The Importance of Video Poker Terms
When playing video poker, whether it is online video poker at an online casino or a game at a land-based casino, it is imperative to understand the terms that refer to the different hand rankings and different variations of the casino game. Your entire strategy will be affected by the variation of video poker that you play. Particularly if you are new to video poker, a video poker glossary is very useful for familiarizing yourself with important terms.
Variations of Video Poker
- Jacks or Better - The sought after cards in this variation of video poker, are a pair of Jacks or better (that is, Jacks, Queens, Kings or Aces). You win nothing on a pair of tens or lower.
- All American - This version of video poker is similar to Jacks or Better except that a pair of Jacks is the lowest available winning hand, as opposed to one of the highest.
- Deuces Wild - In this video poker variation, all deuces (twos) are wild cards - that is, they can be used as any card with which to complete a winning hand.
- Joker Poker - In this variation, you use a standard 52-card deck with an extra joker that is a wild card.
- Double Joker - This variation uses two jokers added to the deck and these act as wild cards.
- Deuces and Joker - In this variation one joker card is added to the deck and this card, together with the deuces (twos), is used as wild cards.
- Aces and Faces - When playing this video poker variation, a hand of four Aces or four face cards, is the aim of the game.
Hand Rankings in Video Poker (from Highest to Lowest Value)
- Five of a kind - This is the highest available hand in classic video poker. It is only possible when using wild cards (such as in a variation that uses jokers or deuces). In these variations, all five cards held in the hand are of equal numerical value. (e.g. 4, 4, 4, 4, 4)
- Royal flush - This is the highest regular poker hand available. It consists of 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace, all of the same suit.
- Straight flush - This is five consecutive cards, all of the same suit (e.g. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 of Hearts).
- Four of a kind - This is four cards of the same numerical value, plus one other card. Suits are irrelevant. (e.g. 4, 4, 4, 4, 7).
- Full house - This is three cards of one numerical value and two cards of another numerical value in any suit. (e.g. 5, 5, 5, 9, 9).
- Flush - This occurs when all five cards in the hand belong to the same suit, but are not consecutive (e.g. 2, 4, 7, 9, J of Hearts).
- Straight - This is a hand of five consecutive cards, but not of the same suit (e.g. in different suits: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8).
- Three of a kind - This is three cards of one value, plus two other random cards of different values (e.g. 2, 2, 2, 8, Jack).
- Two pair - This hand holds two different pairs (two cards of one value and two cards of another value), plus one odd card. (e.g. 7, 7, 10, 10, Queen)
- Pair - This is a hand with one pair of the same valued cards, plus 3 random cards. (e.g. 6, 6, 2, 8, 9)
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