e win in the beginning, but by playing free video poker first you can keep those losses from cutting into your bankroll.

If you like the idea of free online video poker, then you’re going to LOVE the idea of free cash-winning video poker even more.  We know it sounds crazy, but tons of 100% valid free cash opportunities exist at casinos all over the web.  These promotions are most commonly referred to as Free Cash Bonuses or No Deposit Bonuses.  We know the internet is full of not-quite-free offers, but when it comes to these cash bonuses what you see is what you get.  All you have to do to claim the cash is sign up for a member account.  If you’re scouting for new casinos anyway, this is a great way to test their cash tables without investing your own money.  At some sites, you can play up to as much as $20 in free online video poker.  And the best part is that anything you win can be withdrawn.

So we’ve told you how to play free video poker, and we’ve told you how to play free video poker for cash.  If it takes bigger bucks to get your attention, then how do numbers like $100, $300, or even $700 sound?  If you’re ready to play with the big boys at the cash video poker games, then you’ll be happy to know that the casinos are ready to reward you handsomely for your participation.  Virtually all the respectable online casinos in existence offer some form of first-deposit bonus.  Some casinos offer bonuses as high as 200%.  That means you can literally double your playing money the first day you make a deposit.  While it’s not exactly totally free online video poker, it’s a great way to optimize your own investment, and every cent you win is yours to cash out.

Video Poker Rules
If you, like many other first-time poker players, learned to play the game via the old standby of five-card draw poker, then you should have no trouble learning video poker rules and how to play video poker itself.  If you already play video poker in your favorite casino, then the transition to online video poker will be even easier.  If however you are new to poker as a whole then you’re going to need to do some research before tackling video poker games.  The good news is that you can get all the information you need on video poker rules right here on the Expert Players site.

To play any video poker game, you must first know how to play five-card draw.  This fortunately is the simplest and most straightforward of all poker variations.  Like all other casino card games, it is based around the standard 52-card deck.  Each card in the deck has a specific value; a number cards’ value is represented on its face, and face cards increase in value from Jack to Queen to King.  The highest card in the deck is of course the Ace.  The cards can also be used together to form combinations; the player whose hand has the highest value wins.  In five-card draw (and also in video poker games), each player is dealt five cards.  They then have the option of returning or discarding the cards they do not like.  These cards will then be replaced with new cards.  In live poker, players compete against other players’ hands.  But in online video poker you play alone, so video poker rules ascribe a point value to each possible combination, and you must achieve an eligible combination to get a return on your bet.

Once you understand the logic behind and objective of a video poker game, it’s easy to play a video poker online (or anywhere else!).  To get started, you’ll go to the casino that appeals most to you and select a video poker game.  Once the game screen is up, you’ll transfer credits from your player account to the video poker machine.  Select the number of credits you’d like to wager per hand (this can be edited between each hand), then press the Deal/Draw button.  Five cards will appear automatically on the video poker game screen.  Click the Hold button beneath the cards you want to keep, then click Deal/Draw again.  The cards you didn’t select will be replaced with new cards, and the machine will automatically determine if you’ve received a winning combination and will credit your account accordingly.

One of the most appealing features of video poker games and especially of video poker online is that they offer a real opportunity to make a profit.  Video poker online is incredibly accessible and gives you access to hundreds of games.  By choosing the right game AND the right strategy you can consistently come out ahead at video poker.

Video Poker Strategies
As mentioned in the video poker rules section of our site, a perfect video poker strategy can actually guarantee a consistent profit on the right games.  It’s determining what that video poker strategy is that’s the hard part.  The more you can learn about the game the better, and of course it all starts with understanding what it takes to win.  The unique thing about video poker strategies is that they are entirely void of skills like bluffing or observation.  In live poker you’re playing other players, but in video poker it’s just you and the odds.  You’ll need to know those odds to beat them.

Most video poker games are “Jacks or Better.”  That means that to get any return on your bet you will need to get at least a pair of Jacks or better.  This makes high cards and small pairs virtually worthless.  A good video poker strategy focuses instead on keeping the combination of cards that offers the most outs going into the draw.  It’s a fine balance between winning at all and trying to win big.  For example, the minimum hand of a pair of Jacks will only get you your original bet back.  A Royal Flush on the other hand (the highest combination), could earn you several times your original bet back on the right machine.

And then there are the progressive jackpots.  Many video poker games are plugged into a bank that contributes to a special jackpot that pays out when a player hits a rare combination.  These combinations are usually so rare that it’s not worth playing specifically for the jackpot.  Occasionally though the jackpot gets so high that it creates what’s called a “positive expectation” scenario in which it IS worth it to play specifically for that jackpot.  To do this, you will alter your video poker strategies so that every hand you are only keeping the cards that offer you outs toward that combination.  The key to this video poker strategy is of course to know (and to know with no uncertainty) when a specific jackpot has reached positive expectation.

When playing online, there are other factors to consider when developing video poker strategies.  For one, the casino that you play at becomes very VERY important.  If a casino is slow to transfer your funds or makes cashing out at all difficult, then you’d be better off at a less flashy but more reliable site.  Also, look for casinos that offer good loyalty programs; video poker is the kind of game you can play several hours a day, making it a great way to rack up some comps. 

Video Poker Tips
If you’re ready to trade in the excitement of live poker for the profitability of video poker (and really what could be more exciting than cash), then Expert Players has some important video poker tips we’d like to share with our ambitious readers.  Yes, the game of video poker CAN be profitable, but you can lose your money just as easily by making the wrong decisions.  We’ve got a handful of important video poker tips to get you started.

1. Practice.  You remember how your mom/coach/boss said “Practice makes perfect?”  When it comes to video poker, nothing could be truer.  The odds of poker are fairly easy to track, so it won’t take long before you start seeing the odds-dictated patterns in your hands.  If you take the time to really learn the game, it won’t be long before recognizing the right card selections will become second nature.

2. Focus.  Competing against the odds instead of other players doesn’t mean you don’t have to be on your toes.  Most video poker games have a time limit for card selection, so recognizing your hold cards immediately can be invaluable.  Furthermore, once you get really good at the game you’ll want to play as many hands as possible, which makes for a somewhat tense environment.  If you let stress, exhaustion, your roommate, or even the TV in the other room distract you then you’re not going to be giving the game the attention that it deserves.  You might not even notice when your poor decisions start losing you money.  These situations are like the video poker version of tilt.  If you can’t keep your head in the game, then don’t play.

3. Get Comfortable.  Being comfortable when you play is central to your ability to focus, but it’s also central to your ability to enjoy the game.  Comfort is one of the most commonly overlooked video poker tips, but remember that anything that distracts you will ultimately affect how you play.

4.  Choose Your Casino Wisely.  This isn’t just high on our video pokers tips list, it’s something we recommend for ANY casino game.  If you’re going to truly enjoy your online casino experience, then you need to choose a site that meets your expectations.  Heck, with hundreds of casinos currently on the web it shouldn’t be hard for you to find a casino that EXCEEDS your expectations.  In other words, don’t settle for anything less than the best on all accounts.  If you’re wondering just which casinos are the best, then take a look at our Expert Players reviews for more information on which sites are currently at the top of our must-play list.