Video Poker

I have always loved video poker from when I first starting gambling at land casinos in my early 20s and here's why. Although slots are undoubtedly my favorite casino game, after a lengthy slots session - particularly now that I do most of my gambling online - I like to take a break and play something else. Enter online video poker, my palate-cleansing between courses sorbet, so to speak. Although many people consider slots and video poker to be similar because they both accept coins and are single player games, I believe that they couldn't be more different. I think that while slots are very frenetic and hurried as their flashing lights, spinning symbols and sounds spur you on to win those elusive jackpots and bonuses, video poker is calm, sedate and subtle - the quiet before the slots storm, so to speak.

Now my objective is not to make video slots play second fiddle to slots, because as I mentioned before they are both completely different and as such boast their own distinctive fans. I am simply pointing out the role that land and now online video slots have always and continue to play in my life. In fact, if I'm 100 per cent honest, since the advent of online casinos I have probably played more online video poker than ever before, which I put down to the ability to change games with the click of a mouse button. I no longer have to queue for a video poker game or sit next to that guy with the dirty cowboy hat who smells like a dead version of the Camel man. You know the one. Nope, now I just visit my respective online casino's game menu, pick an online video poker variant of my choice, and play.

And boy are there plenty of online video poker variants to choose from these days. Let's see, my favorite is Jacks or Better (where as its name suggests you have to make pair of Jacks or better to be paid out), but there is also Jacks or Better 4-line, Joker Poker, Aces & Faces, 10's or Better, Megajacks (progressive jackpot), Aces & Faces 4-line, 2 Ways Royal and many, many more. Don't forget Deuces Wild, where 2s substitute for any other card to help you make the best 5-card poker hand winning combination. Your ultimate objective is to make a Royal Flush (10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace suited) to win the really big bucks.

Plus, most online video poker games offer you a lucrative gamble feature where you can gamble half or all of your winnings from a particular hand. The gamble feature is usually in the form of 'High/Low' or 'Red/Black'. In other words, you must choose a card from a randomly shuffled selection of cards, and if it is higher than the displayed card or the same color, you double up. If it isn't, you lose and get to try again in your next winning hand. For me video poker is the Laurel to my Hardy (slots) and hopefully always will be.

	Silver Oak Casino Silver Oak uses the Realtime Gaming software. They were the first to produce 100 hand video poker games.

• Platinum Play Casino
• Casino Villento
• River Belle Casino
• Casino Titan
• Bodog Casino