Casino Poker Games

Video Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Caribbean Stud Poker, 3-Card Poker, Pai Gow … all casino poker games that give you slightly lesser odds than your skill advantage at the poker table but offer a ton of fun and excitement in their own way.

The primary difference in these casino poker games is that you’re playing against the house rather than other players. But if you need a quick poker fix after you’ve busted your latest online poker game, here’s where to turn..

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Casino Poker Games Online

If you love the game of poker but don't always have the time (or attention span) to play great poker for hours on end, casino poker games are a nice middle ground to get some hands in.

You won't have quite the same edge you might have at the poker table (if you're a good poker player, that is), but with proper casino poker game strategy you can reduce the house edge quite a bit and, in cases like video poker, even expect to see a profit.

The primary difference between casino poker games and standard online poker games is, of course, that you're playing against the house as opposed to against the other players at the table. And when you're playing against the house you know the odds aren't set up in your favour.

As opposed to online roulette or online blackjack, though, your poker skill set can come in handy and help turn those house odds back to your side. At the very least you can know for certain you're playing optimal strategy and can maximize your return.

Check our toplist above for some of the best places to play casino poker games online and read on below for some basic rules and strategy tips to help make the most of your casino poker game session.

Casino Poker Games - Video Poker: Best House Odds in the Casino

As plenty of casino regulars will tell you, sitting at the bar playing at a video poker game terminal is usually (at worst) a break-even proposition.

With the free drinks flowing and great odds if you play the proper video poker strategy you can spend a few hours idling away on a video poker machine and come up none the worse the wear on your bankroll.

Worse for wear for your liver, maybe. But odds are very high your video poker session will be in the black.

If you’re betting properly in video poker you also stand a pretty good chance of hitting some big jackpots. Plenty of different video poker games are also available at online casinos with a growing range of new variants and game types to choose from.

The most popular video poker game you'll find at most online casinos is Jacks or Better but Deuces Wild and Joker’s Wild are other common options.

Whatever the video poker game, the rules are generally still the same:

  • Official Poker Hand Rankings are used
  • All forms of video poker are essentially 5-Card Draw Poker games with all five cards dealt off the top rather than the two or four you get in regular games of Texas Hold'em or Omaha
  • You pick which of your 5 cards to hold or discard in each round
  • Your final five-card hand determines your payout
  • A Royal Flush (the top hand possible) with maximum betting credits risked will give you the highest payout

In Jacks or Better video poker you need to have at least a pair of Jacks to get paid. Tens of Better video poker you need at least a pair of tens, and so on. Any particular rules exceptions for the game will likely be self-explanatory based on the name of the video poker game itself.

Standard Odds for Jacks or Better Video Poker

  • Royal Flush - 250x (bonuses of 4000x or more when betting max credits)
  • Straight Flush - 50x
  • Four of a Kind - 25x
  • Full House - 6x-9x
  • Flush - 5x-6x
  • Straight - 4x
  • Three of a Kind - 3x
  • Two Pair - 2x
  • Pair of Jacks or Better - 1x

Best Video Poker Strategy

If you stick to textbook video poker strategy you stand the best chance of getting paid. Getting paid as frequently as possible should also be your main priority.

casino poker games

Risks are only worth it when you have a chance to hit one of the big scores with a big hand.

Generally speaking in video poker you should draw if you have:

  • Three or four cards to a straight or a flush

You should hold:

  • Any pair dealt to you
  • Any three cards to a straight flush
  • Hold any cards Jacks or Higher if you have none of the above

Read more on video poker rules and strategy:

Casino Poker Games - Pai Gow Poker

Another very popular form of casino poker game is Pai Gow, named after the Chinese domino game of the same name. Unlike “real” poker, you only bet once at the beginning of the hand before you’re dealt seven cards from the 53-card deck (52 cards plus one joker).

Your task is to make your seven cards into two strong poker hands. Your “back” hand (or “big” hand) uses five cards, like traditional poker. Your “front” hand (or “small” hand) is just two cards and only high cards or a pair.

Your big hand has to outrank your small hand. See the official poker hand rankings here:

The Joker can be used to complete a straight or flush in your five-card hand. If not, it’s an ace. In your two-card hand it can only be an ace.

Once your two hands are set you compare them to the dealer. If both are better, you get paid 1:1. If only one hand is better it's a push.

If both are worse, you lose.

Best Pai Gow Poker Strategy

The best and most common Pai Gow Poker strategy is to always make the strongest possible two-card hand. That way you can be fairly sure you at least won’t lose your bet

If you can make a strong five-card hand, though, like a straight or better, go for that.

If you have no pairs:

  • Put the highest card in your back hand
  • Put the two second-highest cards in the front to make it as strong as you can without outranking the back hand

Read more on the rules and best Pai Gow Poker strategy here:

Casino Poker Games - Caribbean Stud Poker

Caribbean Stud Poker is a fairly easy casino poker variant to understand and play that is more or less based on 5-Card Stud poker. All you really need to know is:

  • How to read a 5-card poker hand
  • When to make the additional bet to play against the dealer

You don't have to bluff, you don't have to play against other players, you don't have to calculate multiple odds for multiple streets or draws. You just have to pick which hands give you the best chance to beat the dealer's hand. And that's it.

Caribbean Stud Poker Rules and Strategy

Here's how a Caribbean Stud Poker hand plays out:

  • Each player at the table puts up the "ante" bet to get dealt a hand
  • Dealer deals out 5-card poker hands face down to every player
  • Dealer deals a 5-card poker hand face down to themselves with final hand turned face up
  • Each player then decides if they want to play on against the dealer's hand. They must make a new bet 2x the ante bet to play on
  • Once all players have paid the extra bet, hands are compared

If the dealer has a qualifying hand (AK or higher), players compare hands. If the player has a winning hand (higher than the dealer's) the ante bet is paid out 1:1. The extra bet is paid out on an escalating scale from 1:1 for a pair to 100:1 to a Royal Flush.

If the dealer's hand is higher, both player bets are lost. If the hands are tied the bets are both a push.  Other side bets are also offered including a progressive side bet and a 5-1 Bonus Bet. Read more about Caribbean Stud Poker here:

Casino Poker Games - 3-Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em

With poker growing in popularity everywhere casinos are seizing the opportunity to add more poker flavor to their casino offerings.

In Ultimate Texas Hold'em players go heads up against the dealer with several different types of bets available on top of the required Blind and Ante bets. You get two hole cards and you can either check or bet 3x or 4x your ante for your Play bet.

After a three-card flop you can check or bet 2x your Ante for your Play bet. After the final two community cards you can fold or bet 1x your Ante for your Play bet. If your hand beats the dealer’s hand your Play and Ante bets win even money. If you tie, those bets push. The Blind pays if your winning hand is at least a Straight. If you beat the dealer with less than a Straight, it pushes.

If the dealer doesn't have a pair or higher he doesn’t qualify and your Ante is returned.

3 Card Poker is similarly played heads-up between the player and the dealer. Once you put your "ante" bet in you each are dealt three cards.

Once you've taken a look at your hand you can then put down a "play" bet and showdown against the dealer or you can just fold and forfeit your ante bet. If you choose the play bet you can also add a "Pair Plus" bet which will pay you out if you hit any hand of a pair or better.

If the dealer has a pair of Queens or higher their hand is in play and you have to beat it to win your bets. If the dealer doesn't have at least a pair of queens it's a push.

Check our page below for the full payout table and for more on 3-Card Poker variations.

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Online Slots Are for Everyone

If you’ve ever been to a brick-and-mortar casino you know slots are front and center everywhere you look. There’s a reason for that.

They’re easy and fun to play and don’t require any advanced knowledge or training. And they're a great mental break from trying to outwit your poker table for several hours.

With payout rates usually between 94% and 97%, your chances of winning at least some of your money back are also pretty high.

The modern slot experience, both live and online, is miles beyond the old “metal arm and three fruits” standards of the past.

From head-spinning 3D graphics to gigantic, multi-million progressive jackpots there are an endless array of bells-and-whistles to entertain any age or type of player. Some are even poker-themed, which add to the pleasure.

Online you can get access to literally thousands of slots 24/7 - including progressive jackpot slots that pay out over $10 million and more.

Learn More about Online Slots:

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