2017's Best Free Online Video Poker Games
Poker is king of the gambling games and every online casino has it available in one form or another. Of course, poker is not just as simple as dealing the cards and trying your luck – there is a fair bit of strategy here.
Fortunately, you can practice by playing video poker for free or any of our other free games, honing your skills without risking any of your own money. We have found some great video poker games where you can get to learn the rules, develop your strategies and test out some new variations. And because you don’t need to create an account, you can play and enjoy these games in complete freedom, wherever you have an internet connection.
Enjoy all of the excitement of staked games with none of the risks and get your poker career started today by playing our fun, free video poker. You can also play real money video poker once you've got the hang of the game.
History of Video Poker
While poker has been around for many years, video poker got its start in the mid-70s. Showing up in arcade-type video machines and then other establishments all over the world, it soon became one of the most popular methods of gambling. The transfer to online casinos was only natural.
Today, video poker is hugely popular and there are a massive number of variations that give you a huge range of choice. Video poker is continually evolving, with new and fun games being released on a regular basis. Free video poker games therefore allow you to do a little window shopping and find the perfect game before you start gambling your own money.
Types of Online Video Poker
The standard poker hands apply in most video poker, and it is important for players to understand them before beginning to play, even if you're playing for fun. One reason video poker is so popular is that each player only plays against the dealer/machine, not everyone else at a table, so it is a “one-on-one” experience, and the odds are much better. There’s no bluffing, or need to stress over other hands. Video poker makes the whole game of poker a truly relaxing and enjoyable experience. There are several main types of video poker you will encounter. These include:
- Jacks or Better
- Joker’s Wild
- Deuces Wild
- King of the Decks
Jack’s or Better is the game of choice for most beginners. It pays out on minimal hands and the big payout is usually at least 4,000 coins for a Royal Flush on a maximum bet of 5 coins.
Jokers Wild is a little more to keep track of because while it still uses a standard 52 card deck, you have to remember that the Jokers are wild cards and can be held at face value, or be changed to meet any other value needed in a hand. However, the limit there is that because of the wild cards, there is no “high card” or “two of a kind” winning hand. You must have at least two pair to win this game. The same is true for Deuces Wild only substituting Deuces (2s) for Jokers as the wild card. Deuces Wild is the more exciting of the two because there are four wild cards as opposed to the two Jokers in a deck.
King of the Decks is perhaps the most complicated and because of that, the most exciting of the video poker games. It uses five full decks of 52 cards, and the grand hand is to get 5 king of clubs in your hand. In King of the Decks, the common poker hands still win, but the kings of clubs pays out an additional progressive bonus. Minimum in this game is two pair as well.
There are also progressive machines that pay out double bonuses, progressive payouts on Jacks or Better, or other variations.
Starting the Game
The initial ante is automatically added to the pot. The hand is dealt and the player decides what cards they want to keep, and what cards they want to change out.
Before you enter an online game, free or otherwise, make sure you use the “help” or “info” tabs and learn the rules of the actual game you are playing.
It also helps to look up the rules of the particular version you are playing and get familiar with them. Stick to one version if possible until you feel comfortable with the rules before moving on to a different version.
Get started today and find out what all the fuss is about. You can build up those poker muscles, and learn the game, or just relax and have a blast playing for fun with free video poker games. Give it a shot and see how easy it is to win a big virtual pot at video poker without taking any risks. Hit the play button and start those cards shuffling.
