It may seem that video poker play is similar to regular slot machine play, but the two are actually quite different. You being the games the same way by inserting a coin into the machine and pressing the play button, but this is where it changes. Cards appear on the screen and it's up to you decide which cards to hold, ranging from none to all five. The choice is completely yours. There are also five buttons on the front of the machine. When you push these buttons, the word "hold" will appear above those cards selected. Your objective in video poker is to get the best or highest hand possible.

The next thing you do is press the "deal" button and a new set of cards will appear, replacing the ones you chose not to hold. If a winning combination results, the machine will award you with credits based on the payout schedule. After the credits are awarded, the "player paid" sign will appear on the screen. A machine that requires $.25 to play would record each credit as 25, so basically the credits will equal the value required to play the machine.

With this hand over, you start the process all over again. You bet how many units or coins you wish to play on the next hand and then hit the "deal" button. When you decide you want to end your video poker session, all you do is press the "collect" button and the machine will give you your credits. The object of the game is to end each round with a winning combination.

Betting is quite straightforward with Video Poker. You can typically choose $0.25, $0.50, $1, or $5 games on which to bet. And the bets are 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x, which is the maximum bet. If you're playing a $1 game, you can place bets of $1, $2, $3, $4, or $5.

• Low pair and low pair: Split unless holding a king or better, then play two pair in the back.
• Low pair and medium pair: Split unless holding a king or better, then play two pair in the back.
• Low pair and high pair: Split unless holding an ace, then play two pair in the back.
• Medium pair and medium pair: Split unless holding an ace, then play two pair in the back.
• Medium pair and high pair: Always split.
• High pair and high pair: Always split.
• Pair of aces and any other pair: Always split.

• Three pair: Always play highest pair in front.
• Three of a kind: Always play three of a kind in back unless they are aces, then play a pair of aces in back and one ace in front.
• Three of a kind twice: Always play highest pair in front.
• Straights, flushes, straight flushes, and royal flush:
  • With no pair: When choosing whether to play a straight, flush, or straight flush play the category which will allow the highest two cards in front.
  • With 6th or 7th card: Play the lower straight or flush in the back to place the highest cards in front.
  • With one pair: Play pair in the front only if a straight, flush, or straight can be played in the back.
  • With two pair: Use two pair rule.
  • With three pair: Use three pair rule.
  • With three of a kind: Play pair in front.
  • With full house: Use full house rule.
• Full house: Always split unless the pair is twos and you have an ace and a king to play in the front.
• Full house with three of a kind and two pairs: Play the highest pair in front.
• Full house with three of a kind twice: Always play the highest pair in front.
• Play according to the rank of the four of a kind:
  • 2 through 6: Always keep together.
  • 7 through 10: Split unless a king or better can be played in front.
  • Jack through king: Split unless an ace can be played in front.
  • Aces: Always split.
• Four of a kind and a pair: Play pair in front.
• Four of a kind and three of a kind: Play pair in front from the three of a kind.
• Five aces: Split aces and play three aces in back and two aces in front unless you have a pair of kings, then play five aces in back and kings in front.

Street Bet or Three Number

Also called a street bet or a stream bet. This is when you are betting that one of threenumbers hits on the roulette wheel. The payoff for a bet like this is 11 to 1. So ifyou bet $10 and bet on either 13, 14, or 15 to hit, you would win $110 if any of thethree hit.


Square Bet

Otherwise known as a Four-Number bet. Like a three number bet, this is whenyou are hoping that one of 4 numbers that you bet on hits. The payoff on a betlike this is 8 to 1. For example, if you bet $4 on the numbers 22, 23, 24 and 25,then you would win $32 if the roulette ball landed on any of the four numbers.

Five-Number Bet

This is betting that one of these 5 numbers will hit: 0, 00, 1, 2 or 3. The payofffor this bet is 6 to 1, and can only be played on an American wheel. So if youbet $6 and one of them hit, you would win $36. This is a very poor bet andshould be avoided at all costs.

Outside Bets

These are bets that are placed outside the number grid, for instance,betting onRed or Black. You will find these bets on the part of the table closest to theplayer.

Red

Simply betting that the next spin lands on a red-colored number. The payoff forthis bet is 1-1, so if you bet $10 on red and the ball lands on a red number, youwould win your original $10 back, plus an additional $10 in winnings.