FOR MOST PLAYERS, ONLINE VIDEO POKER IS A BETTER OPTION

It seems counterintuitive but as the availability of casinos and specifically video poker has grown in the United States the environment for the player has deteriorated. Actually, it only seems strange at first glance simply because more widespread availability does not in this instance equate to a greater level of competition. To the contrary, in most states, the competitive marketplace most beneficial to players is tightly regulated for the benefit of the major casino corporations.

In some states, they make no pretense about limiting competition to a few companies that have proven to be financial benefactors for politicians. In these states, they have law and regulations that limit the number of casino licenses to a precious few. This is great for the companies that have them but terrible for casino players. Of course, the states that do this could care less, they’ll gladly do the bidding of those with the deeper pockets.

There are still a few jurisdictions here and there that offer decent video poker. video poker.

It’s not easy to find good video poker on the Las Vegas Strip but if you get away from the tourist areas you can still track it down.

IN MANY JURISDICTIONS WHAT LOOKS LIKE VIDEO POKER REALLY ISN’T

There’s a number of gaming jurisdictions, likely a majority across the country, where games are available that might look like video poker but in actuality aren’t. As we’ve discussed often here at this website video poker games are completely random and controlled by an on-board computerized random number generator (RNG). These RNG’s use technology to guarantee as completely as possible a completely random outcome on every card draw. The games you’ll find in Nevada, Mississippi, New Jersey and Oregon and a few other places operate by this method.

In most other areas there are devices that LOOK like video poker machines but operate in a drastically different manner. In many areas, only ‘Class 2‘ devices are legal…

…basically, these are machines that are based on bingo games that are conducted at the server level. The player may be pushing buttons but the outcome is not in the player’s control. This is also true in many lottery operated games that resemble video poker. These games are actually ‘Video Lottery Terminals‘ and are similar to the Class 2 games in that the player isn’t in control. The games are distributed from a central server in the lottery istration headquarters. If this central server decides you’re getting a prize, you’re getting a prize. Your input just doesn’t matter.

THE BEST OPTION IS PLAYING ONLINE

The reality circa 2016 is that for most video poker players they’re better off looking for games at one of the many online casinos. From a gameplay standpoint, online video poker is indistinguishable from the casino video poker experience. In many cases, online casinos use the same software packages that you’ll find in land-based casinos. Online casinos offer more player-friendly rules and more advantageous odds due to the highly competitive marketplace. You won’t find deceptive ‘Class 2 games’ or ‘video lottery terminals’ online meaning that in many places the online games are closer to ‘actual video poker‘ than the games found in land-based casinos and slot parlors. It’s becoming true for every form of gambling but in video poker, it’s definitely a better option to play online.