Every poker variant is built around the same hand rankings, built in order of likelihood of finding hands based on card value, suit or both. You probably know this, but we’re duty-bound to include the list because everyone needs to learn it somewhere. If you know this part, feel free to skip to the next section:

• The higher the card value, the better.
• Each suit is equal.
• The higher your hand is on the below list, the better.
• Card order doesn’t matter: The dealer will automatically read your cards and pay you for your highest ranking hand.
• Aces are the highest card, but can be used with the lowest in sequences detailed below:

In video poker, we use those same hand rankings with a few quirks. One is that there is no opponent and winnings are based on a multiplier of your bets:

So, when you start landing some of those high hands on bigger wagers...we’re talking a lot of money. It’s important to note that if you want your pair to pay off, it needs to be with jacks or better. A pair of tens is a losing hand.

Another quirk? In video poker, we play a variant called five-card draw. The rules are simple: You get five random cards, decide which ones to keep, discard the rest, and then the dealer gives you new cards to replace the ones you discarded. That’s it. Those are the quirks. That’s how the game is played.

One cool element of playing games in the endless space of the online world is how the potential for variations on a theme is endless, which brings us to multi-hand variants. You’ll find them by clicking here.

The idea is simple: You’re playing multiple hands at a time as one hand. You get dealt five cards and choose which ones to keep, just like in single-handed video poker. That’s when things get a little crazy, in a fun way.

When the dealer deals your replacement cards, it also replaces cards for each extra hand you’re playing, which can bring your total to three, five, or ten hands. Each deal comes from a complete deck, minus your initial five cards, resetting after each deal. Each deal creates its own five-card hand, each of which can earn you payouts (your bet is divided ten ways). So, if you’re dealt a pair of kings (as in the example on the left), all ten hands are winners; the question is whether you get dealt anything that makes the winnings even bigger. There isn’t a much better feeling than hearing ten consecutive ding sounds as hand after hand is declared a winner and watching each one pay off.

If you’re playing ten hands, what you need to understand is that you’re lowering your variance. Just like poker pros “running it twice” on an all-in, the math is more likely to even out than in a single hand. As an example, in single-hand play, if you’re dealt a pair of fours, you might try to find the third one and enjoy the payoff; in multi-hand variants, the more hands you play, the less hitting a four matters, since that only counts for a tenth of the payout (in ten-hand). The lesson? If you like to play on gut instead of math, stick to the single-hand variants. If you like to play by strict mathematical ROI though? Multi-hand can add a lot of fun and action to your game.

If you’re looking for pure gamble — like slots or roulette — instead of strategy, this may not be the game for you, but if you like a little odds calculation mixed in with chance, this is right up your alley. It’s quick (games can last as little as 5 seconds), includes the fun part of poker, and offers potentially huge payouts. Sound like your kind of thing? The next step is a simple one: Head to Golden Nugget Online Casino Video Poker, choose your table, and have some fun.