Video Poker

Poker 101

This is a quick explanation of Poker basics for those who may not be familiar with the game. If you already know how to play poker you might want to just skip ahead to the next section.

The details of the various techniques and strategies of playing poker are beyond the scope of this help file, but here is the game in a nutshell. First off let me mention there are several different versions of poker. The game described below (the one this program plays) is called draw poker.

To play poker, the players first 'ante up' (make a bet). After everyone has anted, each player is dealt a card (face down) from the deck, starting with the player on the dealer's left and going in rotation clockwise around the table back to the dealer, until everyone has 5 cards. These 5 cards collectively are called the player's 'hand'. Each hand has a value, determined by the cards the player has. The table below shows the possible hand values, ranked from highest to lowest.

		
			Royal Flush         A-K-Q-J-10 all of the same suit  

Straight Flush         Any sequence of 5 cards all of the same suit  

4 of a kind         4 cards of the same rank  

Full House         3 cards of one rank plus 2 cards of a different rank  

Flush             All 5 cards of the same suit, but not in sequence  

Straight         Any sequence of 5 cards of different suits  
            (Aces are high, but can be low when used in a straight...A-2-3-4-5  
             this is called    "the wheel")  

3 of a kind         3 cards of the same rank  

2 pair             2 cards of one rank plus 2 cards of a different rank  

Pair             2 cards of one rank  
		
	

The object is for the player to get as high a value as possible for his or her hand. After checking their hand to see what value it has, the players have the chance to try to improve their hand by exchanging some (or all) of their cards. Another round of betting ensues, this time with the player having the option to 'fold' (give up this hand and throw in their cards...surrendering any money they've already bet)) or 'call' (make the bet). If a player has a really good hand (or wants to make the other players think they do...known as 'bluffing'), they have the option to 'raise' (increase the amount of the original bet). If this occurs, the betting cycle goes around the table again (with the players again having the option to fold or call) until all the betting has been completed.

After all bets are placed, the remaining players can select which of their cards (if any) they want to 'discard' (throw away). Players can either 'stand pat' (keep all their original cards) , or select to discard one up to all five of their cards, and be dealt replacements. After getting their replacement cards, the players compare hands, and the one with the highest value wins the 'pot' (the money bet by all the players during that hand...also called the 'kitty').

Playing Video Poker

Since Video Poker is a single player game, it varies a little bit from the standard game. These differences are as follows:

There is no second round of betting between the deal and the draw, so therefore there is no option to raise, fold, call, or bluff.

The player must have at least a pair of jacks to give a them a winning hand. Video Poker also has an extra card in the deck called the Joker (hence the name G). The Joker is wild, which means it can be used as any card the player wants it to be. This also allows for the possibility of '5 of a kind'...a hand not found in standard poker games.

Player's winnings are calculated differently (see 'Payouts' below)

Betting and Dealing

Your start the game with 100 credits. To get the hand started, make a bet by clicking on one of the bet buttons. You can place bets in increments of 1, 5 or 10 credits. Notice that as you place your bet, the payout window on the right will reflect the amount of credits you can potentially win for each hand. Naturally the more you bet the more you can win. Ther are no betting limits. You can bet from 1 up to all of your credits, however you must bet at least 15 credits to activate the Joker.

When you are finished placing your bet, click the deal button to get your cards. The program will analyze your cards to determine the value of the hand. The value of your hand and the amount of credits it's worth will be highlighted in the payout window.

The Draw

If you want to draw a whole new hand, simply click the draw button and you will be dealt 5 new cards. If you want to keep any (or all) of the cards you were dealt, click on the hold button below each card that you want to keep. The button will turn yellow to signify that you selected that card to keep. If you change your mind, just click it again and it will turn back to green and the card will no longer be held. When you have made all your selections, click on the draw button to get new cards.

The cards you elected to keep will remain in your hand. The remainder of the cards will be discarded, and you will be dealt new cards from the deck. Once again, the program will analyze your cards and highlight the value of the hand and the amount of your payout. Click one of the bet buttons to start the next deal.

Payouts

Another difference between Video Poker and the standard game is in how the player's winnings are determined. Video Poker has no kitty to win. Instead, the winner's payout is calculated by a ratio of the amount bet. For example, if a player bets 10 credits and gets a flush, their payout would be 60 credits because a flush pays 6 to 1. The table below shows the payout ratio of each hand value.

		
			            HAND                PAYOUT  

        Natural Royal Flush             250 to 1  

        5 Of A Kind                150 to 1  

        Joker Royal Flush            100 to 1  

        Straight Flush                50 to 1  

        4 Of A Kind                25 to 1  

        Full House                9 to 1  

        Flush                    6 to 1  

        Straight                4 to 1  

        3 Of A Kind                3 to 1  

        2 Pair                    2 to 1  

        1 Pair (Jacks or better)        1 to 1  

        1 Pair (10's or lower)           0  

        Hi-card (no pairs)               0
		
	

#arcade