Online video poker is one of the easiest casino games to learn and play. There are many versions of video poker online, with each game having slightly different rules to one another. 

While the rules of each game are slightly different, the aim of the games are the same: make a qualifying five-card poker hand and win the corresponding paytable prize. You can sometimes win a big progressive jackpot, too.

So how do you beat the casino and win at video poker?

Choose the right video poker variant

At Betway Casino, you will find a range of Microgaming video poker variations to play for real money.

At the start of a game, the player places their ante and is dealt five cards. They then have to make a decision on which cards to hold and which to discard.

The discarded cards are replaced to complete a five-card poker hand. If you match one of the hands in the paytable, you will win the corresponding cash prize.

Choosing the right video poker game is your first job.

Online video poker has a relatively low house edge compared to some casino games (around 0.3-4%, depending on the variant), and there is also some skill involved.

After all, it's up to the player which cards to keep and which to throw away.

Here are some typical house edges of Microgaming's online video poker variants. You can see that, over the long term, some games are better than others:

Jacks or Better: 0.46%

All American: 0.62%

Aces & Faces: 0.74%

Aces & Eights: 0.91%

Deuces and Joker: 0.93%

Deuces Wild: 3.23%

First, learn the rules, and understand what hands beat which. In a game like Jacks or Better, which has a very small house edge, you will need a pair of jacks at the very least in order to win some money. You may go a few games hitting lower pairs and missing out on a prize.

Should you be playing something like Aces and Faces poker instead? The game has a higher house edge, but it also pays special bonuses if you make a hand containing an ace and a face card.

Deuces Wild is a fun variant that features wild cards that substitute any other card. But the house edge is over four times that of other video poker variants.

Always read the paytable before you play

Every video poker game has a paytable displayed clearly on the screen. It's essential you study this before playing.

Try to find a paytable that pays 9/6: nine coins for a full house and six coins for a flush. That gives the player the fairest payouts over the long term.

Bet the maximum number of coins

There are different payouts for different hands, and the paytable displays the prizes for one, two, three, four and five coins. You'll notice that the jackpot when playing five coins is always the highest prize available. So, should you always play the maximum coins?

Not always, and the true odds of hitting a Royal Flush are far higher than the actual payout. But playing the maximum number of coins will always give players the best chance to earn the bonus.

Hold the right cards

Video poker is a form of draw poker. That means you have the chance to keep one or more cards and swap the rest for new cards.

But which cards do you keep, and which do you throw away? Knowing the difference and playing "optimal strategy" can make a big difference to the house edge.

Let's take the basic form of online video poker as our example: Jacks or Better.

If you get dealt a hand like 4-4-K-6-Q with four hearts, what do you keep? You only have one chance to change cards, so it seems right to change the one non-heart and go for the flush, right?

But what about the king and queen? You could keep them and hit a high pair for a quick win. Or do you keep the fours and go for three of a kind?

Keeping a list of best video poker starting hands is a good way to work out what to do.

Top:

4-of-a-kind, straight flush draw, royal flush

Four to a royal flush

Three of a kind, flush, straight, full house

Middle:

Four to a straight flush

Two pair

High pair

Three to a royal flush

Four to a flush

Low:

Low pair

Four to an inside straight

Two high cards (suited)

Three to a straight flush

Two high cards (unsuited)

Marginal suited hands (K-10, Q-10, etc)

High card

With this list, you can work your way up the ranking to figure out which move is best. In our example, the four-to-a-flush hand is best. So, discard the one non-heart card and hope to make your flush.

Try the progressives for big wins

Some video poker games online feature progressive jackpots.

These are special linked jackpots that can be won by hitting a royal flush. Not only that, but players can often hit a progressive even when playing the lower stakes.

One point to note is that the regular paytables in progressive video poker are usually poorer than in non-progressive video poker games.

They are riskier for the gambler but the potential rewards are much higher.