How to Play Video Poker Machines: An Australian Beginner’s Guide

What is a video poker machine?

Video poker is a card-based game in which the result is generally determined by the final hand and the game’s pay table, rather than by a contest against a dealer or other players. A pay table shows the qualifying outcomes and the awards associated with them.

The example in this guide uses one hand, a standard 52-card deck and no wild cards. Other games can use wild cards, offer multiple hands or have different qualifying combinations. Read the selected game’s video poker rules before assuming that its controls or payouts work the same way.

Video poker versus pokies

In Australia, “poker machines” or “pokies” commonly refers to electronic gaming machines, often with spinning reels. The video poker discussed here instead shows cards and asks the player to make a hold-and-draw decision.

The terms can overlap, so a sign advertising poker machines does not establish that a venue has a five-card video poker game. If you are checking video poker in Australia, ask specifically about a five-card hold-and-draw game and its name.

How to play video poker machines: step by step

The following sequence describes the single-hand example. The labels on a machine or screen may differ, and some games offer additional features. Check the on-screen instructions before confirming a wager or draw.

First, choose a game and look at its pay table. To understand how to play Jacks or Better, check which final hands pay, the value of a credit, the available wagers and any special payout conditions. Also confirm whether you are playing one hand or several.

Next, set an affordable spending limit and a time limit, then select your wager. A credit is a unit used to place a bet; its denomination is the value assigned to it. For a single hand, multiply the credit value by the number of credits wagered to find the cost of the round.

For example, if a credit is worth A$0.10 and you wager five credits, one hand costs A$0.50. These amounts are illustrations, not prices verified at an Australian venue. If a multi-hand game charges five credits per hand across ten hands, the total wager is 50 credits before any optional features.

Deal the cards and decide which to hold. In the standard model, you can hold any number of the five cards, including all five or none. Select the cards you want to keep using the available buttons or screen controls; the unselected cards are replaced when you draw.

Finally, check the completed hand against the pay table and the bet you selected. A qualifying hand receives the applicable award; a non-qualifying hand receives none. Settlement rules, including how overlapping combinations are treated, depend on the game.

• Check before dealing: game name, qualifying hands, wild cards, number of hands and total wager.
• Check before drawing: the cards marked as held are the cards you intend to keep.
• Check after drawing: the final hand, applicable pay-table entry and award.

A worked deal, hold and draw

Suppose the first five cards are J♣, J♥, 4♠, 7♦ and 9♣. You select the two jacks to hold and leave the other three cards unselected. The draw replaces those three cards while the jacks remain in place.

For this hypothetical round, imagine the replacements are Q♥, 2♣ and 5♦. The final hand is J♣, J♥, Q♥, 2♣ and 5♦: a pair of jacks. In the Jacks or Better example, that pair qualifies for an award. Different replacement cards could produce a different result.

This example shows how the controls work; it is not a universal rule that a pair should always be held. The best decision depends on the complete starting hand and the particular game and pay table.

Video poker hand rankings

The following video poker hand rankings describe ordinary five-card hands without wild cards, from highest to lowest. They help you recognise the result, but the pay table determines whether a particular hand pays and how much.

In the documented rules, an ace can be low in A-2-3-4-5 or high in 10-J-Q-K-A. In Jacks or Better, a single pair qualifies only if it consists of jacks, queens, kings or aces. A pair of tens alone does not qualify, even if another card is a jack or higher.

A high-card hand does not automatically pay. Wild-card games may change the qualifying combinations and add categories such as five of a kind, so use the selected game’s rules rather than relying on this list alone.

• Royal flush: A, K, Q, J and 10 of the same suit.
• Straight flush: five consecutive ranks of the same suit.
• Four of a kind: four cards of the same rank.
• Full house: three cards of one rank and two of another.
• Flush: five cards of the same suit that are not consecutive.
• Straight: five consecutive ranks that are not all of the same suit.
• Three of a kind: three cards of the same rank.
• Two pair: two cards of one rank and two of another.
• One pair: two cards of the same rank.
• High card: no combination listed above.

How to read video poker pay tables

Video poker pay tables connect a completed hand and a selected bet with an award. Some displays use credits or coins; others show currency or payout ratios. Check the unit, the column for your wager and whether the displayed amount includes the stake.

As an illustration, suppose a credit is worth A$0.10 and you wager five credits, for a total of A$0.50. In the full-pay Jacks or Better schedule described by the University of Utah, a full house pays 9 for 1 at the stated maximum-coin wager. The total award would therefore be A$4.50. After subtracting the A$0.50 wager, the net gain on that hand would be A$4.00.

That calculation illustrates a documented schedule; it is not a quote of an Australian venue’s denomination or pay table. A different machine may award a different amount for the same hand.

Some games also have a special payout condition at a particular wager. In the supplied Jacks or Better rules, the royal-flush award per coin wagered is higher at five coins than at one to four. Betting five coins also costs more. You do not need to increase your wager to play, and a larger award for one rare hand does not make a profit certain.

Beginner video poker strategy and managing risk

Video poker strategy concerns which cards to retain and which to replace. Holding cards preserves part of the current hand; drawing gives the discarded positions a chance to form a different combination. Those decisions can affect the expected outcome, but the replacement cards are uncertain.

There is no reliable one-line rule for every deal. A decision that makes sense in one game may not be best in another because wild cards, qualifying hands and awards differ. The held pair of jacks in the worked round is useful for learning the mechanics, not proof that every pair should always be kept.

Return to player, or RTP, is a theoretical long-run proportion of wagers returned as awards under specified assumptions. Depending on the game, those assumptions can include the pay table, wager and strategy. RTP is not a prediction of what you will receive in a particular session.

A 9-for-1 award on a full house is not the game’s RTP: it describes one winning outcome. RTP takes account of all possible results, including hands that pay nothing.

• Choose a spending limit you can afford before playing, and stop when you reach it.
• Set a time limit and take breaks so you can reassess whether you want to continue.
• Do not chase losses by increasing wagers or extending a session to try to recover money.
• Remember that limits are boundaries, not guarantees against gambling harm or losses.

Playing video poker in Australia: physical venues

Physical game availability and approvals depend on the jurisdiction and the specific game. The available research does not establish that the Jacks or Better example is currently offered at an Australian venue.

In NSW, hotels and clubs can operate gaming machines subject to the relevant entitlements and approvals. That says something about the venue category, not whether a particular venue has a five-card video poker game. NSW also restricts under-18s from hotel gaming-machine rooms.

Western Australia has a distinct policy covering prohibited poker machines and other electronic gaming machines authorised for the casino. Do not assume that its terminology establishes approval or availability for a particular card-based game.

These examples are not a complete survey of Australian states and territories. If you are 18 or over and considering a visit, ask the venue about the exact game and check current entry rules, game approval and local requirements with the relevant regulator.

Online video poker and free simulations

Online and physical games should not be assumed to have the same rules. The Australian Communications and Media Authority says providers are prohibited from offering online casino services to people in Australia. An ordinary real-money online casino version of video poker offered to people in Australia falls within that prohibition.

A site being accessible from Australia, accepting Australian dollars or holding an overseas licence does not establish that it is permitted to offer an online casino service here. Offshore services can also expose customers to risks without the protections associated with a licensed Australian service.

The provider-focused prohibition should not be turned into a claim that merely playing is itself a federal criminal offence. A genuinely free simulation with no wager or prize of value raises a different question, but not every app labelled “free” is necessarily the same. Paid credits, redeemable prizes, promotions and the service’s design can matter. Check the terms and current guidance rather than assuming all free apps have the same legal status.

Gambling support

If gambling is causing concern for you or someone close to you, support is available without waiting for losses to reach a particular level. The National Gambling Helpline, provided through Gambling Help Online, is free and confidential on 1800 858 858, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Gambling Help Online also offers online support for people affected by their own gambling and for those concerned about someone else.

FAQ

Is video poker the same as a pokie?

Not in the sense used in this guide. Video poker is a hold-and-draw card game, while “pokie” commonly refers to a gaming machine, often one with spinning reels. Because terminology can overlap, ask about the actual game rather than relying on its label.

Do I need to know poker to play video poker?

No. The example does not require you to play against other people. It helps to recognise five-card combinations and read the pay table, but you can learn those basics before deciding whether to play. Qualifying hands vary by game.

Can video poker strategy guarantee a win?

No. Hold decisions can affect expected outcomes, but replacement cards are uncertain and a session can still result in a loss. A strategy suited to one pay table may also be unsuitable for another.

Is video poker legal in Australia?

The answer depends on the setting and service. Physical game approval and availability require checks with the relevant venue and state or territory regulator. Providers are prohibited from offering online casino services to people in Australia; that provider-focused rule does not establish that merely playing is itself a federal offence.

What is the best video poker game for beginners?

No single best game is established. Look for understandable rules, a visible pay table, a clear total wager and an explanation of any wild cards or multiple hands. Jacks or Better is used here to teach the basics, not as a recommendation of a verified Australian venue offering.

Does a pair of tens pay in Jacks or Better?

A pair of tens alone does not pay in the example. A qualifying single pair must be jacks, queens, kings or aces. Another video poker game may have different qualifying hands, so check its pay table.