How To Play Video Poker in New Zealand – Part 1

The 1970’s saw a popular entry to the world of gambling in the form of video poker. If you are a fan of casino games of skill with a low house edge and the possibility of large wins then look no further than video poker. Our comprehensive guide will give you a complete run down on the popular game starting from the rules to the layout and importance of the pay table. You will also learn about the terminology most associated with the game such as payback, return, house and player edge. Given the different aspects of the game, we felt that it would be best to break up the guide into smaller parts so you can give each aspect of the game the attention that it truly deserves. So, without further ado let’s start to the PART 1 of ‘How to Play Video Poker in New Zealand’.

Let’s be honest when it comes to the complexity or lack of it associated with online slots. As a player you are required to feed the machine with coins followed by a pull of the handle or the press of a button. That’s it. Pressing additional buttons while the machine is loading the results does nothing to the overall outcome. Video poker while being a straightforward game is more complex than an online slot machine. You are required to make decisions throughout the game that have a definitive impact on the results.

Adding Credits To Your Video Poker Machine

When video poker was first introduced, the only way to add credits was by inserting the proper demonization coins. If you wanted to bet 10 credits per hand, then you were required to insert 10 coins per hand. If you ended up with a winning hand, then the additional credits would be added to your balance and you could simply play off the remaining credits without having to add more. If you were good enough to win then your cash out came in the form of many many coins. The days of carrying bags of coins are thankfully over as most games in play today accept currency. Cashing out has also been made super simple with vouchers printed at the end of a win that can be cashed at the casino cage or in ticket changing machines. You can also re use the vouchers as currency on other video poker machines. All the standard denominations are accepted at the video pokie machines ranging from NZ $1 , $5 , $10 to $100. If you can afford it then the best strategy is put a larger note as this way you do not have to worry about topping the game. You will need to make this call and as always, we encourage you to gamble responsibly.

Selecting Your Denomination

A game of video poker is displayed on a large screen which displays all or part of the pay table. It also gives you information with regards to the denomination of the game being played as well as the number of available credits. There might be small sections on the screen that you can touch to get more information and also provide you with the ability to play some other games. As is the starting point with most casino games, you will need to select the denomination you wish to play with. This is super easy and can be done by touching the desired denomination being displayed on the screen. Once the right denomination has been selected you will be given a choice of games and you will be required to pick the one you want to play at to continue further.

Playing The Game

Once you have chosen the desired game, you can begin a game of video poker. The game can be played either by using the touch screen or the physical buttons located at the bottom of the machine. This is entirely up to preference, but we feel that using the physical buttons leads to a more faster mode of play. Touch screens can be hampered by lag and the only time we would recommend using the touch screen is if the physical buttons are not working. Once you have decided what you will be using to further the gameplay, you need to click on the ‘Play Max Credits’ button as opposed to pressing the ‘Bet One Credit’ several times. Our advice would be to always bet using the max credits unlike other online slot games. Once this button is pressed, you are presented with your initial five card hand. You must look at these cards and decide which ones you want to hold which can be done by pressing the ‘Hold / Cancel’ button at the bottom of each card. If you feel you have made a mistake, then simply press the button again to cancel the hold. Once you are confident of your selection then you would need to hit another button called ‘Deal / Draw’. The cards you are have not selected to hold will be replaced by different cards and if the resulting hands wins, then credits will be added to your account.

Now you are ready for your next bet. You will need to repeat the procedure above until you are ready to leave or have run out of credits to play with. If you have credits remaining at the end of your playing session, then you will need to hit the ‘Cash Out’ button to be able to collect your coins or vouchers.