Best Online Video Poker Sites
Anyone who plays video poker online knows the game can vary drastically among casino sites, and finding an online casino with quality video poker can be a challenge. We have tried to save you the hassle of combing through countless websites by creating a list of the best video poker sites available.
- Planet 7 Casino
- Slots.lv
- Bovada Casino
Video Poker Site Selection
What makes a video poker site the "best"? The two most important factors we consider are the casino's reputation and the safety and security of your personal and financial information. Beyond this, we focus on the video poker machines themselves, including payout rates, game variations and available options.
Gambling sites come and go, and it is important that any site you choose be around long enough to develop a trusted reputation. It can be difficult to verify the security of your money when it is sitting in an online casino account. The security measures a site takes, and the track record of those measures' success, help to determine the safety of your finances.
In addition to a sound reputation and good security, the best online video poker sites listed above offer a variety of rule variations. We like to see casinos with multiple versions of the game, such as Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, and several others. Even if you usually stick with one of these versions, it's nice to have the option of trying a new form of video poker without having to join a new site.
The options within each game are important, too. For instance, many players like the option of playing multiple hands of video poker at once. Some online gambling sites have machines that allow you to play one hundred hands at a time. The majority of people still prefer the classic single-hand video poker, so we look for sites that offer both options.
Why Play Online?
Playing video poker at an online gambling site is different than other casino games. Since video poker is naturally played on a machine, the transition from brick and mortar to dot-com is painless.
While the game itself is essentially the same, there are distinct advantages to playing video poker online. The best gambling sites manage to bring you the same video poker entertainment as a live casino without all the hassles and headaches. You won't be waiting in line to use the most popular machines, lugging around a bucket of change, or standing in line to collect your winnings. Online video poker sites handle everything for you automatically.
One downside to video poker in general is the quality of the graphics. Casinos are full of new-aged electronics with bright, crisp screens, but the video poker machines just can't seem to catch up. While the graphics may be a negative, they aren't any worse at an online casino than at the machines you play in person, so we'll call this one a tie.
All in all, we were very impressed with the video poker machines at the online casinos listed above. The selection was fantastic, even better than many land-based casinos. The payouts are very generous and up to par with the live casinos and we did not experience any lag with the software. If you're looking for an exciting game with great odds, online video poker may be the way to go.
Rules and Strategy
Video poker is well known for having high payout rates, often over 98%. It should go without saying, but this is only if you use the correct strategy. You won't get anywhere near that if you're terrible at it. Fortunately, you can just use our cheat sheet for proper video poker strategy, and with a solid promotion or rewards program, the payout rates can approach nearly 100%.
Learning to play video poker is a straightforward process and consists primarily of knowing which poker hands payout and which do not. There are minor variations in video poker rules between different games, but they all follow the same basic principles. You may come across the addition of wild cards or other alterations which can affect your discard strategy, so be aware of the version you choose.
Bonus Promotions and Video Poker
A rule of thumb with any online casino promotion: read the fine print! Bonuses can result in a lot of extra cash, but they are not designed to be free money giveaways. All casino bonuses must be cleared, usually by wagering a specified amount of money, and it is essential to read the terms and conditions that outline this clearing process.
Very few online casino sites allow players to clear a bonus by playing video poker. The payout rates are just too high, and the low house advantage would essentially guarantee free bonus money. Online casinos are not charities, and while a promotion can definitely result in extra cash, it will usually require you to play casino games other than online video poker.
There was a time when betting sites allowed for bonuses to be cleared through playing video poker. Thanks to a wide range of skilled poker players, the casinos eventually realized how much money they were losing and changed their promotional policies. Occasionally a gambling site will pop up that allows video poker clearing of bonuses, and we still keep an eye out for them, but they are few and far between.
