Video Poker is a popular game that usually will be enjoyed in casinos around the globe, or in your house on your PC, through an Internet account. The rules are very straightforward and consist of the player attempting to get the best combination of cards achievable in order to acquire money. In this respect it is much the same as a classic game of poker, minus the involvement with any other players. Of course, methods used in a physical game of poker, such as tricking, will be irrelevant in Video Poker.

The game of Electronic Poker begins when the gambler puts credits (either tokens, tickets or money) into the machine and pushes the draw button. A 5 card hand will then be "handed out" on the screen.

The Video Poker machine also has hold buttons, and gamblers will need to now decide which cards to keep and which to throw away. For the cards the bettor would like to keep, the ‘hold’ buttons need to be pressed so that they illuminate. The player can choose to keep any number of cards they wish, from all to none.

After the gambler has chosen which cards she wishes to retain, the player will then press ‘draw’, which will mean that any new cards are dealt if desired. The hand is now completed, with the Video Poker machine scanning the cards to see if it matches any of the winning hands shown on the pay out schedule.

Normally, the minimum winning hand on a Video Poker machine is a pair of jacks with the prize money growing for each and every better hand. A list of common winning hands starts with jacks or better, and moves on to 2 pairs, 3 of a kinds, straights, flushes, full houses, four of a kinds, straight flushes and finally royal flushes. It definitely goes without saying that the pay out schedule can vary from machine to machine, so that discerning players are agile enough to select the most profitable machine each and every time.

Once the first round has completed, the player can either choose to continue on and try to to maximize their winnings, or they can press the ‘collect’ button to cash out any credits that have been won. Additionally, a few versions of the game give the bettor an opportunity to increase their wins, in which case a further hand is played. There are also variations between individual machines, with some virtual decks including wild cards and other differing characteristics to enhance playability.