to nine distinct pay tables, all of which include varieties of the game such as Bonus Poker, Double Bonus Poker, Jacks or Better, Joker Poker, Deuces Wild, Bonus Poker Deluxe, and others. Demo and real money play options are both available to FanDuel players who already have an account with the site. 

How to Play Video Poker on the Internet Tutorial 

If you are an experienced player looking for the best returns, you will find information that is relevant to you in the sections that follow. This part is especially important for new video poker players. It explains the fundamentals of video poker. 

Jacks or Better, or JoB for short, is the most prevalent variation. If you have a pair of jacks or above, you have a chance to win your wager, but if your final hand is lower than this, you will lose it. 

Before the dealer even begins dealing the cards, you must determine how many coins to play with. In live casinos, the minimum denomination for each coin is frequently a quarter. It is critical to always place the maximum bet of five coins. If you give the house less than expected, they have a stronger mathematical edge. When you look at the pay table, you’ll notice that a royal flush with five coins pays out far more than a royal flush with only four coins. 

To get started, click the “deal” button. The package contains five playing cards. You must first decide which of these cards to keep before drawing. Any cards that you do not currently have will be replaced when you press the draw button. The game then compares your final hand to a pay table to calculate your earnings. 

If you have at least a pair of jacks in your hand, you are eligible for the payment. In that situation, the game is over, and you will lose any money you bet on that hand. The more successful your poker hand, the more money you’ll win. 

Pay tables for video poker 

The pay table for video poker may differ based on the game being played. For example, consider the following pay table for the video poker game Jacks or Better: 

  • 1 to 1 if you have Jacks or better. 
  • Two sets: one to two 
  • The odds of getting three of a type are 3:1. 
  • A straight bet pays 5:1. 
  • Flush: 6:1 
  • 9-1 is a perfect score. 
  • Four of a kind pays 20 to one: 
  • The payoff for a straight flush is 40:1. 
  • A royal flush is worth 800 to one. 

Because the rewards for certain hands, such as straights and flushes, are higher than those for other hands, such as pairs, many beginners are unclear if it is appropriate to “break” their cards to play for the higher prize. This is determined by the game variations that include wildcards as well as the various pay tables. As a result, it is in your best interest to specialize in just one game. You will then be able to use this as a basis and recognize when changes to your plan are required to take advantage of any variances. 

Variations of classic video poker 

In video poker, a few traditional varieties predominate. As you can see, there is now a large range of odd options accessible, including bonus games with elements such as dice, redraws, or win multipliers. Having said that, the vast majority of people who appreciate this format prefer to play one of the classic video poker varieties listed below. 

The first video poker game was called Jacks or Better. You will be compensated for any hand in which you hit a pair of jacks or a stronger poker hand during your one drawing round. You will be compensated regardless of whether you win or lose. 

A deck of 53 cards is needed to play Joker Poker, one of which is a joker that can be used in place of any other card. This substantially simplifies punching someone with strong hands. 

You play “Deuces Wild” using a conventional deck of cards, but the cards with a value of two can stand in for any other card in the deck. When there are four “wilds” in play, strong hands, such as five of a kind, are quite common. 

Variations on Bonus Poker: Bonus Poker payout tables are “top weighted.” The payouts for lower-ranked hands are lower, while payouts for higher-ranked hands, such as quads with a tiny card kicker, are significantly higher. 

Using the multi-hand format, any game can be customized to be played with a large number of players. You are dealt one hand, and then you can hold cards and draw for another three to one hundred hands. 

There are numerous types of video poker, some of which contain bonus games

The number of possible outcomes increases tremendously when you play video poker online. Live casinos also provide unique variations of the games they provide. Ultimate X Poker is the most popular live casino game. The extra coin is a characteristic shared by all of these games. You will now have six coins rather than five. In exchange, you earn bonus features that can either raise the size of the rewards you win or give you another chance to salvage a hand that would otherwise be lost. 

Ultimate X Video Poker is a popular live casino game that offers players random win multipliers of up to ten times their original wager. If you have a high-ranking poker hand and the random multiplier turns up, you could win a significant sum of money. 

If you thought video poker was only played with cards, you’ll need to reconsider after playing Hot Roll Poker. Hot Roll Poker by IGT has a bonus feature that is determined by the roll of the dice. 

Peak and Play Poker by IGT is a Jacks or Better variation in which the player is given a sneak peek at the first card that will be drawn to them. To get this crucial approach information, you must wager seven coins rather than five. 

Gamble After Earn is a feature included in some of NetEnt’s online video poker games. This function allows you to enhance the amount of money you win after each hand played. 

IGT creates games under the Spin Poker brand that combine aspects of traditional slot machines and current video poker action. When you spin the wheel, you are given three rows of five cards and can choose from one to nine win lines to make poker hands. 

How video poker pay tables and payouts are linked 

When playing video poker, the top reward, which is a royal flush without any wild cards, is always proportionally higher when you play five coins rather than fewer coins. This is true regardless of the number of coins used. The normal Jacks or Better pay table provides 250 coins for a single play, with payouts increasing to 500, 750, or 1,000 coins for two, three, or four wagers. The payoff increases to four thousand coins when you get five coins in a row (instead of increasing linearly to 1,250). 

This has a big impact on the long-term earnings that can be made from playing a game. If you only remember one piece of video poker advice, make it this one: always bet the maximum of five coins. 

There should be prizes for both complete houses and flush hands. By glancing at the prizes for these, you may easily find the good games with high returns and avoid the games with a higher house edge. 

When you play, you want to make sure you get 9:1 on a full house and 6:1 on a flush. This is commonly referred to as a 9/6 payment. When adopting this setup, video poker games can reach a return-to-player percentage of up to 99.5 percent. Games that aren’t very good receive ratings of 7/5 (the RTP is usually around 96%) or 8/5. (98 percent ). 

To lessen the house’s advantage over you, you must make the correct decisions with each hand dealt to you. When you play games with a pay table that is tailored to reward you with the most potential returns, you are giving yourself the best possible profits.