Video Poker Live from Evolution

Video Poker Live, powered by Evolution is now up and running. It’s the first live dealer adaptation of this very popular casino game.

Video poker is traditionally a game with outcomes entirely computer generated either via terminals on the casino floor or in RNG format at online casinos. On this Evolution version the main hand is a physical card deal from a live dealer. All hands generated after the hold decision are virtual.

It’s an approach that gives the game true live dealer chops, while still allowing players to play up to 100 hands each round.

What’s more, players have the option of choosing from 5 well known video poker pay table variants each round. At the click of a button you can choose to play either:

• Jacks or Better (full pay)
• Tens or Better
• Deuces Wild
• Bonus Poker
• Double Double Bonus

How to Play Video Poker Live

The premise of video poker, no matter the variant, is simple. The aim is to finish with the best possible poker hand(s). You get a chance to fold any cards in the initial deal, and then receive a payout according to the game’s pay table on hands that are good enough.

Jacks or Better is the default

When you first launch Video Poker Live, the default game and pay table that applies is Jacks or Better. Full pay (or 9/6) Jacks or Better to be precise, with a 9x payout for Full House, 6x for Flush.

The version and applicable pay table is presented bottom right of the game window.

It’s a good default choice too as this is arguably the most popular form of video poker. Not least because of the impressive theoretical returns applying to this version (99.54%) when played optimally. It also uses the truest poker hand ranks (no wilds, hand ranking follows regular poker hand ranks etc).

Placing your bets

During betting time the bet selector lets you choose:

• how many hands you want to play – from 1 to 100
• how much you want to bet per hand

In the pictured example round, 10 hands have been selected at €0.10 a hand, for a total €1 bet.

Once bets have closed, the dealer draws 5 physical cards face up from a freshly shuffled single 52 card deck. This is known as the Main Hand.

Hold decision and default hold strategy

You now have time to decide which cards in the main hand you wish to hold. You’ll notice the physical cards drawn to the main hand are now presented virtually to allow players to make their hold decision (simply click to select/deselect hold).

You’ll also notice lines under the 6s. Underlined cards are the default holds in case you not make a choice.

Evolution apply a default hold strategy for each pay table version, which you can read in the complete house rules.

For Jacks or Better, the default hold strategy is:

1. Always hold a Straight Flush or better.
2. If main hand contains 4 cards to a Flush, hold those 4.
3. If main hand contains pair or higher, hold those cards.
4. If main hand contains 4 cards to a Straight, hold those 4. If two Straights are possible hold the one with the highest card.
5. If main hand contains Jack or higher, hold the highest card.
6. Otherwise hold no cards

It’s important to note the default holds are not always the optimal play. For comparison, the optimal strategy chart for Jacks or Better video poker gives hold guidance on over 30 possible main hand types. You can read more about optimal hold strategy for video poker here.

We’ve departed from the default strategy, and held K, 6 and 6.

These hold cards are then applied to all 10 hands being played, and cards not held are randomly replaced by cards from virtual decks (there’s a virtual deck for every hand played) to form the final 5 card hands.

Any winning hands are highlighted, as are the corresponding win lines on the pay table.

In this example,

• 1 Full House paying 9x, and
• 3 hands making Three of a Kind each paying 3x,

for a total collect of €1.80.

Switching video poker pay table/version

Changing between pay table versions is easy but can only be done during betting time. Click the ‘CHANGE’ button on the current pay table, scroll through the other options and select as desired.

In this example Deuces Wild was selected and bets places just in time to hit a couple deuces on the main hand.

Deuces (or 2s) are wild in this version of video poker as the name suggests. A completely different pay table also applies.

A couple deuces and a pair of queens made for a pretty easy hold decision this round. Three hands were played, and all three made 4 of a Kind.

Jacks or Better, Tens or Better, Deuces Wild, Bonus Poker, Double Double Bonus pay tables

Below are the pay tables for all versions of video poker you can play on Evolution’s Video Poker Live.

The Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker and Double Double Bonus pay tables would all be considered ‘full pay’. Tens or Better and Deuces Wild are not. For example, full pay Tens or Better would pay 25x for Four of a Kind, rather than 20x.

Another reason to stick with the default Jacks or Better game on this table!

The paying hand descriptions are pretty self explanatory. For newbies ‘JACKS OR BETTER’ and ‘TENS OR BETTER’ is a reference to a pair, not a single card.

For a full explanation of all hands and examples of each check the game’s house rules.

Video Poker theoretical returns

Despite being traditionally played on terminals like its distant cousin slots, video poker is a very different proposition in 2 major aspects:

1. There is a skill element to the game, with a critical hold decision required during each round, and
2. If played optimally the games’ theoretical returns are very high.

So it is with Evolution’s Video Poker Live, offering return to player rates for each pay table version as follows:

Version	RTP
Jacks or Better	99.54%
Tens or Better	97.96%
Deuces Wild	98.91%
Bonus Poker	99.17%
Double Double Bonus	98.98%

Where you can play Video Poker Live

Betsson were one of the first adopters. The likes of 888, Betvictor, and William Hill all now offer it.