Video poker can be best described as a cross between Stud Poker and a slot machine, tossing in a few wild cards. It is a very fast paced game. It is almost like you're playing a game of Stud poker. You are also provided with a broad range of options in order to play.

Examples of video poker include Deuces Wild, Jacks or Better, Joker Poker, All American and many other variations. There is a particular type of play that is rewarded in each game. Video machines allow you to play anything from 1 through 5 coins.

The greater the payoff, the more coins you play. Video poker may be considered as being a fast paced and fun game when the player knows poker and has taken the time to learn the game.

Each individual game enjoys a particular strategy. For an example there is the game of All American which pays off better than the others when you receive a straight or flush. Knowing this should affect the way you select your cards.

For each game there is its own particular strategy for winning. You fare much better when you are able to learn these strategies.

Game Objective
It is the intention of the player to acquire the best possible hand. The money that is paid out for the possible hands that may be achieved, is indicated clearly on the front of all of the Video Poker machines.

You should study this chart to quickly learn the ranking of the hands. The various types of Video Poker machines rank hands in an alike manner. There are however, a few variations that may add a rank or two.

Betting
As is expected, a slots version of Poker offers a reasonably clear-cut form of betting. Typically, when playing on any particular machine, you may select between betting on games from $0.25, $0.50, $1, to $5. Usually a bet consists of being either one, two, three, four, or the maximum bet of five times the declared cash denomination.

This depends on which game you are playing. To describe this, imagine that you are playing on a $1 machine. In this case you would be allowed to bet $1, $2, $3, $4, or $5.

Payoffs
Take note of the payoffs for each level of betting before you begin. These usually appear on the face of the machine.

Playing the Max Bet is generally accepted as giving you the best possible outcome. And also pay offs tend to be the best.

They will turn out to exceed any of the lower multiples. Players in the know will select a comfortable betting level and decide on the games they play accordingly.

If playing the $5 bet seems to fit your pocketbook best, then you should choose the $1 machine and then play the Max Bet for $5. Or let's say that your preference is to play for $25.

In this case you child choose the $5 game, playing the Max Bet of $25, which is five times the minimum bet. In both of these situations you will be playing with the best payoff odds available for that game. This strategy is similar to the strategy to be used when playing slots.

It also needs to be kept in mind that the payoff ratios will fluctuate from machine to machine.

For example, when you get four of a kind Jacks or Better pays at a rate of 25 to 1, but for the same combination All American usually pays 30 to 1 odds and again four of a kind with Joker Poker will pay you only 20 to 1 odds.

In any case, knowing the game makes you a smarter player since these ratios do not always reflect the true odds.

Payout Schedules
There are casinos that typically will mix within a grouping of video poker machines, referred to as banks or carousels, which may all appear to be the same, several VP machines that are programmed with pay programs that are inferior that result in short or partial pay.

In a typical bank such as this say of normal non-bonus, non-progressive, VP machines, one will find only 1 or 2 with a Jacks or better 9/6 payoff.

A 9/6 payoff means that you will be paid 9 coins for a full house and 6 for a flush. The other machines may have payouts of as low as 8/5, 7/5, or sometimes even actually worse, at 6/5.

This means that a player who is playing at a 9/6 machine, will receive winnings greater than those of players who are playing identical hands on the other machines that have the lower payout.

For purposes of comparison purposes, a 9/6 VP machine will usually hit the royal flush about once for every 40,000 hands played. These computes to about one win during every 80-100 hours of play. In comparison, an 8/5 VP machine pays out once in about every 45,000 hands.

Another example is the 7/5 VP machine where the payout is once in about 50,000 hands and also the 6/5 machine which only pays out for a royal flush about once in every 70,000 hands played.

For the player who bets the maximum of 5 coins, then all winning hands are paid out and multiplied by a factor of 5. An exception is made however, in the case of a royal flush.

The reason such a bonus is offered is to encourage players to play the five coins. It is the players who are not playing the maximum number of coins that are allowing the maximum payout for those that do.