Believe it or not, the first video poker game ever invented dates all the way back to the late 1800s.
A Brooklyn, NY-based company called Sittman and Pitt introduced it in 1891, and while it was very primitive compared to modern-day video poker machines, it helped usher in a new wave of enthusiasm surrounding the idea of people playing poker on machines as opposed to playing them at tables with other poker players.
Since then, video poker has evolved quite a bit. By the early 1900s, the world's first draw poker machine was released, and soon, companies that specialized in manufacturing casino-related machines were off to the races.
It wouldn't be long before video poker machines started providing people with the chance to play a wide range of video poker variants. And eventually, video poker would get taken online with many online casinos in Canada now offering excellent video poker-playing experiences on computers and smartphones.
Note: Are you thinking about playing video poker at one of these online casinos in Canada? If so, we've rounded up some of the best Canadian online casinos with video poker on a separate page.
How Video Poker Works
Video poker isn't always as flashy as some other online casino games, such as online slots, roulette, and craps. But it's the simplicity of video poker that makes it so special in the first place. It's an easy game to play once you get the hang of it.
During a traditional game of video poker, you'll receive five cards face up, and you can decide what you would like to do with them next. You can keep all or some of your cards. But more often than not, you'll want to exchange at least one or two of these cards to try to make your hand even stronger.
Once you've done this, you can consult the pay table for video poker to see how much you've won. In most instances, you'll need at least a pair of jacks or better to claim a victory.
Note: The payout you receive will depend on the strength of your hand. A single pair or even two pairs land at the bottom of the video poker pay table. A royal flush, straight flush, and four of a kind land at the top.
Types of Video Poker Games
If you've played one type of video poker, you've played them all, right? Not quite. Even though video poker is only about a century old at this point, so many different video poker variants will be available to you when you register for an online casino that offers it. Let's next take a look at several of the most popular video poker options:
Jacks or Better
Jacks or Better is, hands down, the easiest video poker variant that you'll find in most online casinos in Canada. You should be able to pick up on how it's played within just minutes.
It's generally considered to be the traditional form of video poker that calls for you to be dealt five cards and then work to create a hand that includes at least one pair with that pair featuring jacks or better. Jacks or Better also has a simple pay table that won't cause any complications like some other video poker variants might.
Deuces Wild
If you want to spice things up while playing video poker at an online casino in Canada, Deuces Wild will enable you to do just that. During a game of Deuces Wild, everything will be the same as it is during a game of Jacks or Better with the one exception being that all 2 cards will be wild.
As you might imagine, this can make a hand of Deuces Wild video poker even more exciting than the average Jacks or Better hand.
Jokers Wild
Just like Deuces Wild, Jokers Wild tries to turn video poker on its head by adding a wild card into the mix. What makes Jokers Wild different from Deuces Wild, though, is that only a single joker card will be included in this video poker variant.
It makes things slightly more interesting without making it feel like you're constantly seeing wild cards come out.
Aces and Faces
If your goal is to choose a game with the highest payouts while playing online video poker at a poker site in Canada, Aces and Faces might check all the right boxes for you.
It offers some of the best payouts of any video poker setup since it gives players extra rewards for drawing aces and face cards and using them as part of their video poker hands.
Double Bonus
Getting four of a kind during a video poker hand isn't impossible, but it also isn't exactly easy to pull off. Double Bonus video poker rewards those who can create hands with four of a kind by boosting the four-of-a-kind jackpot prizes.
Understanding Video Poker Mathematics
One of the many things that has helped make video poker so popular over time is that it offers one of the best return to player percentages in the gambling industry.
In fact, video poker usually has a higher RTP percentage than blackjack and roulette, which are two games with some of the lowest house edges among online casino games. But it's worth noting that not all video poker variants have the same RTP percentages, as they can range from 98% to 100.05%.
Note: Jacks or Better, for example, tends to offer an RTP of around 98.25%. Deuces Wild, meanwhile, has an RTP of around 98.91%. And the RTP for Aces and Faces skyrockets up to about 99.20%.
Simply put, you won't find many other online casino games in Canada that come anywhere close to touching these RTP percentages.
Tips for Playing Video Poker in Canada in 2024
While playing video poker at an online casino in Canada can be a lot of fun and you could potentially hit a win, you aren't going to sit down at a video poker machine and start winning right away in most cases.
Instead, you'll need to take the right approach to playing video poker to enjoy success since it's one of the few games at online casinos that requires some level of skill. Use these tips when playing video poker in Canada to improve your chances of earning a profit:
- Try playing free online video poker games first before you play real money online video poker games so that you're able to learn the rules associated with different variants.
- Experiment with different video poker variants to settle on the one or two that you like playing the most.
- Make sure you sneak a peek at the pay tables for video poker variants before choosing the ones you would like to play.
You should also see to it that you know the strength of your hands in video poker. Here is how video poker hands rank, starting with the strongest ones of the bunch:
- Royal Flush
- Straight Flush
- Four of a Kind
- Full House
- Flush
- Flush
- Three of a Kind
- Two Pairs
- Jacks or Better
- Tens or Worse
Note: Under normal circumstances, you won't create hands that feature four of a kind, a straight flush, or a royal flush at an actual poker table very often. But you can land these kinds of hands in online video poker games and take full advantage of it. A Royal Flush, for instance, could be worth up to 4,000 times your original bet depending on how many credits you spend on a hand.
How to Play Video Poker in Canada in 2024
Since video poker has increased in popularity so dramatically over the years, there won't be any shortage of options when you want to play this version of poker online.
Before you get started, though, think about using one of the sites found here to play free video poker. It'll minimize the risks you'll face while playing video poker for the first time.
Once you feel comfortable playing video poker, you can then begin playing for real money at an online casino in Canada. To do this, you'll need to work your way through this process:
- Choose the online casino in Canada you like most and make sure it has video poker available.
- Register an account at an online casino in Canada and make your first deposit.
- Select the video poker variant that appeals to you the most and find it in a Canadian online casino's video poker section.
- Read the rules for a video poker variant to ensure you know how to play it.
- Start playing video poker at an online casino in Canada and request a withdrawal if you're able to walk away a winner.
Note: If you are ready to start playing, we recommend selecting one of the best video poker sites on StakeHub.ca.