The Difference Between Table Poker and Video Poker

One of the most popular casino games at any online or mobile casino is Video Poker. Combining the fun of slots with the skill of Poker, Video Poker is the ideal game for anyone wanting to test out the waters of real Poker without diving straight in. While Video Poker is based on classic 5-card table Poker, there are fundamental differences between them that essentially make them two completely different games when played at Canadian mobile casinos, or anywhere else for that matter.

Playing Against a Virtual Dealer

The biggest difference between table Poker and Video Poker is who you are playing against. In table Poker, you are playing against all the other players around the table while in Video Poker, you are playing against an electronic/virtual dealer. With table Poker, you have to combine multiple skills in order to win. Not only are you trying to create the best hand possible, but you are also trying to bluff and out-bet your opponents. With table Poker, you don’t necessarily have to have a winning hand to clean up. If you have a good betting strategy, you can walk away with the pot with a pair of sevens.

Removing the Stress of Table Poker

With Video Poker, there is only one way to win, and that is by creating a winning Poker hand. In most cases, Video Poker pays out for a hand of a pair of jacks or anything higher. If your final Poker hand does not contain a pair of jacks or better, you lose your bet. From this we can see that there are plenty of benefits to playing Video Poker. For starters, you don’t have to wait for an available table. You can simply log on and start playing straight away.

Secondly, you don’t have to worry about losing more than your original wager. In table Poker, the betting can escalate and sometimes get out of hand, clearing you out within the first half hour of playing. You also don’t have to worry about out-betting your opponents or bluffing about your hand. All the focus is on creating the best possible hand.

Creating a Poker Hand

The way the game is played is quite different. With table Poker, although there are many different versions, the game usually starts with the ante bet followed by call bets. Video Poker is based on the game of 5-card draw with a single bet in place. The betting is also usually limited to a maximum of 5 coins, making it a low-stakes, low-stress game. As with 5-card draw, you are first dealt a hand of 5 cards. From here, you must choose to keep or discard any of your five cards. These are then replaced in the next deal which makes up your final hand.

Video Poker Strategies

Video Poker strategies differ from table Poker in that you only have one real opportunity to affect the game. This is when are dealt your very first hand. Choosing which cards to keep and which to discard takes a lot of practice, skill and a bit of luck. In some cases, you want to keep cards to create a flush, in other cases, you want to get rid of your cards and hope for matching cards to make four of a kind or a full house. The payouts in Video Poker range from a 1:1 for a pair and go all the way up to 250:1 for a full house.

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