By Samantha Williams

There are so many variations of video poker games, but believe it or not, most of these games have their basis in Jacks or Better. To make the games more interesting, deuces and aces are introduced, as are jokers and other cards which act as wild cards.

This makes the game more fun and definitely more interesting as well as improves the chances of winning. Remember to always consult the pay tables when you are playing video poker because these tell you what strategy is required for you to win.

I once found an online video poker game which told me that I was making a mistake every time I held or discarded the wrong card. Of course this was when I was playing in free mode, but I never added that game to my favorites and I could never find it again.

If you ever manage to find a game like this, hang onto it and use if for practice, it really helps to know what the machine considers to be the best play, because it improves your strategic video poker thinking.

Also, take your time when you play, you are playing against the banker not the clock, there is no one there to rush you! I once watched a video poker player make the wrong move and discard incorrectly (and stupidly) to lose over $10 000, because he was rushing his game. I nearly fainted right there behind him, was he ever kicking himself. He looked back at me and said “I just f*$#ed up, didn’t I?” all I could do was nod my head – speechless!

Pick a video poker game that you know will be fun – today software design companies are coming up with some great innovations for online video poker games. Take for example Real Time Gaming, they have two great new games, one called Pick’em Poker and the other called Mystery Bonus Poker.

Pick’em Poker starts with 9’s or better as its base and the top hands pay out much better than Jacks or Better based games. Because more winning hands are available, the prize money is bigger, but the game is also more difficult to play – check it out if you feel like playing video poker which offers a bit more of a challenge.

Mystery Bonus Poker has a Jacks or Better as a base and the pay tables are much the same. However there has to be something mysterious about this game according to the name and there is.

When the player clicks on the draw button after placing a wager, a mystery bonus wheel spins. It reveals a poker hand and then the cards are dealt. The players final hand has to match with the bonus hand, and if it does the player receives a double payout. So here is an online video poker game that will keep you enthralled for hours – it certainly did me!