Best Classic Video Poker Games

We all love nostalgia, so no wonder all kinds of retro things from vinyl to platform shoes are popular again. It’s the same with online casino games as players still like to play old games from the 1990s and 2000s. Luckily we can also find some of the best classic video poker games in brick-and-mortar and online casino sites. So if you want to travel back in time, or just get to know them, read our list below. 

The first video poker games appeared in the 1970s in poker machines made by Dale Electronics. Then in the same decade, Si Redd started to promote a new game called Video Poker and formed Si Redd’s Coin Machines. The popularity of his machines grew slowly but by the 1980s, you could find one in most US casinos. With the development of technology and the growing interest in slot machines, video poker has also become widely popular. Players still love these games from the basic ones to more specialized bonus/multiplay/actions games which are also available online. Whether you are a fan of these classic games or you just want to play with something new, take a look at the following list. 

Jacks or Better Is One of the Best Classic Video Poker Games

One of the first and most popular video poker games is Jacks or Better which is a simple but very entertaining game. You are dealt five cards in the first round then you can choose which cards you want to hold on to. While the other cards will be replaced in the next round. You win if you have at least a pair of jacks, explaining the origin of the game’s name. The biggest win can be yours with a Royal Flush. There is a payout table at the top of the screen that will lead you during play. Jacks or Better is a perfect choice for beginners or less advanced poker players. But even more advanced players regard it as one of the best classic video poker games. 

Deuces Wild

In this version of video poker, wild cards are added to the standard stack. All twos are wild cards, and they can represent any other card that you need. There are four of them so you can come across a wild card quite frequently. It also increases your chances of winning. But in exchange, casinos often require players to have better hands in order to win. Usually, the minimum hand you need is a three-of-a-kind. The rest of the game is the same as in Jacks or Better, as you receive five cards in the beginning. You can discard all five cards or hold on to some before the next round. If you want to play this or other basic video poker games, just visit one of the main online casino sites in the US. 

Joker Poker

Joker Poker as it comes from its name involves a joker card that can also replace any other card. So this game is played with a deck of 53 cards, including the joker wild card. The joker can help players to get a winning hand eg. you only need four cards of the same suit to have a flush. Or just two of the same kind to have a three-of-a-kind etc. The odds for hands including the joker might be smaller than the standard ones. You also need to have a pair of Kings or higher to win. But in this version players can even have a five-of-a-kind which pays off at 200 to 1. There is also a difference between a natural and a wild card royal flush. As the natural royal flush pays off at 800 to 1. While the wild card version’s payout is 100 to 1. 

Bonus and Double Bonus Poker

The next two video poker games don’t have any wild cards, but it offers improved odds than Jacks or Better. In Bonus Poker you need to have four-of-a-kind to feel the difference which is not easy to get, especially without wild cards. Players still love this version thanks to the bigger payouts. According to these payouts, four aces pay off at 80 to 1, and four 2s, 3s, or 4s pay off at 40 to 1. While all other 4-of-a-kinds pay off at 25 to 1, just like in Jacks or Better.

In Double Bonus Poker, you can get double these payouts with four-of-a-kind. So a payout of 160 to 1 for four aces. And even the basic payout for other four-of-a-kinds is 50 to 1. In addition, the payouts for full house and flush are also higher than in the standard version. No wonder Double Bonus Poker is one of the most popular video poker games on online poker sites in the US.  

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