Online Video Poker
Video poker may be found at live and online casinos. It is among the most popular games at a casino. Video poker plays the same at either venue. However, there are several differences between the two versions of the game.
Online Video Poker Deposits
The first step for playing video poker is getting money into the game. At a live casino, players place a bill in the acceptor and it automatically adds the credit to the machine. Some older machines also accept coins. This may require a trip to the ATM, which can run up fees, especially if you wait until getting to the casino to get your cash. 
At an online casino, the funding is electronic. In many cases, there are no fees. Many US-facing online casinos prefer bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. You may buy these using electronic transfers and depositing them directly to the gaming site. Other online video poker deposit options include debit cards, credit cards, bank transfers, cash transfers and ewallets. The list depends on your country of residence.
Once these funds are in the online casino, choose your favorite video poker game. This includes the denomination. Make sure to play the highest denomination where you are comfortable betting five coins as this often provides the best return. Click the ‘max bet’ button to accomplish this.
Playing Video Poker Online
Players will find online and live video poker to be similar. The screens are typically identical. This allows players to use buttons to make wagers or hold cards. The pay table is displayed on the screens of live and online casino games. Press the bet button to make your preferred wager on either. Press the screen over the cards or the buttons below them to hold, then click the draw button to see your replacement cards. The game will automatically generate your payout.
VP Loyalty Points
At a live casino, you must get a players card and remember to put it into the video poker machine to get rated. This gets your slot points and mailers. This requires you to stand in line at the players center if you do not have a card or forgot to bring it. If you do not use a loyalty card, you will not receive any perks.
There is no such problem at an online casino. Your play is tracked automatically without having to do anything. You receive all promotions that you are entitled to while in action without having to remember anything. You will also get special offers emailed to you based on your action.
Online Video Poker Paytables
Pay tables at online casinos tend to be much better than what you will find at live ones. That is because of the level of competition among online casinos and the lack of overhead. An online casino does not need to pay for fountain shows or extravagant gaming floors. The overhead for an online casino is limited to software, employees, marketing and payment processing. This savings is passed onto customers.
An example of an improved pay table is Jacks or Better. Most online casinos offer the full-pay table where a full house pays 9:1 and a full house pays 6:1. Most live casinos short-pay this game. A full house typically only pays 8:1 and a flush 5:1, or worse, at brick-and-mortar casinos.
Variety of Video Poker Titles
The variety of video poker titles tend to be wider than live ones. That is because there is no space limitation for online casinos. There is no need for aisles of machines to stock up on games. The online casino software holds the entire library. This includes multi-hand games that can run as high as 100 lines. There are some video poker variants that are only available at online casinos.
A live casino may only have a bank of Game King machines with only a few games and denominations. This is because slot machines make far more money than video poker ones due to the exponentially worse house edge.
Lower VP Denominations Online
As mentioned earlier, online casinos do not have the high overhead that live casinos have. This allows players to enjoy denominations as low as a penny. Even better, the pay tables for these low limit games tend to mirror higher limit games.
This is a rarity at live casinos. Most offer terrible odds on games with denominations under a quarter. They must pay for the free drinks and amenities somehow.
Convenience of Online Play
Most people do not live within walking distance of a casino. Those that do still usually only have access to one that is close by. This limits the variety of games for live casino players. If someone does not like the selection or game titles, a drive is required to the next casino.
That is not the scenario with online casinos. Players may choose from hundreds of platforms. Most offer something unique that may include special promotions, better odds, software upgrades or payment processing options. If a player does not like an online casino, it is easy to change to another platform.
Solitude and Quiet Atmosphere
Many gamblers do not want to be bothered by others while at the casino. There is nothing more annoying than a player sitting down next to you and lighting up a cigarette or cigar. It is inevitable that you will deal with a drunk during a casino visit. You never have to deal with this at an online casino. You can play at your own speed and do not have to worry about being bothered by others.
Collecting Your Video Poker Winnings
It is simple to get paid from an online casino. Bitcoin is the best option for US players. Those in other countries have ewallets as options. Request the withdrawal and the funds can be sent into your bank account or an ATM card.
Our Favorite Video Poker Sites
We enjoy playing video poker at several online casinos. Remember that there are virtually infinite options to choose from when it comes to playing VP online, so these are hardly the only websites that you should consider visiting. In addition, make sure to see if new player deposit bonuses or other sign up bonuses may make one of these sites more appealing than another. The climate for the best online video poker websites is always changing, so always do your research before deciding if, or where, to play. Here are three of our favorites:
Café Casino Video Poker
Café Casino spreads a wide variety of video poker games. Most pay tables there are full-pay for single line games. The multi-hand games drop a small amount. This is standard at live and online casinos.
The video poker games available at Café Casino include Bonus Poker, Deuces Wild, Double Bonus, Double Double Bonus, Jacks or Better and Joker Poker. Most are available in single line with 99% and better pay tables. Jacks or Better and Joker Poker also have 3, 10 and 52-hand versions.
Café Casino offers several bonuses to video poker players. This includes a 500% up to $5,000 first deposit bonus.
List of Café Casino Video Poker Games
Single hand available in nickel, dime, quarter, half-dollar, dollar, two-dollar and five-dollar denominations
Bonus Deuces Wild (99.45%)
Bonus Poker (99.17%)
Bonus Poker Deluxe (98.49%)
Deuces Wild (98.91%)
Double Bonus (99.37%)
Double Double Bonus (98.98%)
Double Double Jackpot (99.34%)
Double Jackpot (99.63%)
Jacks or Better (99.54%)
Joker Poker (98.41%)
Loose Deuces (99.07%)
Multi hand – 3, 10 and 52 hands available in nickel, dime, quarter, half-dollar and dollar
Jacks or Better (97.3%)
Joker Poker (98.41%)
Bovada Video Poker
Bovada has the same video poker selection as Café Casino. We keep it in our rotation because of the promotions it offers. This includes its $3,000 welcome bonus and $4,500 bitcoin bonus. Video poker may be used to clear these bonuses. Bovada also emails players offers based on previous action.
5 Dimes Video Poker
Our favorite feature at 5 Dimes is its access to five different casino software platforms. This gives the site a huge library of video poker games. Many titles return 99 percent and higher.
Jacks or Better offers the highest payouts with its 9/6 pay table. Other 99 percent or better games include Double Bonus, Double Double Bonus, Deuces Wild and Bonus Poker. There are 14 different multi-hand titles. Each has a 3, 10 and 52-hand version.
5 Dimes VP Menu
Single hand video poker available in nickel, dime, quarter, half-dollar, dollar, two-dollar and five-dollar
Aces and Eights (99.78%)
All American Poker (98.49%)
Bonus Deuces Wild (99.45%)
Bonus Poker (99.17%)
Bonus Poker Deluxe (98.49%)
Deuces and Joker (99.06%)
Deuces Wild (98.91%)
Double Bonus (99.37%)
Double Double Bonus (98.98%)
Double Double Jackpot (99.34%)
Double Jackpot (99.63%)
Double Joker (98.1%)
Jacks or Better (99.54%)
Joker Poker (98.41%)
Loose Deuces (99.07%)
Mystery Bonus Poker
Pick’em Poker (99.95%)
Sevens Wild (99.51%)
Split Way Royal (99.8%)
Multi hand – 3, 10 and 52 hands available in nickel, dime, quarter, half-dollar and dollar
Aces and Eights (97.72%)
All American Poker (98.49%)
Bonus Deuces Wild (99.06%)
Bonus Poker Deluxe (98.49%)
Deuces Wild (98.91%)
Double Bonus (99.37%)
Double Double Bonus (98.98%)
Double Double Jackpot (99.34%)
Double Jackpot (99.63%)
Jacks or Better (97.3%)
Joker Poker (98.41%)
Loose Deuces (99.07%)
Mystery Bonus Poker
Sevens Wild (99.51%)