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 100’s of variations now available in real world casinos, as well as online. You can now find this game at a new generation of online casinos. Bitcoin Video Poker has some big advantages. Not only are you able to play anonymously from anywhere in the world, you can find games which are provably fair. This means the special strings which control the deal can be used to verify fairness after each hand.
This page gives you a complete overview of Bitcoin Video Poker games. First of all, the different games and the software providers that have created them are covered. These range from some retro and very plain games to some very modern animated versions. After that you will find a guide to getting started with BTC Video Poker. Next are some pros and cons of playing this game for Bitcoins in comparison with playing using cash.
There are a wide range of Video Poker games to choose from across the different casinos. These are covered below in the order, starting with the simplest games.
For a genuine retro feel, the ‘Jacks or Better’ at SatoshiBet is the game to try. The graphics look like they come from a 1980’s home computer, and the game-play is as simple as it gets. You can win 800x your bet for a Royal Flush. This game includes the server strings which allow you to independently verify the fairness of the game.
Many Bitcoin casino sites have created their own video poker games and slot titles. One such game is a ‘Joker Poker’ type game. In this version, you can choose to play up to 10 hands at once, which evens out the variation a little. A pair of Kings is the minimum qualifying hand. There are bigger pay-outs for max coins for a Royal Flush (5000 coins). After you win, you can play a Hi-Lo game to double-up (with a double half option), or collect. This is an attractive game which is up there with the titles produced by the bigger software houses.
SoftSwiss power the games at several Bitcoin casinos and have produced two very playable Video Poker titles. The first is Jacks or Better and the second is 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 helps speed things up for many hands.
Bitcoin casinos which use the CoinGaming platform offer you the choice of 6 Video Poker titles. These include one attractive game themed on Pirates (this is just labelled as Video Poker in the list). There are also a range of simple games covering the most popular variations. You’ll find Jacks or Better, 10’s or Better, Deuces Wild, Joker Poker and ‘Five Draw Poker’, which is Jacks or better with 5 simultaneous hands.
If you are already an experienced Bitcoin casino player, then you can skip to the next section below. This information describes the 3 stages needed to get started with Bitcoin Video poker games. These are setting up your BTC wallet, choosing and registering at a casino, and then making the deposit transaction.
Setting up a Bitcoin wallet and buying your first Bitcoins can seem confusing to those who are new to this. There are now several trusted service providers around the world which can provide you with a virtual wallet to hold your Bitcoins. Well known examples include CoinBase, BTC-E and BlockChain.info. You’ll register, setup a virtual Bitcoin Wallet (you can also download one) then buy some coins. Bitcoin can be purchased in units of 1/1000th of a BTC, known as mBTC.
Next you’ll need to sign up at a casino. You only need a valid e-mail address to do this – with no backup documentation required. Some casinos allow you to play without even using an e-mail address.
You will now be ready to deposit. Exactly how you do this depends on your device. For computers, you’ll use a 33 character string of letters and numbers known as the ‘receiver id’ which appears when you click the deposit button. You copy and paste this into your wallet and send the coins. For mobile Bitcoin wallets you can use a QR code instead.
This process is very simple, allowing you to hit the Video Poker tables within minutes.
There are some big advantages in playing Video Poker for Bitcoin instead of dollars. The main one for many players is that you can enjoy the games anonymously. Only an e-mail address is needed to start an account at most casinos, and web based addresses work just fine. With no transaction costs and instant transfers, BTC casinos are set up so that you can be playing within minutes of registering. There is no need to involve your bank, credit cards or personal information at any stage of this process.
Many BTC casinos have provably fair technology alongside their games. This means you can see the ‘server strings’ which control the deals, and verify after the hand (or spin) that you were not electronically cheated.
There are some small drawbacks. The smaller size of these casinos means that withdrawal amounts are often capped at 5 BTC each week. You will also have a smaller selection of games than the global dollar casinos offer. There are still plenty of titles to choose from – including all the popular variations.
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