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Free Video Poker – The Essentials
Video poker trial games allow you to try the game without making a deposit. You can benefit from playing demo versions if you’re new and want some practice. If you’re already a more experienced player, it’s a great way to test a new variant before risking money.
Where Can I Find Video Poker Practice Games?
You can play free video poker demos right here on GamesHub. These let you practice instantly in your browser. You’ll also find free versions at some online casinos and on select manufacturer websites.
How to Play Online Video Poker
If you want to play video poker games for free, follow these simple steps.
- Choose a video poker trial game: There are many free online video poker games. So, take the time to work out which one looks best to you.
- Check the winning hands: Learn the best possible hand and what comes after. The top three are Royal Flush, Straight Flush, and Four of a Kind.
- Deal the cards: Open the game, set your bet, and press the ‘Deal’ button to get your five cards. That will be the case except for in multi hand play, where multiple hands are dealt simultaneously.
- Hold or discard: Click the cards you want to keep, then draw new cards to replace the rest.
- Play: Play the round and check the paytable to see if you win, and if so, how much.
Odds & Payouts
There are a few things that you’ll need to understand when it comes to working out the odds and payouts for video poker. Make sure you know the basics before you start playing.
- Odds of hand-making: A natural Royal Flush is rare in video poker. A pair, on the other hand, is pretty standard. Flush means five cards of the same suit, while a pair means two cards of the same rank.
- Payout structures: All hands in video poker pay out in relation to your stake. For example, if you bet one coin, a royal flush pays out around 250 coins in many games, while a two pair hand will only pay out two coins most of the time. In Jacks or Better, you get a stunning 4,000 coins for a wager of five coins if you land a Royal Flush.
- RTP: The RTP (Return to Player) of a game shows us the inverse of the house edge. An RTP of 97% has a house edge of 3%. So, the higher the RTP, the better your odds of winning.
Strategy Tips
Free-play video poker is a fantastic, risk-free way to get a feel for your strategy when playing for real money. This can really boost your chances of winning in the real game.
- Know when to hold pairs: Always keep a pair of Jacks or higher. If you’re dealt multiple cards of one rank, that’s often worth holding onto.
- Understand when to go for a Flush: It’s usually worth discarding the odd card and drawing for the Flush if you’re dealt four cards to a flush.
- Look out for the high cards: Holding just one high card is often better than keeping two low cards.
- Chase the Royal Flush when you can: The big cash comes from the Royal Flush. Always go for it if you’re dealt four cards where only one more is needed to reach it.
- Keep your eyes on the pay table: The better you understand how different hands pay out, the more equipped you’ll be to decide which moves to go for on each draw.
- Bet little and often: It’s better to have more turns at lower stakes when you move onto playing video poker for real money. This way, you give yourself more opportunities to land a winning hand.
- Stay smart with safe gambling: Use safe gambling tools like deposit limits when playing video poker for real money.
Variants of Video Poker Games You Can Try for Free
To practice video poker, start with one of the many variants available. Each has its own rules and payout structure.
Jacks or Better
The most popular variant of video poker is Jacks or Better. Here, a win starts with a pair of Jacks or higher. Lower pairs don’t count for payouts.
If you play strategically, it has an incredible average RTP of 99.5%, making it one of the fairest casino games available online.
Texas Hold’Em
Another one of the most popular variants of video poker is Texas Hold’Em. Although technically a poker table game, many free video poker games mimic the rules.
What’s the difference between this and standard video poker? Well, a few things…
- Instead of being dealt five cards right away, you start with two hole cards and then play off shared community cards (the flop, turn, and river).
- There are simplified betting rounds in video poker versions, and these usually give you just a few options: to continue, raise, or fold at each stage.
- Winning is based on making the best 5-card hand out of your two hole cards plus the five community cards, not just the five cards dealt to you directly.
A lot of players like to use the video poker variant of Texas Hold ‘Em as a bridge to play live poker, where you’re sitting at a table with other players and facing fundamental betting dynamics. Poker in its live form is more of a challenge, so practicing with some video poker demo games could be a good idea. Regardless, you will be looking at a solid average RTP of 97-98%.
Deuces Wild
All of the 2s in Deuces Wild are wild, significantly affecting the payouts and your strategy. You can use a 2 to substitute for any other card to complete stronger hands. The extra wilds mean the game requires higher qualifying hands (usually Three of a Kind or better). You could get an RTP of up to 99.7% with this variant.
Joker Poker
In this game variant, the Joker is the wild card. This means the hand ranking is different. For example, Five of a Kind is only possible with the Joker. The RTP for Joker Poker generally ranges between 95% and 99%.
Bonus Poker
Bonus Poker is a Jacks or Better variant with boosted payouts for Four of a Kind, especially Aces. The added volatility makes it best for experienced players with RTPs of 96-98%.
Double Bonus or Double Double Bonus poker raise the volatility further but offer even bigger payouts.
Triple Play Poker
Triple Play Poker is a multi hand play video poker variant where you play three hands at once. You’ll make your holds on the first deal, and those choices are automatically applied across all three hands before the draw. This speeds up the action and gives you three chances to win per round.
You won’t find free Triple Play video poker at many sites, but if you do, you can expect an RTP of up to 99.5%.
Video Poker for Free vs. for Real Money
Is it better to play free video poker or enjoy it for real money? Playing video poker online for free has perks, but it doesn’t compare to the thrill of stacking all the chips in a real money game. That said, both versions have their benefits and drawbacks.
|
Free Online Video Poker Games |
Video Poker Games for Real Money |
| ✅ Most variants of video poker can be played for free. | ✅ A more exciting way to play the game with potential financial rewards. |
| ✅ Great option for beginners or more casual players. | ✅ Several video poker games has some of the highest RTPs. Always check the pay table though, as some versions drop to 95%. |
| ✅ Mobile gameplay through an app offering video poker without real money. | ✅ Bonuses at online casinos can help you to keep your costs down. |
| ❌ You won’t actually be able to win any money this way. | ❌ There is a risk of losing money, so play safely. |
Pros & Cons of Free Video Poker Games
Let’s consider some of the main benefits to playing free online video poker compared to the negatives of it.
Pros:
- Possible to play video poker for free with no download requirement
- An option for new players to get a feel for video poker in general
- Can help you to understand what your chances of winning are
- A great way to try out new variants of video poker
- No risk of losing any money while playing for free
Cons:
- Not possible to actually win any money while playing for free
- Not all online casinos will allow you to play for free
Other Casino Games to Play for Free
Video poker isn’t the only game you can play in demo mode. Most online casino games are available for free, except live dealer games, which require a funded account. Check out our guides to other free options:
- Free slots
- Free roulette
- Free craps
- Free dice
