The Typical Video Poker Machine

Before using a video-poker machine, identify the selected game, denomination, credits per hand and complete pay table. A cabinet may offer several games and denominations, each with different payouts. The screen shows the cards, held-card indicators and credit balance. The pay table may be on the screen, behind a Help or Pay Table control, or on the cabinet glass. Read it before committing a wager. Separate credits from money. At a twenty-five-cent denomination, five credits cost one dollar and twenty-five cents for one hand. More hands or a different denomination changes the total stake. Confirm the displayed amount before you deal. Deal starts a hand. Hold controls mark the cards you want to keep. Draw replaces the unheld cards under the game’s rules. Check every Hold indicator before pressing Draw, because the final hand depends on that selection. Funding and cash-out controls vary by cabinet and venue. They may use a bill acceptor, ticket system or account balance. Follow the displayed instructions and ask an attendant when a payment or machine fault is unclear. A service light can signal that assistance is needed, but its colours and meanings are not universal. Do not assume a particular jackpot-payment or tax threshold from an old guide. Read the venue’s current rules and keep a personal spending limit.