Video poker is one of the more specialized online casino games out there. Combining the fast pace of slots with the strategic decision-making of poker, it has a particular appeal for players who enjoy speed and calculated risks. One of the most devoted video poker players was Lemmy Kilminster, lead singer of Motorhead, a band that epitomized these qualities. It’s a game for people who work hard and play hard — the kind of people that Pennsylvania is known for. With the summer vacation upon us, let’s take a look at which casinos in Pennsylvania offer the best video poker and some tips about how to get the most out of the game.
Top Pennsylvania Video Poker Destinations
Here’s a selection of the top three casinos that offer video poker in Pennsylvania, followed by the rules of the game and how to play.
1. Mount Airy Resort
At the top of the list is Mount Airy Resort Poker Room. It’s now open with a main floor that boasts 12 tables and a variety of games such as Stud, Texas Hold’em and Omaha. Additionally, compared to other casinos in Pennsylvania, Mount Airy Resort offers video poker that is basically from another world. There are $2, $5 and $10 games that have 9/6 Jacks, 8/5 Bonus Poker and 15/9 Deuces Wild, among others. Additionally, Mount Airy Resort offers other video poker game variants such as Super Times Pay, Triple Spin Poker, Pick’em Poker, Ultimate X, Hot Roll and Super Six-Card Draw. For these variants, the standard denominations are nickel, dime and quarter, with some going up to $1.
2. Hollywood Casino at Penn National
Out of the highest-rated casino games for video poker comes 7/5 Bonus Poker, available in $1, $2 and $5 denominations. These machines, located in the high-limit slot room, also have 9/5 Double Double Bonus Poker. On the main casino floor, you can find pay tables for the Game King video poker that accept $1 denominations. At Hollywood Casino, Penn National, video poker variations are bountiful, so if you’re a big fan of video poker online casino games, this is the place for you. Other options include Spin Poker, Hot Roll, Double Super Times Pay and 3/5/10 Play. For these, the typical denominations are nickel, dime and quarter.
3. Rivers Pittsburgh
If you’re at Rivers Pittsburgh, Hot Roll is the best-rated video poker to play. This game offers quarter, half-dollar and dollar 9/6 Double Double Bonus Poker. Also, in the high-limit room, you’ll find 8/6 Jacks or Better. Additionally, there’s a huge collection of video poker variants such as Double Pay, Dream Card, Powerhouse Poker, Super Draw 6 Card Poker and Ultimate X. For these casino games, the denominations start from nickel and head up to a quarter, half-dollar or a full dollar.
How To Play Video Poker
Most casinos in Pennsylvania are decked out with video poker machines on their floors since they’re a staple game enjoyed by both newbies and more skilled gamblers. If you’re here for the first time or you’d like a refresher on the basics, you’re in the right place. Simply put, video poker is a digitized version of a Five-Card Draw game of poker, where players work to create a winning five-card hand. What constitutes the winning hand will depend on the game. Even though slot machines and video poker games are often put together (both in class and physically in the casino,) one can exert a degree of control in video poker which distinguishes it from other slots. With online slots, it’s more a matter of luck. With video poker, you can use your skill. The skill factor is also why strategic players often insist that poker is better than roulette, which is also based on chance.
Once the game is over, the payout percentages that are listed in each of the game variants are calculated — assuming that you played flawlessly. Therefore, if your play is less than perfect, the percentage will dip in the casino’s favor. What influences your chances of winning is the number of coins you wager. For most physical and online casinos in Pennsylvania, video poker machines typically have a type of outsized payout for the highest coin play. Keep in mind that these highest levels can be attached to progressive jackpots, which means you could play that highest level as a strategy to maximize the expected value of your bets.
Video Poker Rules
To recap, video poker is a style of poker based on a five-card-draw play. You’ll be dealt five cards after you place a wager on a hand. Then you have the option to “hold” or “fold” those cards in your attempt to make the hand with the highest value possible, according to the standard poker hierarchy. So, now that you’ve got a better grip on the rules of the game, here’s a quick lesson on poker hand ranks from strongest to weakest:
- Royal flush: consists of the cards 10, jack, queen, king and ace, all of the same suit.
- Straight flush: five sequential cards all of the same suit.
- Four-of-a-kind: a hand consisting of all four cards of the same value, in each suit.
- Full house: a hand that consists of both a pair and a three-of-a-kind.
- Flush: any combination of five cards in the same suit.
- Straight: five cards in a sequence, regardless of the suit.
- Three-of-a-kind: three cards of the same value.
- Two pair: a hand consisting of two unlike pairs of cards.
- Pair: one like pair of cards.
- High card: no pairs or a higher-value combination of cards.
To determine your hand strength, you’d use the highest-value card rank. Of course, with both online casino games as well as the standard versions, there will be different payouts for each outcome depending on the version of video poker being played. For more in-depth knowledge, try these poker blogs.
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