By Samantha Williams

As one of the most popularly played games online video poker ranks at the top. Some experts say this is because it has one of the lowest house edges, so it pays out more often. I believe them, but I just play it because I like the game and find it that wee bit more entertaining than slots without the challenge of having to stack up to the skills of other poker players. But we all have our own reasons for playing video poker I am sure.

Different video poker software developers have different variations of the game and Microgaming for example has nearly 60 variants. Each of these variants has their own strategy for winning, and I found a great site the other day which allowed me to play video poker for free, while congratulating me for using the correct strategy, and criticizing me when I didn’t; but do you think for the life of me I can remember what it was called? Microgaming actually only has 17 pure variants, but these are split out by being able to play the games as 4 hand, 10 hand and even more hands as well as the new Level-up game.

Nevertheless, playing video poker for free at any site will familiarizes you with the strategy of a particular game and this is always governed by the pay tables. So all you need to do is refer to these to get the hang of it. Presently I believe that only Microgaming sites offer Level-up, but this will no doubt soon change.

It is hard to say what the most popular variant of video poker is, but I would hazard a guess at Jacks or Better as it is available at virtually every online casino. You will also find Aces and Faces, Double Joker, Bonus Deuces Wild, Double Bonus Poker and many other variations, I don’t want to be boring and list them all!

In games such as Bonus Deuces Wild the “deuce” which is a number two card, doubles up as a wild card and can be used to make the best winning poker hand. It is this that makes the game so simple to play and so easy to win. If a “Joker” is included in the title of the game, you can be pretty sure this is the extra card in the pack and it will also be a wild card.

As level-up poker is the latest format of video poker, I am not very familiar with it, but it looks very exciting and as soon as I have managed to sneak in a game or two, I will be better qualified to speak about it. It has something to do with playing four different hands with a new deck of cards, each at a different level.

By Samantha Williams

It is easy to believe that online gambling may be the answer to maxed out credit cards, a ton of bills coming due and you thinking about how you can make a few extra dollars online. But this is not the way the world works, rather find something you can work on and get paid for if your financial circumstances are dire, never spend what little money you have online gambling. The Gods of gambling don’t like this kind of greed – they do exist and you will only end up crying in your beer; that is if you can still afford to buy beer.

I can never stress enough that online gambling is meant to be fun, and boy can you have fun playing the many games they have available. Many a big name in poker started off playing online for example and worked their way through the system to become successful, but you can guarantee they started off small and learned their craft. Luck counts when gambling, but not that much in poker unfortunately, in this game skill counts. Beginners luck is also a pitfall that can trap you into believing you are the best before you have been truly tested, so beware of this also and don’t get a swollen head if you win.

There are sob stories all over the place regarding silly people who had big wins and then lost it all by gambling in greed. If you have a big win, whether you play slots, roulette, baccarat, poker, roulette or bingo, make sure you make this money work for you. The aim of becoming rich is making your money work for you and not working for your money. So never think you are invincible, keep it real, be in a position to enjoy your defeats and you will be just fine.

Gambling is a sport, but it is also a sport where money is at risk so knowledge is key to success. If your new hobby is online gambling and you have a favorite game stick to it and learn as much about it as you can. Check how the system on the site works, take advantage of as many free offers as you can without them becoming unaffordable. To get something for nothing, there is usually a price to pay. But the beauty of online gambling is that there is so much genuinely given away for free, so learn about this.

Some people have worked out free offers and bonuses at the site of their preference so well that they rarely even have to spend their own money. Gambling is great fun, but when you are using someone else’s money to do it, it is even more fun!!