Author: horse-racing-free-tips

Video poker has been around for over 30 years. It started out when casinos noticed that many people liked to play cards but were too scared to actually sit down at a poker table. Video poker allowed these players to play poker without having to look their opponents in the eye. With the explosion of online casinos Video Poker’s popularity grew exponentially. This growth in turn led to the development of new versions of video poker. Here we’ll take a look at some of the more important developments in the video poker world.

1. Multi Hand Video Poker

Multi Hand Video Poker is like “normal” video poker on steroids. As its name implies, you’re playing more then one hand at a time. Common variations include Jacks or Better (of course), 10’s Or Better, Deuces Wild and more. The Games come in 4, 10, 50, and even 100 hand versions. Multi hand video poker is an exciting twist on standard single hand video poker. Today, most online casinos have at least one multi-hand version.

2. Power Poker

Power Poker is Microgaming’s version of Multi-Hand Video Poker and is probably the most popular multi-hand version on the web. Currently there are 11 different Power Poker Games in 4, 10 and 50 hand versions. Playing Power Poker is like playing the single hand version of the game. You start with the same 5 cards in each hand. You then select the card(s) you wish to hold. The remaining cards are discarded and new cards replace the discarded ones. Winning hands are determined by a redefined payout schedule.

3. Progressive Video Poker

Progressive Video Poker is yet another exciting variation of good old video poker. Progressive Video poker follows the same rules as a non-progressive version of the same game. The difference is in the payout of the royal flush. Often times, progressive jackpots build through multiple casinos, so potentially the pot can be huge. When playing a Progressive machine, it’s crucial to play the max coins on every play, that’s the only way to win the jackpot.

4. Online Poker Rooms

Online Poker is not technically a video poker; however, since there are obvious similarities between the two, I felt a brief overview should be included here. In video poker you are playing against a machine, winning and losing hands are determined by a static payout schedule. However, when you’re playing online poker, you are playing against real people. There is no predetermined payout schedule, you can win as much as your opponents are willing to wager on each hand. Also, and more importantly, Online poker allows you to bluff, meaning in theory, if you’re a good enough bluffer, you can have the worst hand at the table but still win, if you’ve been able to convince your opponents to fold. This is the main reason for the huge popularity in online poker.

Lastly, as you can see, video poker continues to evolve. What started out as a game for would-be poker players who were too intimidated to sit down at a real table, has, with the advent of Online Poker, come full circle. Today a poker player can sit down at a virtual table with players from around the world. Amazing.

Online poker you can play anytime you want — 24/7 365. You can play it in total comfort, right from your own home, wearing whatever you like (or nothing at all), sitting, reclining, or jogging on a treadmill (though we don’t recommend it). You can set the lighting, temperature, and ambience to be just as you like it. In many ways, with online poker you simply have more control.

You have no other people to contend with (at least not in person) — no one hovering over you, talking at you, pushing you, crowding around you, giving you unsought advice, or shooting you nasty looks. You don’t have to smell smoke if you don’t want to. You have no sexy waitresses tempting you with mind-altering drinks and otherwise distracting your attention away from the game at hand (pun completely intended). You don’t have to drive anywhere (and with gas prices what they are, that alone preserves your bankroll tremendously), nor do have to get dressed up or tip your dealer — all of which save you time and money.

Another benefit of online poker is that you can play against people from across the globe. Think about it next time you sit down at an online poker table — not everyone there even speaks the same language. And globetrotting on the internet gives you access to more casinos and poker rooms than you can ever find in one single place, even if that one place happens to be Vegas!
Online poker players get to choose from an inordinate variety of cardrooms, game types, and table stakes. Moments ago, we mentioned the ambience of the environment where you’ll be sitting down with your computer to play online poker (most likely your home), but online poker gives you almost just as much control in determining the ambience of the cardroom itself.

Whether you enjoy an Old West setting, a Hollywood setting, an Egyptian setting, a jungle setting, a resort setting, and on and on…you can almost certainly find an online poker room designed around whatever theme suits your tastes. Likewise, you can find rooms more likely to have more (or less) experienced players, faster (or slower) action, higher (or lower) stakes, etc.

By the same token, however, when playing online poker it also helps to be aware of its perceived disadvantages as compared with playing traditional “offline” poker. A simple awareness of the difference alone can make you a better player.

For one, you don’t get that intimate, face-to-face contact with other human beings. But don’t rule online poker out as a social outlet altogether. More and more online poker rooms are fostering a real sense of community amongst their players with attractive and appealing member’s clubs, player forums, and sponsored land-based events.

For some poker players, the game just isn’t the same without the feel of the cards in your hands and the weight of the chips as you place them in the center of the table (or the sound of them clinking as you pull the pile towards you after a big win). And you can’t substitute a number, however large or small, for the visual impact of the chip stacks — red, blue, and white — increasing or receding in front of you and expect the same effect.

But probably the biggest deal that makes some offline poker players leery of playing online poker is the inability to read the other players. Most expert poker players rely on inadvertent visual cues given by their opponents — tells — as to the actual strength or weakness of their hands. There is something to be said for the amount of information you can glean by simply looking your opponent in the eyes (thus the prevalence of sunglasses at the poker table) and watching their hands, their posture, their facial expressions, etc. Fortunately, however, there are a number of tells you can look for in online poker as well, you just have to know where (and how) to look. But that’s a subject for another article.

As for this article, we leave you with an analogy. If you like going to the theatre for your shows, the arena for your concerts, and the stadium for your games, get thee to a brick-and-mortar casino for your poker playing enjoyment. If you like Tivo though (or if you just ain’t got the dough for the theatre, arena, and stadium tickets), then online poker is your ticket.

Ever heard someone saying he just got lucky at the casino? Well, he’s lying. Because casino gambling isn’t about luck. It’s about skill, strategy, and outwitting the other players. No one can call himself lucky when he wins in poker, blackjack, or baccarat; chances are, he spends the game time thinking hard and reviewing his moves. There is no luck in that because eventually, he simply outwits the other players. There is only one game wherein a person can tell himself he got lucky in casino gambling. That one game is the slots.

Slot machines are the crowd pleasers among all casino games. Casino patrons usually start their casino gambling career by trying out their luck with the slot machines. The big come-on of slot machines that entices new players is the possibility of winning a big amount, or even the jackpot, for just a little cash. Further, there is no need to be an expert or to have the best poker face — all that is needed, really, is pure luck.

The slot machines are also the most numerous machines in any Vegas casino. A typical casino usually has at least a dozen slot machines or even a slot machine lounge. Even convenience stores sometimes have their own slot machines for quick bets. Though people don’t usually come to a casino just to play at the slots, they use the machines while waiting for a vacant spot in the poker table or until their favorite casino game starts a new round. Statistics show that a night of casino gambling does not end without a visit at the slot machines for most casino patrons.

Aside from being accessible, the slot machines are easy enough to play. As I mentioned earlier, no special skill is required in playing. The game’s objective is to chance upon the winning combination — different combinations vary in the amount of winnings. Usually, a combination is as easy as chancing upon three identical objects on the screen. Sometimes, even combinations which are not identical also amount to something. Hit the right combination and the player takes home the jackpot. This, of course, depends on the system of the slot machine. A player just have to insert his money in the slot and press the button to make the reels turn. Slot machines are casino gambling games that perhaps require the most number of wishful and hopeful thinking.

But despite the popularity and facility of playing slot machines, there are people who brand the game as the worst form of casino gambling. But these are people who probably are on the wrong side of Lady Luck. In fact, slot machines pose the most number of winnings. Players also possess the most advantage in playing slots than any other casino game. Perhaps, the most obvious of the slot’s advantages is that it practically negates the need for skill. I stress that slot machines are based purely on chance and luck. Playing strategies are not important; the skills players most likely need are the abilities to insert money and to push the button. Not exactly hard compared to the concentration and strategy needed to win the other games. Second, if you are not well-versed on the basics of poker, blackjack, and other card games, you stand the risk of losing lots of money. It is different with slots. You bet a dollar or two; when you lose, it’s only a dollar or two. But if you win, you take home as much as a hundred bucks for your dollar. That is unlikely to happen in poker where your winnings can’t even cover up for the money you lost. Third, most slot machines’ pay-out percentages are in the mid to high 90’s. These percentages are higher than the ones usually offered for the other games.

Clearly, the most basic advantage of the slot machines is that it requires no thinking and effort. The game of slots is very relaxing in its simplicity. This is probably the reason why casino gambling patrons continue to patronize the slots even after many years. After all, relaxation is their main purpose in engaging in casino gambling.