If you are an avid virtual casino player, then you have probably come across numerous tournaments comprised of different casino games. Slots and classic table games are common options that can be played on tournaments where numerous players compete. This being said, when playing online, you might also come across video poker tournaments.
If you are wondering about the difference between video poker and other casinos games, we will let you know that in video poker, skills play a major role in the outcome of betting. This is why the tournaments where players bet on video poker are slightly different than other casino events as participants can use strategies and improve their winning chances on video poker significantly.
There are several types of tournaments that fans of the game can find online. Depending on the type of games that comprise the tournament, players can also utilize strategies that will help them snag great prizes.
The Basics of Video Poker Tournaments
In order to be able to participate in video poker sweepstakes, you will have to know the elements that make up such tournaments. Although this is not always the case, more often than not, players must pay a certain sum in order to be able to participate in the tournament. This is known as buy-in which will allow you to compete in the video poker sweepstakes organized by the casino where you play. It is possible the buy-in to be along the lines of $22 where $20 will contribute to the prize pool and the $2 will be the surcharge you pay to the casino.
The reason why many casino members are tempted to participate in video poker tournaments are the prize pools that are offered. There are two types of prize pools that a video poker tourney may offer to players. The first one is known as a guaranteed prize pool and as its name suggests, it offers a set prize which the winner of the tournament is guaranteed to receive. It is announced before the beginning of the tournament and does not change in the course of the tourney. The second type of prize pool that can be seen on video poker tournaments is referred to as variable. Its amount depends on the number of players who have bought into the event.
Video Poker Tournaments Additional TipsThere is definitely a difference between the two types of prize pools. If you have joined a tourney with a guaranteed prize, the casino is responsible for covering any amount that is left until the prize pool that was originally stated is reached. Let us assume that a certain virtual casino has stated that the prize pool for the video poker tournament is $4,000. If the prize, however, has reached only $3,200, the remaining $800 will be covered by the casino.
As it was stated earlier, the variable prize pool depends on the number of players that have bought into the tournament. For instance, if there are 300 participants who have paid a $20+$2 buy-in, then the prize pool is going to be $6,000 (300 x $20).
Just as it is with other casino tournaments, with video poker events, the prizes for the top players are the most rewarding ones. A simple example for the distribution of a prize pool of $5,000 can be:
Place | Prize |
---|---|
1st place | $2,500 |
2nd place | $1,250 |
3rd place | $750 |
4th place | $500 |
Every video poker enthusiast knows that there are numerous variants of the game which is why there are many different video poker options which can be included in casino tournaments. And while this is true, the three most commonly used games are Deuces Wild, Double Bonus and Jacks or Better. The reason for this is the fact that the majority of players are well familiar with the rules and gameplay of these three variations.
Formats of Video Poker Tournaments
The two common formats that are known to video poker players are timed and hand-based tournaments. The first format includes sweepstakes which last for a certain period, determined in advance. The way winners are chosen is by selecting players with the highest score at the end of the tournament.
A typical example of a timed tournament will be an event where players are given 1,000 credits that can be used for the time limit of 20 minutes. Every time they play a hand, they will stake 5 credits. There is a meter which reflects the amount that players gain with every winning combination. The credits which are not used will not count towards the points players have won. This is a very important thing to remember as it means that the best scenario is to use all or as many as possible of the 1,000 credits you are given within the set timeframe.
Formats of Video Poker Tournaments – Additional TipsThe difference of hand-based tournaments is that players are not restricted to the time they play but to the number of hands the bet on. Here, the winners are chosen by selecting the players with the highest score after the limited number of hands have been played. For example, if the maximum hands played during the tournament is capped at 400 hands, the tourney ends once all participants have played 400 hands.
Usually, most virtual casinos use the time-based format for their video poker tournaments but this does not mean that you cannot come across gaming sites that use the hand-based format. It should be noted that some tournaments can last several days which means that players have to continue buying into the tourney in order to increase their scores and hopefully rank on the top places.
Types of Video Poker Tournaments
Earlier, we have mentioned that players must pay a buy-in so that they can participate in video poker tournaments. However, there are also other types of tourneys which may function in a different manner.
Buy-In Video Poker Tournaments
Buy-in tournaments are pretty common at online casinos as this is a way to gain money from video poker players. Since when buying into a tournament, players pay a surcharge, this additional fee goes as a profit to the casino. When compared to a standard game of video poker, buy-in video poker tournaments have the advantage of losing only the sum you have paid to participate when you do not win the event. Meanwhile, in a typical game of video poker, there is no limit for the amount you can lose. Of course, this being said, you may decide to buy into tournaments several times which would mean that there is a potential loss of more funds.
Usually, there are two types of buy-in tournaments that you can encounter while playing online. The first one includes an additional fee to the sum you pay to participate. For example, if the buy-in is $20 + $2, the $2 will be the surcharge for the casino and the $20 will contribute to the prize pool. On the other hand, you can sometimes see a no-fee buy-in tournament. This would mean that you will only pay the amount needed to join the tournament and 100% of your buy-in will count towards the prize pool.
Freerolls
This type of tournaments does not require players to pay any sum in order to participate. However, often the prize pool for such tourneys is not very impressive. There are two types of freerolls that virtual casinos often organize. The first one is the so-called open tournament which means that any player can join and play video poker with the hope of ranking first. The good thing about this type of freerolls is that you can use your funds to simply build up your betting bankroll. However, since it is an open tournament, this would mean that virtually anyone can join the event and your chances of winning will be very slim as there will be too many participants.
There is also the possibility to come across a freeroll tournament that will allow only players with a certain number of loyalty points. This is a much better variant as you will be competing against fewer contestants and will have better chances at winning the video poker event. The only catch is that you will have to earn a certain amount of loyalty point prior to joining the tourney.
Invitation Video Poker Events
The third type of video poker tournament that can be found at interactive casinos is the one that is accessible only for an exclusive group of players. This type of events usually accepts players with a certain VIP status who have received an exclusive invitation to the tournament.
In a certain way, invitation events are very similar to loyalty freerolls since you will be competing against fewer players. However, you will have to play for a long time and earn loyalty points so that you can advance in the VIP club of the virtual casino where you play.
Strategies You Can Use on Video Poker Tournaments
You may think that once you have mastered the strategy for a certain video poker game, then you can easily utilize the same tactic when participating in a tournament. That will, however, make your winning chances very slim and you will be disappointed by the end result. Before you join a video poker event, it is important to know how to act, what details to pay attention to and learn the strategy that will increase the opportunity for a massive win.
While the strategies we are about to discuss can be used on timed tournaments, it is better to utilize them in a hand-based video poker event. This is due to the fact that players who are pressured to play as quickly as possible tend to make more mistakes and cannot unleash the full potential of playing with a perfect strategy.
The specific thing about video poker tournaments is that players have either a limited time or a limited number of hands to play with. This would require a different strategy which will help them maximize their winning chances. When you have joined a timed or hand-based video poker event, it is best to use a strategy that favors high-paying hands. In fact, there is the royals-only strategy which requires even more extreme actions holding only hands that may lead to a Royal Flush.
If you decide to go for the royals-only strategy it will not matter what is the video poker variation that you will play during the tournament. However, if you opt for using the strategy that also aims for forming other high-paying hands, then you will have to adjust the way you will be playing to the paytable of the video poker variant.
These are the high-paying hands for some of the popular video poker variations:
Jacks or Better | |
---|---|
Royal Flush | 4,000 |
Straight Flush | 250 |
Four of a Kind | 125 |
Bonus Poker | |
---|---|
Royal Flush | 4,000 |
Four Aces | 400 |
Straight Flush | 250 |
Four 2s,3s or 4s | 200 |
Four 5s through Ks | 125 |
Double Bonus Poker | |
---|---|
Royal Flush | 4,000 |
Four Aces | 800 |
Four 2s, 3s or 4s | 400 |
Four 5s through Ks | 250 |
Straight Flush | 250 |
Double Double Bonus Poker | |
---|---|
Royal Flush | 4,000 |
Four Aces with 2, 3 or 4 | 2,000 |
Four 2s, 3s or 4s with A, 2, 3 or 4 | 800 |
Four Aces | 800 |
Four 2s, 3s or 4s | 400 |
Four 5s through Ks | 250 |
Straight Flush | 250 |
Triple Double Bonus Poker | |
---|---|
Royal Flush | 4,000 |
Four Aces | 1,200 |
Four 2s, 3s or 4s | 600 |
Four 5s through Ks | 375 |
Straight Flush | 250 |
Royal and Straight Flushes Only Strategy
If you wish to play for Royals and Straight Flushes, then the strategy you should use would look the following way:
Hand | Decision |
---|---|
Royal Flush | keep the hand |
Straight Flush | keep the hand |
Four cards to a Royal Flush | draw one card |
Four cards to a Straight Flush | draw one card |
Three cards to a Royal Flush | draw two cards |
Three cards to a Straight Flush | draw two cards |
J and 10, Q and J, Q and 10, K and Q, K and J or K and 10 of the same suit | draw three cards |
Two cards of an Open Straight Flush | draw three cards |
A and K, A and Q, A and j or A and 10 of the same suit | draw three cards |
Any two cards to a Straight Flush (one gap) | draw three cards |
Any two cards to a Straight Flush (two gaps) | draw three cards |
Any two cards to a Straight Flush (three gaps) | draw three cards |
A, K, Q or J | draw four cards |
This strategy is a bit more complicated which is why it may be difficult to be used in timed tournaments where you have to play at a fast pace.
Royals, Straight Flushes and Four of a Kind Strategy
Depending on the video poker game that is played, you might also want to include Four of a Kind in the hands you are aiming to achieve in the tournament. In that case, the strategy chart will rank the hands in the following way:
Hand | Decision |
---|---|
Royal Flush | keep the hand |
Straight Flush | keep the hand |
Four of a Kind | keep the hand |
Four cards to a Royal Flush | draw one card |
Four cards to a Straight Flush | draw one card |
Three if a Kind | draw two cards |
Three cards to a Royal Flush | draw two cards |
Three cards of an Open Straight Flush | draw two cards |
Three cards of an Inside Straight Flush (one gap) | draw two cards |
Any pair | draw three cards |
Two cards to a Royal Flush | draw three cards |
Three cards to a Straight Flush (two gaps) | draw two cards |
Two cards of an Open Straight Flush | draw three cards |
Jack | draw four cards |
Two cards of an Inside Straight Flush (one gap) | draw three cards |
Q or A | draw four cards |
Two cards of an Inside Straight Flush (two gaps) | draw three cards |
It is obvious that this strategy is even more complex which explains why it is not very suitable for timed tournaments. However, if you are joining a hand-based video poker event, you can definitely improve your winning chances if you utilize the aforementioned strategy charts.
Conclusion
As it is with other casino tournaments, video poker events also provide players with the opportunity to compete against other contestants and possibly win a generous prize. When it comes to rules, you will probably play one of the three most popular video poker variations – Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker or Deuces Wild. This means that the gameplay is the one you are used to and you will have no issue participating in such tournament. The one thing that you will have to change, however, will be the strategy you will be using.
Since there are different formats and types of video poker tournaments, you will have to know what type of event the online casino has set up. This way, you will know whether you will have the opportunity to use the right strategy and if there will be many contestants to compete against.
Before you join such a tourney, check whether you are allowed to participate, is there a buy-in you have to pay and what will the format of the event be. These factors will tell you whether it is worth it playing and if you will have good chances of ranking first.