Electronic Poker is a beloved game that usually will be played in casinos across the globe, or alternatively at your house on your computer, using a web connection. The rules are absolutely simple and consist of the player trying to achieve the best mixture of cards possible in order to win money. In this respect it is very similar as a classic game of poker, apart from the interaction with competing players. Of course, methods used in a real-life game of poker, like tricking, will be useless here.

The game of Electronic Poker begins when the player inserts credits (either tokens, tickets or money) into the machine and presses the play button. A five card hand will be electronically ‘distributed’ on the screen.

The Video Poker machine also has buttons with ‘hold’ printed on them, and enthusiasts should now pick which cards to hold and which to throw away. For the cards the bettor wishes to retain, the ‘hold’ buttons need to be pressed so that they illuminate. The player can decide to keep any amount of cards they wish, whether it’s all or none.

After the player has decided on which cards he or she wishes to keep, they should press ‘draw’, at which point any fresh cards are needed they will be dealt. The round is now finished, with the Electronic Poker machine scanning the cards to see if it matches any of the winning hands listed in the pay out schedule.

Generally, the minimum succeeding hand on a Video Poker machine is a pair of jacks with the award money growing for each better hand. A list of common winning hands begins with jacks or better, moving on to 2 pairs, 3 of a kinds, straights, flushes, full houses, 4 of a kinds, straight flushes and last but not least royal flushes. It should be known that the payout schedule can change from game to game, so that knowledgeable gamblers are agile enough to select the most money-making ones every time.

As soon as the first round has finished, the player can either choose to remain on and try to to maximize their winnings, or they can press the ‘collect’ button to retrieve any money that they may have won. Further, some versions of the game allow the bettor a chance to double their winnings, in which situation a further game is played. There are also differences between specific machines, with some virtual decks having wild cards and other differing aspects to enhance playability.