Video poker is a screen-based casino game derived from five-card draw poker. Unlike table poker, there are no opponents to beat; the player is simply paid according to a published paytable based on the strength of their final five-card hand. It combines the presentation of a slot machine with an element of genuine decision-making.
Each round follows a simple sequence. The player places a bet and is dealt five cards. They then choose which cards to hold and which to discard; the discarded cards are replaced by new ones drawn from the same deck. The resulting hand is evaluated, and if it meets or exceeds the lowest-ranked paying hand, usually a pair of jacks or better in common variants, it is paid at the rate shown.
As a concrete example, a player dealt four cards to a flush and one unrelated card would typically hold the four suited cards and draw one, aiming to complete the flush. Whether that draw succeeds is random, but the decision to keep the four suited cards is the mathematically correct play that maximises expected return.
This decision-making is the key distinction from slots. Because the paytable and deck are known, optimal strategy can be calculated precisely, and following it reduces the house edge, sometimes to a very small figure on favourable paytables. A misconception is that video poker is therefore a sure win; the house retains an edge overall, and most players deviate from perfect strategy, increasing the effective cost.
Players should pay close attention to the paytable, as small differences in the payout for key hands significantly change the theoretical return. Variants are numerous, with different wild-card rules, bonus payouts for particular hands and minimum paying hands. The specific variants, paytables and return-to-player settings offered vary by operator and jurisdiction, so comparing paytables before playing is worthwhile.