Video Poker

Updated January 19, 2024
Video poker wowed casino players in Las Vegas when it first arrived in the late 1970s. Why get eaten by the poker sharks at poker tables when you can play ‘by yourself’ in front of a computer, with the play displayed on a TV screen?

Video poker is still hugely popular across Las Vegas casinos and nearly every online casino will carry at least one version of a video poker title.
Here is how to get the best from your video poker experience, and here are the best sites at which to play video poker:

Best Video poker Casino Sites

3.0 /5
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Welcome bonus
Deposit ÂŁ10 for a 100% Bonus + 25 Slot Spins
Our Score
3.0 /5
1

Offer Terms: Available to players (18+) with active, verified, unrestricted accounts. 1st time depositors only. Players must be 18+. Min Deposit ÂŁ10. This is an ongoing promotion, currently without an end date. Max games bonus ÂŁ50. To withdraw Games Bonus & related winnings, wager x35 the amount of your bonus funds. 25 Free Spins [FS]. FS are valid on a game of our choice for 7 days. FS are capped at ÂŁ20. FS wins are granted as Games Bonus after all FS are used. Games Bonus funds generated from FS winnings must be wagered x35. Max Games Bonus funds transfer to real money: ÂŁ100 + the initial bonus amount. Wagering requirements vary by game. Country restrictions apply. UK only: deposit balance is available for withdrawal at any time. Full Terms Apply. Please Gamble Responsibly. Begambleaware.org #AD

4.5 /5
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Welcome bonus
150% Bonus up to ÂŁ150
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4.5 /5
2

18+ begambleaware.org New accounts only. Min ÂŁ10 deposit, debit card only. Up to 50x wagering, game contributions vary, max stake applies. 7 day expiry. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. #AD

4.0 /5
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Welcome bonus
Welcome Bonus Up to ÂŁ300 + 25 Bonus Spins
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4.0 /5
3

*18+. New players only. Min. deposit ÂŁ20. Max. bonus bet ÂŁ5. Bonus spins on selected games only and must be used within 72 hours. Winnings from Bonus spins credited as bonus funds and capped at ÂŁ100. Bonus funds expire within 30 days. Offer is 100% bonus match up to ÂŁ300 + 25 bonus spins on your 1st deposit. Bonus funds are separate to Cash funds, and are subject to 35x wagering the total bonus & cash. Only bonus funds count towards wagering contribution. Affordability checks apply. Terms apply. Please gamble responsibly. BeGambleAware.org. #AD

4.5 /5
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Welcome bonus
ÂŁ700 in Welcome Bonus & Get the Chance to Win the Jackpot
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4.5 /5
4

RECEIVE UP TO ÂŁ700* ON YOUR FIRST 5 DEPOSITS. New customers only, 18+. The minimum deposit is ÂŁ10. A two hundred times wagering requirement applies on all bonuses and certain games contribute a different percentage to the wagering requirement. See full terms and conditions here. #AD

4.0 /5
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Welcome bonus
Welcome Package Of Up To ÂŁ66 Bonus + 66 Extra Spins
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4.0 /5
5

*18+. New players only. Min deposit ÂŁ20. Max bonus 100% up to ÂŁ66 on 1st deposit. 66 spins on Big Bass Bonanza on 2nd deposit. 35x wagering applies, within 21 days. Max wins from spins ÂŁ100. Spins expire after 24 hours. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #AD

No Wagering
4.0 /5
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Welcome bonus
50 Free Spins – No Deposit, No Wagering
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4.0 /5
6

18+. Offer is available to new customers who register via the promo code CASF51. Winnings are paid in cash. Free spins valued at 10p. Get an additional 100 free spins when you deposit and spend ÂŁ10 on eligible games. Deposits made with e-wallets and Applepay are not valid for this offer. Full T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly. Begambleaware.org #AD

4.3 /5
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Welcome bonus
ÂŁ10 in Free Bets + ÂŁ10 at Casino + 20 Free Spins
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4.3 /5
7

18+. Welcome Bonus Bundle: ÂŁ10 in Free Bets + ÂŁ10 at Casino + 20 Free Spins when you stake ÂŁ10. Only available to new, verified customers residing in the UK. Place a first ever sports bet (ÂŁ10 min.stake; single bets only; min.odds 2/5). Get 2xÂŁ5 in free sports bets, ÂŁ10 in bonus money at Casino and 20 Free Spins (ÂŁ0.10 per spin) on eligible NetEnt Slots. Payment method restrictions apply. T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. begambleaware.org #AD

4.0 /5
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Welcome bonus
100% up to ÂŁ100 + 20 Bonus Spins
Our Score
4.0 /5
8

18+. New players only. Min deposit £10. 20 Bonus Spins valid on Book of Dead. Bonus funds are 100% up to £100. Bonus funds + spin winnings are separate to cash funds and subject to 35x wagering requirement. Only bonus funds count towards wagering contribution. £5 bonus max bet. Bonus funds must be used within 30 days, spins within 10 days. Affordability checks apply. Ter​ms Apply. BeGambleAware.org​ #AD

4.0 /5
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Welcome bonus
Total Package up to ÂŁ100 Match Bonus + 100 Extra Spins
Our Score
4.0 /5
9

18+. New players only. Offer valid over first 4 deposits. Min. deposit: ÂŁ20. Max. bonus: ÂŁ100. Welcome package includes 4 deposits bonuses: *1st deposit: 50% up to ÂŁ50 + 30 extra spins, *2nd deposit: 20 extra spins, *3rd deposit: 20 extra spins, *4th deposit: 50% up to ÂŁ50 + 30 extra spins. Extra spins will be for a specified slot game. Unused extra spins expire 24hrs after being issued. Wagering requirements: 35x deposit bonus and 35x extra spins winnings unless stated otherwise. Bonus Policy and Terms of Service apply. Please play responsibly. Begambleaware.org #AD

4.5 /5
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Welcome bonus
100% Upto ÂŁ100 + Always 10% Cashback!
Our Score
4.5 /5
10

*18+. Welcome bonus for new players only. Maximum bonus is 100% up to ÂŁ100. Min.deposit is ÂŁ20. No max cash out. Wagering is 35x bonus. Maximum bet while playing with a bonus is ÂŁ5. Eligibility is restricted for suspected abuse. Cashback is cash with no restrictions. Skrill & Neteller deposits excluded. Cashback applies to deposits where no bonus is included. Please gamble Responsibly | T&Cs apply | begambleaware.org #AD

Online video poker bonuses

If you want to play video poker online, then you will need to sign up with an online casino. When you complete your registration, you are likely to be offered some kind of bonus. Here are some of the best types of bonus that you can take advantage of.

Welcome bonuses

A welcome bonus at an online casino is the very first bonus that you will receive at the site. Typically, an online casino will match your first deposit with bonus cash up to the same amount, within a limit. A welcome bonus ‘100% up to ÂŁ100’ will match your deposit completely (100%) with bonus cash up to the limit of ÂŁ100.

Bonus cash is cash you can use to wager – you cannot withdraw it. You can though, typically withdraw any winnings that you make from it, as long as you meet wagering requirements. Such requirements are stated as ’30x deposit + bonus’ which means you would have to place wagers totalling 30 times the amount of your deposit and bonus.

In the example we listed above, this would be 30 x (ÂŁ100 (deposit) + ÂŁ100 (bonus)) = ÂŁ6,000. Please be aware that this is the amount you have to wager, not spend. You can play 600 x ÂŁ10 hands using a video poker game, for example. You would not lose every hand and indeed, with video poker, there’s a fair chance that you could end up with more money than you started with!

Reload bonuses

A reload bonus is identical to a welcome bonus except that it is offered to you after you have completed any wagering associated with your welcome bonus (if you received one). Some sites will offer you a reload bonus on your 2nd, 3rd, 4th and even 5th deposits with the site. Others will offer regular reload bonuses on a monthly, weekly or even a daily basis!

Free / no deposit bonuses

A few sites may offer you a free or no deposit bonus. This is a bonus for which you do not have to make a deposit, so to all intents and purposes, it is free bonus money. Again, this is money you can only use to wager – you cannot use it to withdraw and spend elsewhere.

Free or no deposit bonuses tend to be small (say, around £10) and the wagering requirements are also usually high. A free or no deposit bonus should be looked upon as a great way of getting used to the wares at an online casino as opposed to earning free money … although you never know!

VIP / high roller bonuses

If you have mucho wonga to spend at an online casino, then a VIP or high roller bonus is something you should be looking out for. These are decent bonuses with excellent wagering expectations but you will have to deposit a fair amount of cash if you wish to receive one.

Online casinos do not generally advertise their high roller bonuses. If you are signing up for an online casino in the hope that it does offer a high roller bonus then you may have to contact the online casino directly.

Here are some of best bonuses currently found at online casinos:

What to look out for at a top-quality online video poker site

As nearly every online casino offers video poker, you may ask how can you tell which online casinos are worth dealing with, and which should be avoided. Here are three things you should definitely look out for.

Properly licensed and regulated

If you are in the UK and you want to join an online casino, then you will need to check to see if the online casino has proper licensing from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC). Any site that does not have a UKGC licence and yet offers its services to UK-based players is doing so illegally and as such, should be completely avoided.

A UKGC licence is designed to keep you completely safe. It means that the online casino is regulated and uses fair software that in turn uses an independently-audited random number generator to generate the outcome of its games, including its video poker games.

A variety of video poker titles from different game vendors

If you go to a cake shop, and they sell only one kind of cake, then you will soon get bored of getting the same cake every day that you go into the shop. The same is true of video poker at online casino sites. If a site just has one version of video poker, then you may soon get bored of playing the same game every time you visit.

The best sites will have a variety of online video poker games, including different titles from different vendors. The two game vendors you need to look out for are NetEnt and Microgaming.

Bonuses and fair wagering requirements

Most online casino sites will offer you bonuses along the way, but some bonuses are better than others, and indeed some bonus terms are so bad that there really is no point in signing up for an online casino that offers it.

As you become more experienced with online casinos you will learn how to recognise good bonuses from bad bonuses. You will also come to understand wagering conditions and game contributions, and how they affect a bonus deal’s worth.

How to play video poker

The first thing you need to learn about when it comes to online video poker games is the poker hands themselves. Here is a list of all possible poker hands, ranked in order of value:

  • Straight flush: Five cards in sequence of the same suit
  • Four of a kind: Four cards of the same value + one spare
  • Full house: Three cards of the same value + one pair
  • Flush: Five cards of the same suit but not in sequence
  • Straight: Five cards in sequence but not of the same suit
  • Three of a kind: Three cards of the same value + two spare
  • Two pair: Two pairs + one spare
  • One pair: One pair + three spare
  • High card: A hand that does not fit into any of the above categories

Usually in poker, hands are ranked in order of the highest card, but in video poker this does not matter. You are rewarded by the highest type of hand you obtain.

You start a game of video poker by issuing your stake. This can be a fixed amount, or you can choose how much you want to wager. The more you wager, the bigger your potential prize.

Once you have placed your stake you hit ‘deal’. The video poker game will issue you five cards. You can then choose between one and five cards to ‘hold’. Once you have done this, all cards that are not held are re-dealt. This then forms your final poker hand. The object of the game is to obtain as valuable a poker hand as possible.

The amount you win depends on the hand you achieve. Each video poker game will have its own pay table, so you can see how much you are likely to win with each specific type of hand.

With most video poker games you will receive the chance to ‘gamble’ any winnings. This is in the form of a side game where you have to guess whether the next card dealt will be red or black, or if the next card dealt will be higher or lower than the previous one. If you are correct then your win is doubled, and if you are incorrect then you lose your winnings. Most games will allow you to keep gambling up to a fixed limit.

The different types of video poker game

There are many different types of online video poker game. Here is a quick review of some of the most frequently found.

Jacks or Better Video Poker

Jacks or Better

This is the most popular online video poker game, and the one most commonly found at online video poker sites. This is also the most simple type of video poker game. It is called ‘Jacks or Better’ because in order to win, you need to finish with a hand that contains at least a pair of jacks. If you finish with a hand that contains a pair of tens or less than you do not win.

Obviously, all hands that rank above a pair of jacks are winners too.

Deuces Wild Video Poker

Deuces Wild

In this game, all deuces (twos) are wild, can be used for any other card. For example, if you end up with a hand containing JJ962 then you have finished with a hand containing three jacks, as the deuce is ‘wild’ and can be used as the third jack to score a very good hand indeed.

Some hands containing wilds, for example, a royal flush, score less than hands that are ‘natural’ (i.e. contain no wild cards). In addition, a new poker hand ‘five of a kind’ is now possible. This scores higher than a straight flush. You will also win big if you finish with a hand containing all four deuces.

Joker Poker Video Poker

Joker Poker

This game can also be called ‘Joker’s Wild’. In the game a joker is added to the pack, making fifty-three cards. The joker is wild and can be used to substitute for any other card in the pack.

As with Deuces Wild some hands without a joker score higher than the same hands with a joker, and ‘five of a kind’ is a possible hand.

Aces and Faces Video Poker

Aces and Faces

Aces and Faces is identical to Jacks or Better except that bonuses are paid for hands containing four aces, kings, queens or jacks.

10's or Better Video Poker

Tens or Better

Identical to Jack or Better except that the minimum qualifying winning hand is a pair of tens.


Real money video poker

Is it possible to win real money playing online video poker?

Video poker is one of the best games to play if you want to make money playing online, although don’t expect to become a video poker millionaire overnight! Even the best games take some getting used to, and you will only win money if you know what you are doing. Take time to learn your game and the optimum strategy needed to play if you want to give yourself the best chance of winning some cash.

Is it safe to play for real money?

As long as you select an online casino that has a UKGC licence and has a decent privacy policy when it comes to your personal data, then you, your money and your personal information will be okay.

What is RTP?

RTP stands for ‘return-to-player’ and is the expected amount of money that will be returned to someone playing online video poker for an extended period, expressed as a percentage. For example, if a game has an RTP of 99% then after an extended playing period in which a player starts with ÂŁ100, then should expect to have ÂŁ99 left.

RTP is only a guide, and if you play video poker without an idea of what you are dong, then your return is likely to be much less. It should be used as a guide to the different types of video poker games and your chances of coming out on top. For example, Jacks and Better has an RTP of around 99.54%, and Joker Poker has an RTP of 98.6%.

Conclusion

Video poker is a fun and quick-fire game to play, and you won’t get eaten by poker sharks as yoy may do when playing with other online poker players. Why not sign up at one of our recommended casino and fine the video poker game that you like the most?

Better change
Anita Heffernan Whichbingo Author

Author And Managing Editor

Anita Heffernan

Anita is well-known and respected within the online bingo industry, she loves all things bingo and slots and has been involved with online bingo and gambling sites since the late 1990’s. She has been the full-time writer and Editor of WhichBingo for much of that time and is respected by operators and players alike for her no-nonsense judgments and opinions. Anita has seen the highs and lows of the industry she loves, has seen it grow and develop and contract again into what it is today. She has worked with the biggest names in the industry and has a reputation for being fair and to the point in her writing.