Several casinos are oriented toward players from the US, except for some states where the laws for gambling are more restrictive. The best casinos with video poker and free online video poker for US gamblers are:
- Ignition Casino
- Café Casino
- Wild Casino
- Bovada
- BetOnline
These platforms are licensed and regulated, so the gambling experience there is safe and secure. It is one of the major points when looking for a place to play video poker games and not only.
In this review, we have gathered all the necessary information about video poker, how to play for real money and free, bonuses, types of games and other main points.
Video Poker – Real Money vs Free Games
Video poker online has remained popular over the last few years. It attracts many gamblers with various games and great bonuses to apply to gambling. There are several ways to play video poker: for free and for real money. In this part, we will check both variations, their advantages and their difference.
Video poker for real money offers a lot of opportunities to players. First, the main benefit is winning this real money and enjoying your winnings.
Among other advantages, we have to mention:
- Multiple variations of games that free mode doesn’t have;
- Rewards, bonuses and promotions to play video poker, get a welcome offer and become a participant in the loyalty program in the video poker online casino sites;
- Progressive jackpot games to win real money and other prizes;
- The choice of live dealer games like in land-based casinos. It brings a realistic gambling atmosphere, like in Las Vegas or Atlantic City casinos.
To compare the free video poker game vs real money game, there are also some advantages of free play:
- You can play without risking and spending funds.
- It doesn’t require you to create an account in the online casino to play the game, no signing up and verification processes.
- You can practice playing free video poker games and build up your strategy until you are ready to gamble real money games.
- It is a great opportunity for beginners.
- You can enjoy the game on the go from apps and mobile versions of casino sites.
If you are a beginner and want to try this game first without spending money, you can enjoy a free video poker game. Or, if you are a professional gambler, you can always choose the best platform with the variety of best video poker games and win big.
How We Select the Best Casinos for Video Poker
All the best video poker online casinos have ratings and several criteria that are sufficient to make the platform a good place to play video poker and other games. We have gathered the most important factors that help gamblers choose the site.
The most significant ones are:
- Bonuses and promotions on video poker games
- License and regulations of the casino
- Collection of titles and software providers
- Device compatibility
- Payment methods
- Fast withdrawals
All these criteria help to eliminate risks when trying to figure out if the site is good for video poker online gambling. Now let’s review all these main factors and check how we choose the best site and what it offers.
Every gambler enjoys the game’s encouragement through bonuses and promotions. It is a criterion that helps gamblers win more opportunities and extra boosts. The selection of bonuses varies for different categories of users – newcomers or existing players. Let’s review some of the offers:
Welcome bonus
It is a substantial bonus for the players who have just joined and made a first deposit. This welcome package usually gives additional free spins and matched bonus with the money to play more and win. All reputable casinos welcome their players with such an offer.
No-deposit bonus
Even though the players have joined the platform, there are only sometimes times when they fund their accounts immediately. Some of the sites give the bonus without any deposit. There can be some extra spins, promos or bonus codes.
Loyalty program/VIP club
This kind of promotion to the players means they have reached a certain level by playing more on the site. Gaming enthusiasts can get extra perks with each level for their loyalty. There are some cashback offers, bonus money, free spins, and more.
There are also wagering requirements that come with the bonus. Loyalty program players have better conditions and smaller wagers before they can withdraw their winnings. But in general, the player must wager his bonus multiple times to have an opportunity to get a payout of cash.
Bonuses and promotions make a good start for new players and encourage existing ones to play more and win bigger sums in poker video games.
Safety and Security
There are several levels of safety and security measures for the gambling platform. Most players look for a trustworthy site where they can feel safe about their money and data. Such sites must have some key regulations for their users’ good gambling experience and legal video poker gaming.
There are the following services:
License and legitimate bodies
If the site has all the necessary legit documents about being a reputable platform, it is a major advantage for punters. It can include the official authorities’ licenses and the bodies who test games on the site. For example, there are several major licenses from UKGC, Malta Gaming Authority, and others.
Regulations
We have already mentioned that games must be tested, and all security measures must be fulfilled. For example, eCOGRA is an independent authority that proves a fair play opportunity on the site. It means that the site generates random numbers on the games, including video poker and live dealer games.
SSL encryption
It protects users’ data and eliminates the risk of stealing their account details. It also gives security measures for payments of users and their banking data.
Selection of Video Poker Games
One of the other main features of the trusted casino is a wide selection of games and software providers. With many variants of video poker games, the casino gives more possibilities to try titles from different suppliers and the best gambling experience.
First of all, each game, in our case, video poker online, can have numerous titles, even from one software provider. But most casinos have several of them and can guarantee a bigger collection to choose from.
Software providers must also be reputable and known among different platforms for their great titles, good RTP rates, and progressive jackpot options.
Free video poker online is a key option for players still waiting to make a deposit but still want to enjoy their favourite game. Free play mode allows playing and practising simultaneously without risking money.
High quality of games is another feature that guarantees that the site is good and cooperates with reputable providers. Good graphics and visual effects always give a pleasant atmosphere to gambling.
Device Optimization
The opportunity to play video poker 2026 on the go is one of the major points for players who enjoy gambling on mobile devices. The good platform always provides a high-quality mobile site version compatible with iOS and Android devices, including smartphones and tablets. Some platforms provide a downloadable app to install quickly and easily for instant play.
Not all players enjoy gambling on a desktop, so the good quality and compatibility on the mobile device will also give extra benefits for players and casinos.
Users must be able to enjoy the wide selection of games on mobile devices, too, including bonuses, banking options, and other features that the desktop version has.
Banking Options
The choice of various payment methods is a crucial moment for many users. They prefer to play on sites where they can deposit money fast and easily and have the security of their funds. Players who decide to play for real money instead of free video poker must have a chance to fund their accounts easily.
There are several key factors for banking with online casinos:
- Easy process for deposits
- Variety of methods, including debit or credit cards, e-wallets, bank transfers, and crypto like Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.
- Instant payments and speedy process
- Security of funds and banking data
There is also another factor that helps to provide a good experience for gamblers – fair RTP rates. Casinos that provide a decent payout, especially for video poker games, display their rates on the site, which gives players transparency with such important information.
Fast Payouts
Of course, most gamblers look for the chance to get a fast payout after successful gaming to enjoy their winnings. If the site provides a decent number of banking options with instant withdrawals without complicated processes, they can become a good choice for many loyal players.
The Most Popular Types of Video Poker Games
The whole variety of video poker games numerates a wide collection. We have a lot to choose from the following selection at the video poker casino:
- Video poker classic or video poker classic free
- Ten’s or Better, Jack’s or Better, etc.
- Double Bonus or Double Double Bonus video poker
- Deuces Wild
- Triple Bonus
- Pick ’em Poker
- And more
Every gambler can choose the best video poker game for themselves and try to win real money, or have fun and play free video poker with demo versions that some casinos offer.
Jacks or Better
The first video poker online game was called Draw Poker back in the days it was presented, and now it is known as Jacks or Better. It is the most common version of video poker with five cards. The game uses a single deck of 52 cards, and the player is given five cards at each draw. The youngest winning hand is Jacks or higher, and the best hand you can muster is a Royal Flush. The RTP rates for these games are pretty high among software providers and gambling sites – 96-97%.
Double Bonus Poker
Double Bonus Poker is a derivative of Jacks or Better. It gets its name because it doubles the payout for every carat compared to the Bonus Poker payout table. It includes an additional bonus payout for four cards of one kind – Aces, Twos, Threes and Fours. It also doubles the payout for the Fives if you collected four of them through Kings.
Deuces Wild
Deuces Wild is one of the most popular varieties of video poker online because it is quite simple. The main difference here is that all Twos are Wild cards. For example, if you have a Deuce and a pair of Sevens, you instantly form a triple of Sevens. The Two replaces any card in the deck to make it easier for you to make a winning combination.
Double Double Bonus
Double Double Bonus Poker is a type of video poker with an RTP of 98.98%. You can practice it as a free video poker game. Double Double Bonus Poker adds even more bonuses for four combinations made with certain cards.
Joker’s Wild
Jokers Wild is one of a large group of five-handed card games called draw poker. These games allow players to discard some or all of their five dealt cards in the hope that they will get better cards in the next round. The Jokers Wild variant adds one Joker card to the card in a 52 cards deck, representing any card chosen by the lucky player who is lucky enough to receive this bonus. Jokers Wild is a great game for beginners, as there is no betting once the rounds are drawn. The game lends itself to quick shooting.
Popular providers
How to Play Free Video Poker
Generally, all video poker games are the same in the rules, including free video poker. They differ a bit, but the basics are practically the same.
So, follow these steps:
- Decide how many chips or coins to bet. Most video poker games allow you to bet from one to five units.
- Click to deal five cards. Sometimes it can be three cards first and then two more.
- Choose which cards you want to keep by pressing the button. It can be your strategy for how to play online video poker successfully.
- Press Take to add new cards instead of those you didn’t choose in the previous step.
- If you form the winning combination, you win the game.
Now let’s speak about the video poker terms, glossary and combinations that all players must know before playing and building up a strategy.
Video Poker Terms You Need to Know
There are many different terms in video poker games that not all players know if they are beginners. We have chosen the most common ones in the classic games of Poker.
Combination
Royal flush
If you have five cards of the same suit from 10 to Ace. It is the highest rank of winning combinations.
Straight flush
Five cards of the same suit placed in a sequence, for example, 4,5,6,7 and 8 of hearts.
Four of a kind
For example, you have 4 Jacks, and the fifth card is different.
Full House
Three of a kind plus one pair.
Flush
You have five cards of the same suit.
Straight
Five cards in sequence, but the suit can differ.
Three of a kind
For example, three Kings and the other two cards can be different.
Two pairs
Two different pairs of cards.
Pair
Two cards of the same rank.
High card
If nobody has a winning combination, the player with the highest card wins.
Terms
Action
Making a bet on a poker machine.
Bankroll
Total money set in the online casino video poker game.
Credits
The amount of money you earn in the video poker game.
Coins
These are the chips with a different values. Like 5-dollar chips, 10-dollar chips, etc.
Draw
The player can draw for different cards only once if he wants another selection.
Hand
Players have five cards at one point or have a combination.
Winning Hands in Video Poker
The winning hand is another term in video poker games – the hand in which the payout is awarded based on the payout table is considered the winning hand. The winning combinations in video poker are the same as in regular Poker, although there may be some differences depending on the video poker option you choose. Starting with the highest paying combination, the hands are ranked in the following order: flush royal, straight flush, square, full house, flush, straight, three, two pair, and jacks or better.
We have described all the combinations in the previous paragraph, so you can follow these basics and see if you have a chance to win the game.
Our Expert Tips on How to Win at Video Poker
Several tips can help a gambler to play video Poker successfully. We have emphasized the main points for convenience:
- Make the maximum bet on each hand. If the maximum bet in the game is too high for your bankroll, switch to a cheaper slot machine.
- Read the rules and payout table of each game you play. Mistakes usually happen when players need to learn the rules.
- It would be best if you played video poker games that give you the best chance of winning. Check the RTP rates and look for the Full Pay Machine as a tip.
- Use your strategy. If you have enough practice and know how to play, it can help a lot.
- Join a VIP club. It can benefit you with several extra bonuses to your game and give you more opportunities. It can also include a cashback offer.
Enjoy Playing Video Poker Online at the Best Casino Sites
We have reviewed the most popular game among all the online gambling platforms and land-based casinos. Video poker is simple; it is easy to win if you have practised and built up your own strategy. There is a huge variety of games from different software providers in numerous casinos.
Players can grab amazing offers with bonuses and play on the go from the mobile version of the site or apps that platforms provide. Video poker gives great chances to win real money. Try to look for a licensed and reputable site where you can find this game. We have checked all the main criteria that such platforms must have.
In addition to real money games, we also check to see if the site offers to play free video poker demos. There are many benefits that the games offer, which range from learning to play to discovering additional favourites. All of the top-rated online video poker gaming platforms offer both play video poker for free game options and real money games.
Other casino games
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I play video poker games for free?
Some of the casinos provide such an option as a demo version for players without any registration and deposit. Some games are free on many platforms, like Deuces Wild video poker games, Jacks or Better, Caribbean Stud Poker, etc.
Where can I play video poker for real money?
All of the platforms provide such an option. All you have to do is register, deposit some money to your account and choose the game you want to play. You can also play against live dealers, try jackpot games and win real money.
Can I use welcome bonuses to play video poker?
Only players, who have registered, can grab the welcome offer to use on their games. Usually, most of the bonuses are available for registered players.
What is the best free video poker game for fun?
Any video poker game in online casinos with a demo version of the game can work for you. Look for the platforms with the Deuces Wild, Jacks or Better, Tens or Better, etc. These games usually have a free mode as well on gambling sites.
How do you beat video poker machines?
Any video poker game in online casinos with a demo version of the game can work for you. Look for the platforms with the Deuces Wild, Jacks or Better, Tens or Better, etc. These games usually have a free mode as well on gambling sites.
What are the odds of online video poker?
In most casino games, odds give the player a percentage chance of what outcomes will occur. The odds can tell the player what actions to take depending on the expected outcome. Full Pay machines have the highest RTP rate of 100% with an optimal strategy.
