Whether you are a beginner at video poker or a seasoned pro, video poker has never been more accessible in Pennsylvania . In addition to enjoying a couple of games inside one of the many brick and mortar casinos with full ambiance, excitement, and sound, Pennsylvania video poker has further expanded its reach online. Since early 2019, Pennsylvania video poker can now be easily accessible online.
The journey of video poker from the floor of a live casino onto a computer screen had taken a few decades. First developed and made available in the 1970s, the first models were simple. Still, gamers enjoyed the early consoles, and video poker quickly showed up in multiple casinos and hotels around the country. However, video poker didn’t become mainstream casino attractions until the 1980s, after Si Reed’s Coin Machines introduced Draw Poker in the late 70s.
For almost 30 years, video poker consoles were staples in the casino scene in Pennsylvania for both beginners and experienced gamers alike. In 2017, online gambling was finally signed into law, making it legal to gamble online.
What draws gamers to video poker? Video poker is a classic casino game with mechanics based on five card draw poker. Video poker’s easily recognizable console is roughly the same size and shape of a slot machine. Simple to get started for beginners and rewarding for seasoned gamers, video poker is often the preferred console game in casinos.
Video poker is played with one virtual deck. After inserting either money or credits into the console slot, the player places a wager to begin the round. The player is dealt five cards, and the goal is to produce the highest value set of cards possible. The player has a chance to discard one or more cards for newly drawn cards from the same virtual deck in order to form a better hand. The video poker console pays according to the pay table if one of the winning hand combinations was drawn. While variants of video poker has emerged, the basic poker hands has mostly stayed the same.
Poker Hands (From Strongest to Weakest):
- Royal Flush – 10, J, Q, K, A of the same suit
- Straight Flush – Five sequential cards of the same suit
- Four of a Kind – Four cards of the same value, one from each suit
- Full House – Both one pair and three of a kind
- Flush – Any combination of five cards from the same suit
- Straight – Five cards in sequence
- Three of a Kind – Three cards of the same value
- Two Pair – Two sets of pairs
- Pair – One pair of cards
- High Card – When no winning combination is available, a single card of the highest value is used
For those who wish to try video poker, free to play video poker offers the perfect opportunity to try and learn the game and to refine strategy without using real money. When players are ready, they can step up to trying to gamble with real money. Playing with real cash brings a whole new level of motivation and excitement to the game with the opportunity to convert credits to real cash at the end.
For those who wish to give video poker a try, Parx Casino and Racing is the largest casino gaming complex in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with 3,300 machines, 180 table games, and 48 poker tables. Not only does Parx Casino offer Pennsylvania video poker on site, the online casino can also fully serve Pennsylvania video poker players with a safe and secure gaming experience licensed and regulated by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
For players who wish to experience online video poker, the time has never been better. With many options, themes, and variants available online, Pennsylvania video poker has never been more accessible.
