Ready to play? Okay. All the time you've been standing in front of
this machine, or monster, or whatever you want to call it, the computer
inside of it has been churning through, literally, tens of thousands
of possible poker hands. And it's not going to deal a hand until 1)
you deposit max coins or 2) you play max credits or 3) you hit the
Deal/Draw button after depositing coins or credits. The instant you
take any of these actions, it will hurl five cards onto the screen.
Some machines are set to play so fast the speed can startle you. Others
are set so slow you can become bored.
Now back up. Before you leap into the skirmish, ask yourself a question.
Are you sure this is a machine you want to play? There are many different
types. Most of the games are played with a standard 52 card deck.
A few add Jokers. The pay schedules may fluctuate wildly for the same
basic games. Are there certain types you should learn on, others better
to tackle after graduation? Depends on what you're after.
In the section which follows you will find descriptions of many types
of Video Poker games. Then, later on, you will be provided with basic
strategy suggestions. Combine the two. Within certain limitations
there are no "right" or "wrong" kinds of machines. Once you're shown
the options of the types of games available and have a firm understanding
of how to play, the choice is yours.
After you decide whether a specific machine is worth your efforts,
it's time to deposit money. It's time to begin exercising your options.
It's time to activate your brain. It's time to initiate the strategy
you plan on utilizing. It's time to win or lose.
All games are the same in that you receive five cards, Hold the ones
you want to keep, then Draw additional cards. Whether you win or lose
depends on the minimum requirement posted for that particular game.
The amount you win depends on the pay schedule. Different games =
different pay schedules. We'll start with the "base" game, the one
which started it all.
