At casinos the majority of video poker games are of the so called single-hand type, which means that only one virtual hand of cards can be played at any time.
The year 2000 saw an innovation in video poker, when Ernie Moody introduced machines with multiple hands. These machines allow players to operate from 1 to 100 hands of the same game at the same time. What is specific, however, is that each hand uses a separate deck of cards.
These machines are also known as multi-play or multi-line machines and come equipped with a touch screen. The latter offers the same set of buttons ordinary video poker machines have, which we have already discussed.
Operating the multi-hand machine
After the game and the denomination have been chosen, the player will view the final hands from the prior game. The major hand will appear at the bottom part of the display screen, while the remaining hands will be visualized above it. Additionally, the payout table for the selected game can be found in the margin of the screen, as the hands having the highest ranks will appear on the left, and those having the lowest ranks will appear on the right.
At this stage, players are able to choose the number of hands they are willing to play by a simple touch of the respective ”Bet” button. Having done that, the player will next view the hands once again, with the major hand being at the bottom of the screen and the others above it.
What needs to be noted is that all the hands will feature identical cards.
When the player selects the cards they are willing to keep in the major hand, these exact same cards will be kept in all of the remaining hands. However, as a separate deck of 52 cards is used for every hand, the final hands dealt on the draw will all differ. Once the player has obtained their final hands, their credits will be automatically summed up in accordance with the payout table for the game.
Best Online Video Poker Bonuses
Slots Plus
No Deposit Bonus
$ 20
Shazam Casino
Exclusive No Deposit Bonus
$ 50
Slots And Casino
500% up to
∞
+ 150 Spins
T&C’s Apply
1Red Casino
155% up to
€6,000
+ 100 Spins
T&C’s Apply
Jazz Casino
200% up to
$2,000
+ 100 Spins
T&C’s Apply
Drake Casino
300% up to
$2,000
T&C’s ApplyIn some cases the player may receive a ”pat hand”, meaning a winning combination, which will allow them to keep all five cards dealt. For every separate hand, the player will receive payouts.
Pressing the ”More Games” button will call a menu containing other games. The player may now select another game and the desired denomination (if more than one is available). Once a game has been selected, the payout table will be visualized on the screen, while the cards from the latest hand played will appear below it.
By a simple touch of the ”See Pays” button, the player will be able to view the payout table only. The table will contain two buttons, ”Bet Up” and ”Bet Down”, which will highlight the appropriate column for the number of coins they want to bet. Now that the game and the size of the bet have been selected, by touching the ”Return to Game” button the game will be initiated.
While browsing the games available, the player will certainly come across a game they do not know. By touching the ”Help” button, a short summary of the game will be presented. After the player has finished reading, a simple touch of the ”Return to Game” button will get him back to the prior screen.
Video Poker RNG
Video Poker Machines & Terminals
Video Poker Pay Tables
Expected Return and Value
Video Poker Pay Charts
In case the player has spent some time at the video poker machine, they may want a faster of a slower dealing of the cards. The speed at which the game is running can be changed by pressing the ”Speed” button, which is positioned on the left of the touch screen. Older models of machines usually do not have a ”Speed” button, but a member of the casino staff may adjust these machines so that they deal cards in a more rapid or slower manner.
There are video poker machines, that will allow playing for double or nothing, once a winning hand has been drawn. If the player wants to dispose of such an option, they can do so by using the ”Double Down” button, positioned on the right of the touch screen.
Last but not least, one may request some modifications to the graphics or the sound produced by the video poker machine by a simple push of the ”Change” button. A member of the casino personnel will usually make the adjustments requested.
