Video Poker Rules
Most video poker games are variants on five card draw, as the player is dealt five cards to start the game, and has the choice to discard any or all the cards, to try for a better hand. If the player is dealt a great starting hand with the first five cards, they can also elect to simply keep all their cards.
Before any cards are dealt, though, players must determine how many coins they are going to play. Each video poker machine will have the denomination posted, as far as whether each coin is worth 25 cents, $1, $5, etc. Machines will typically allow you to play from 1 to 5 coins per hand, and you can vary the number you’re playing from hand to hand. Most posted jackpots, though, require you to be playing the maximum number of coins, so keep that in mind.
Players are paid off according to the machine's pay table for various hands that you make with your final five cards. While it varies by the game you're playing, you’re typically only paid back money if you have a pair of jacks or better. Video poker uses the same hand ranking as normal poker, so the better the hand, the more you get paid. A pair of jacks or better usually just pays back what you wagered on that hand, with two pair paying more, three of a kind even more, etc., all the way up to a royal flush, which can pay out tens of thousands of dollars depending on the machine you're playing and the number of coins you wagered on that hand.
