Video Poker
Video Poker was one of the first electronic gambling games. It has grown from a simple game into a gambling genre of its own, with hundreds of variations now found in real world casinos as well as online. Crypto casinos picked it up early, and some of them added “provably fair” versions, where the strings that control the deal can be used to check each hand after it is played.
This page gives you an overview of Bitcoin Video Poker. First, the different games and the software providers that make them are covered, from very plain retro games to modern animated versions, along with why the paytable matters more than anything else. After that you will find a guide to getting started the right way, then the pros and cons of playing video poker with Bitcoin compared with cash, how to check a casino’s licence and where to get help.
Bitcoin Video Poker Games You’ll Find Online
There is a wide range of video poker games to choose from across the different casinos. They are covered below starting with the simplest games.
For a genuine retro feel, some crypto casinos built their own Jacks or Better games. The graphics look like they come from a 1980s home computer, and the game-play is as simple as it gets. In standard Jacks or Better, a Royal Flush pays 800 times your bet per coin when you play maximum coins. The provably fair versions include server strings that let you check each deal yourself.
Some casinos have also created their own video poker games alongside their slot titles. A common one is a Joker Poker type game, where the joker is wild and a pair of Kings is the minimum qualifying hand. Some versions let you play up to 10 hands at once, which evens out the swings a little, and offer a Hi-Lo double-up game after a win.
SoftSwiss powers the games at a number of online casinos and has produced two very playable video poker titles: Jacks or Better and a Joker Poker equivalent called Texas Wild. What I liked about these games is that the holds are automatic (though you can change them), which speeds things up over many hands.
Larger game libraries usually include a range of simple titles covering the most popular variations: Jacks or Better, Tens or Better, Deuces Wild, Joker Poker and multi-hand versions of Jacks or Better where you play five hands at once.
Whatever the game, check the paytable before you play. Two machines that look identical can pay differently for a full house or a flush, and over time that small difference matters more than anything else on the screen. A “full pay” Jacks or Better table pays 9 for a full house and 6 for a flush; versions that pay 8 and 5, or less, give back noticeably less in the long run. The return also depends on playing correct strategy for that paytable.
Getting Started with Bitcoin Video Poker
Even if you have played at crypto casinos before, these three stages are worth checking. They are choosing a licensed casino, registering and verifying your account, and then making the deposit.
Start with the licence. Choose a casino licensed by the gambling regulator in your country and confirm it on the regulator’s public register. If a site will not tell you who runs it and where it is licensed, do not play there.
Next, register and verify. Licensed casinos are required to check your age and identity, typically with a photo ID and sometimes a proof of address, and many complete this within minutes. That check is the law, not a nuisance: it keeps minors out and makes fraud and money laundering harder. A casino that lets you play without an e-mail address or any checks is not supervised by any regulator where you live.
Then deposit using a method the casino supports. Many licensed casinos do not accept Bitcoin at all. If yours does, you will need a wallet with Bitcoin bought from an exchange. The casino shows a deposit address when you click the deposit button; on a computer you copy and paste it into your wallet, and on a mobile wallet you can usually scan a QR code instead. Check the address and the network carefully, because a crypto transfer cannot be undone.
Pros and Cons of Bitcoin Video Poker
There are a few genuine advantages to video poker with Bitcoin. Transfers can be quick once your account is verified, and some players like keeping their gambling money in a wallet they control.
Older guides sold anonymity as the main attraction: an e-mail address, no bank, no personal information. That is precisely what licensed operators may not offer. A site that does is not licensed where you live, so there is no one to test the games, check the paytables are honest or handle a complaint if a withdrawal is refused.
Many crypto casinos offer provably fair technology alongside their games. You can see the server strings that control the deals and check after the hand that the result was not changed. That is useful, but it only proves individual hands; it does not prove the casino will pay you.
There are also costs. Bitcoin network fees change with demand, exchanges charge to buy and sell, and the coin’s price can move while your money sits in the casino. Smaller crypto casinos have also often capped how much you can withdraw each week. A licensed casino has to set out its terms clearly and stick to them.
Bitcoin Video Poker: Checking a Casino’s Licence
Whether online video poker is legal depends on where you live, and a licence from one country does not make a site legal in another. Search your country’s regulator register for the casino’s company name and web address. The UK Gambling Commission’s public register and the Malta Gaming Authority’s licensee register show how this works. In the US, online casino games are licensed by individual states.
Licensed sites approach crypto cautiously. The UK Gambling Commission has told its licensees that crypto-assets are considered high risk and must be scrutinised, which is why so few accept it.
Playing Bitcoin Video Poker Responsibly
You must be 18 or over to play video poker online, and older where local law sets a higher age. Video poker is quick, with a new hand every few seconds, so set a budget and a time limit before you start and use the limits your account provides.
If you are worried about your gambling, free and confidential help is available from Gambling Therapy, online and in many languages. In the US, call the National Problem Gambling Helpline on 1-800-MY-RESET. Your national regulator lists the helpline in your country.
References
- UK Gambling Commission: public register
- UK Gambling Commission: age, ID and financial verification
- UK Gambling Commission: crypto-assets and money laundering
- Malta Gaming Authority: licensee register
- Gambling Therapy
- National Council on Problem Gambling (US)
Questions & Answers