Free Online Video Poker

One of the most popular casino games is real money online video poker. This fast-paced table game can see players scrape up some huge winnings if they play their cards right, and while you can’t expect to take home a grand prize when you play the game for free, there are plenty of advantages to doing so.

Throughout this guide, we’re going to detail the differences between real money video poker and the free version, how to play, and some expert strategy tips and advice for finding the best online casinos that host these types of games.

How We Chose the Best Free Video Poker Casinos

Online casinos are in abundance these days, but finding the best one to play high-quality video poker games can be a challenge if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Luckily, we do, and we only ever recommend online casino sites if they pass our rigorous review process first. Our casino review criteria takes into account the following factors, which are key in ensuring our readers and any potential players who sign up to these sites have the most enjoyable yet safe experience playing their favorite games. Here’s what we look for:

Video Poker Bonuses

If you’re only planning to play online video poker for free, then this section won’t apply to you as only real money players of casino games can earn bonuses and casino rewards. If you’re someone who likes switching between the two or occasionally dabbles in real money video poker, however, casino bonuses are a fantastic way to extend the contents of your bankroll and make your wagers go further. All of the casinos we review and recommend are home to the most valuable bonus codes that you can redeem from the moment you register.

Sites with Video Poker Bonuses

 

Safety and Fairness

Ensuring an online casino site is safe to play at is one thing, but making sure it’s fair and transparent when it comes to how it runs its games and treats its players is another. The casinos we recommend all feature an industry-standard SSL encryption certificate and use random number generators (RNG) to randomize the results and outcomes in every card that’s dealt in video poker. The same goes for all other casino games.

Video Poker Variety

We’re more than aware that having a top selection of games to play means everything to players and is one of the primary reasons why many choose to play online versions of video poker instead of playing at land-based casinos. It’s very rare you’ll be able to play these games for free, let alone play more than one of two versions of the game in your local casino joint. At online casinos, however, you can choose from a broad selection of exciting variants like Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Joker Poker, Aces and Eights, and loads more. These games are designed by the industry’s big shots, including brands like NetEnt, Microgaming, Bally, Evolution, and Yggdrasil, which are all well-known for producing games with the most stunning visuals, cool sound effects, and super-smooth gameplay.

Device Optimization

Our team of experts reviews online casinos day in, day out, so you can rely on them to only ever list the best and most reputable sites that work seamlessly on your PC, Mac, or tablet and give you the ultimate mobile gambling experience. Every online casino we review is fully optimized to work with these operating systems so that you can play your favorite versions of video poker at home, on your commute to work, when you’re waiting in line, and on any other occasion where you want to play a few hands to pass the time.

Banking Options

If you do decide to switch to playing video poker in real money mode at any point, you’ll be pleased to know that every casino we recommend accepts a wide range of payment methods. These include conventional debit and credit cards like Visa and Mastercard, plus e-wallets like Skrill, Neteller, cryptocurrencies, bank transfers, Wire Transfer, bank checks, and more.

Fast Payouts

It’s incredibly important for online casinos to have plenty of convenient and easy methods that players can use to make both their deposits and withdrawals, but knowing you’re going to receive your winnings in an acceptable time period is equally as crucial to a top gaming experience. All of the best video poker casinos cash out within a matter of days for most banking methods, and for methods like Bitcoin, you can expect to have your winnings in your account within a few hours.

Free Video Poker vs Video Poker Real Money

You might think there are some big differences between playing online video poker for free and playing it for real money. In truth, there’s hardly any difference. The major thing that sets the two apart is the fact that with free video poker, you can’t win any real money.

There are a few other differences as well, which we’ll run through quickly below to help you establish whether you would be better suited to one style of playing in particular:

Free Video Poker

• Play risk-free without spending any money
• Gain experience and knowledge of the game
• Widespread availability
• No need to worry about your wager amounts
• Let’s you get a firm grasp of the rules

Real Money Video Poker

• More exciting than playing for free
• Opportunity to win real cash prizes
• The same RNG as free video poker
• Entitles you to real money bonuses
• Wider selection of video poker games

How to Play Free Video Poker

Once you get the hang of it, video poker is definitely one of the easiest and most fun games you can play at online casinos and in their land-based counterparts. Like all video poker variants, the free online version uses a 52-card deck and is based on the 5-card draw system of poker. Follow the following quick and easy steps for how to play online video poker for free:

Choose Your Video Poker Game

There are hundreds of different online video poker variants to choose from out there. Whether you’re into classic-style video poker games without the frills, or you prefer more modern versions with higher stakes and exciting bonus features, you’re bound to find a game that matches your style and preferences. Something to bear in mind when you’re looking to play online video poker for real cash: always look at the paytables and the game’s RTP (return to player) percentage!

Set Your Bet

In order to start a free version of video poker, you’ll first need to set your bet amount. Of course, we’re not playing for real money here; therefore, there’s no need to make a real deposit because you’ll be playing off the house’s money instead. The typical betting range for video poker games is one to five coins, depending on the variant you want to play. Select your bet size using the arrows in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.

Wait For Your Cards

Once you’ve set your wager amount, select the “Deal” button to receive your cards.

Choose Which Cards to Keep

Once you have all five cards in your hand, you can then decide which ones you want to keep and which ones you want to discard. You can select the cards you want to keep by pressing the “hold” button. To get rid of some of your cards, select the button marked “Deal/Draw.” This will prompt the game to replace your discarded cards with random new ones.

Know Your Hand

Even though you’re playing for free and can’t win real money when you play video poker this way, knowing your hand and how to play it still plays a vital part in your success. You should know the value of the hand you have against the game you’re playing, as well as where yours sits in the video poker hand hierarchy.

Our Expert Tips on How to Win at Video Poker

At Gambling City, we’ll always share our top tips with you on how to play casino games using an optimum strategy and approach that’s the most likely to maximize your chances of winning. These tips can still be applied when you’re playing the free version of video poker, which you can later put into practice when you eventually decide to play for real money.

Use a Cheatsheet

Many online casino games have a cheat sheet that you can use to help yourself get better accustomed to the rules, different possible outcomes, and the odds of each winning hand. In video poker, there are also various cheat sheets you can use to help you make your moves according to what cards you have in your hand. These cheat sheets are available for most variants of online video poker, and plenty of players start out using this approach to help them advance their knowledge and experience. So don't be afraid to pull these out, even if you’re playing the game for free!

Know Which Cards to Keep

This is the basis of your strategy when playing video poker online. Once you get dealt your initial cards, you should quickly figure out which ones you want to hold and which you would like to discard and replace with new cards from the deck. The resulting hand will be final – which is why pro players really study their options. If you get a winning combination of cards, you will receive your payout before moving on to your next hand.

Master Specific Video Poker Games

Video poker strategy is complex and intricate. Because of this, many players enjoy learning the perfect strategies for at least one machine. This helps them get the best odds possible while playing. As you play a particular video poker machine more and more, you’ll find yourself relying on ‘cheat sheets’ less and less. You’ll begin to notice that you have a better handle on the strategies needed to win each different type of different video poker game.

Play Video Poker Games with the Best Paytables

Depending on your bankroll, you may want to search for a lower limit game, or perhaps you’re on the hunt for a machine with a more fruitful RTP percentage. Some of the most popular online video poker games include Jack or Better, Deuces Wild, Bonus Poker, and Double Bonus. In any case, you should always check what payout percentage is linked to the paytables and choose the games that offer the highest video poker payouts.

Enjoy Playing Video Poker Online at the Best Casino Sites

Playing video poker for free can be fun and highly useful, but nothing quite beats the feeling of winning real cash when you play the game for real. You can play and enjoy all the best versions of both real money video poker and free video poker at our top recommended sites. While you’re there, you can also take advantage of some fantastic rewards and bonus schemes to help you level up your gameplay.

Video Poker FAQ

Where can I play video poker games for free?
Yes, you can play all versions of video poker for free at our top recommended sites. Our team spends hours searching the internet for the best online casinos that offer a wide and varied collection of high-quality video poker games that you can play from anywhere. Just take your pick from the list above and get playing!

Where can I play video poker for real money?
If you decide you want to play video poker for real money, you can simply switch to real money mode on the site that you’re playing at.

Can I use welcome bonuses to play video poker?
All the best online casinos offer their customers top bonuses and promotions to play with on their video poker games, but these are strictly reserved for real money players. So, if you want to be able to enjoy these kinds of rewards, you must play video poker for real money.