Inspecting the history of Video Poker is not just very interesting but very exciting as well. Video Poker encompasses both the old and new in gambling, it is a mix of the old traditional game that is poker with the technology of slot machines which became electronic in the 70's, bringing computerization to gambling.

The invention of Video Poker is attributed to Si Redd, an employee of Bally Technologies who proposed the idea to the executives of the company in the mid 70's. Luckily, when his proposition was rejected, he did not despair; he went on to form a new company by the name of Sircoma – which is nowadays known as IGT (International Game Technology).

Video Poker came in the right time: The 80's were bustling with inventions bringing the technology of Video to full force, and the very idea of computerized poker excited the imagination of Vegas gamblers and entrepreneurs alike.

In the beginning, Video Poker was a very basic game based on Draw Poker where Two Pair was the lowest hand. In due time the variation of Jacks or Better became Video Poker's most popular type – in Jacks or Better, as its name implies, players need to have a pair of Jacks or Better in their hand in order to win. Like many other casino games, the emergence of online casinos and online gambling brought popularity to Video Poker which can be played by many people today without even having to leave their houses.

Many new and old terms are tied to Video Poker, monumentalizing the beautiful mix out of which this game was crafted.

Action:?A player's total amount of wagers in a specific game.

Bet Max: The maximum bet a player can make in a game, usually five coins for a hand.

Discard:?A card or cards the player chooses to ditch after his first deal.

Flush:?Hands of five same-suit cards.

Four of a Kind:?Hands with four cards of the same value.

Full House:?Hands with three-of-a-kind cards and one pair.

Hand: The name of the five cards with which the machine deals the player.

Jackpot:?This is the highest payout players can receive. Usually, the Royal Flush grants these.

Pair:?Two cards sharing the same value, like two 2h or two jacks.

Pay Back:?Data based on millions of hands that estimate the payout percentage of the game.

Pay Table:?This is a list of payouts on the screen that shows how much the player will win in different hand scenarios.

Royal Flush:?This is the hand everyone wants both in Video and regular Poker, the highest possible. It consists of an Ace high flush of the same suit.

Straight:?Five consecutive numbers of any suit.

Straight Flush:?This is straight where all the cards are of the same suit.

Winning Hand:?This is a hand that gives you a payout.

Except for Joker Wild, all forms of Video Poker are played with a regular 52-card deck. The operation of a standard Video Poker game is very simple. Players make a wager and then carry on to hit the "deal." Then they are dealt five cards and are given the traditional choices; they can hold their hand or discard as many cards as they like; then, the discarded cards are replaced. What the player is left with after these choices is what he will win (or lose).

The ranking of cards in Video Poker is in the same order as in regular Poker, but payouts differ. The standard order is Royal Flush – Straight Flush – Four of a Kind – Full House – Flush – Straight – Three of a Kind – Two Pair – One Pair of Jacks or Better. Video Poker games don't have one defined House advantage and these can vary from 97% to 99.5% - it is always the player versus the machine, and there's always either the option of winning or losing.

Video Poker is a simple game with fairly simple rules. Therefore, simple strategies can be employed to maximize winning chances. After players are dealt five cards, they must choose which cards to hold and which to discard. Below are listed the different hands you can be dealt and what you should do about them. As you will see, it is advisable to hold most hands, but there are other options. Remember not to discard Jacks, Queens, Kings and Aces.

Straight Flush:?This is a very strong hand you should hold; you have some good chances at getting a jackpot with this one.

Four of a Kind:?Players should also stick to their hand when a Four of a Kind comes up. There's no way of improving this hand by discarding anything.

Full House:?Stick with the cards; you cannot improve the hand by discarding.

Flush:?Hold your hand, as there is no way to improve.

Straight:?Also, no way of improving – stick to your hands.

Three of a Kind:?Stick with your three of a kind and discard the remaining.

Two Pairs:?Stick with the two pairs. You can try discarding the fifth card so you will have a shot at a Full House.

Jacks or Better:?Hold your pair and discard all other three cards in the hand.

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