Online Video Poker is a close relative to the regular poker game that you are accustomed to in the casinos. There are similarities and differences, the most prominent of which revolve around your environment and your dissemination of trust. By this, I mean people are more apt to believe that a land based casino’s odds and expectancies are fair, and more apt to believe an online video poker machine is rigged. Now the question to ask is, is there any merit to such presumption? Well you could say that Nevada has strict gaming policies and their video poker machines must meet certain standards. But is that to say that each machine is identical? Of course not, as in the case of slots, there are loose machines and tight ones, and it is to the casinos advantage where they decide to place each (you’ll notice looser machines in areas that are viewable by a larger number of people, and those near entrances to the casino). People are quick to assume that an online video poker machine may have odds that are not in line with Vegas. So what’s the source of this assumption? It’s most likely human nature, people in a casino see a machine, they know it’s a micro-chip, but it doesn’t register as such a negative thing because they are still surrounded by people. Human faces can make a lot of difference to peoples trust levels. When viewed in this light perhaps people thinking along these lines could consider their hesitation's origins. There are startling similarities between online video poker and casino style, because of course, the video part implies digital, and both mediums are digital. People often make the naive mistake that casino ‘software’ that you download is necessarily different than casino ‘hardware’ that exists in the physical boxes on the casino floor. Not so. The ‘hardware’ in this case is simply made up of integrated chips which have been programmed with software. So the hardware is composed of software, simply as a different representation. In many modern cases there are not even hardware coded chips in the casino floor machines. I’m not the only one to see a windows blue screen of death as I pass a video poker machine on the floor.
Let’s work on the presumption that some web casinos carry online video poker that has static Vegas odds, and we are playing one of these pieces of software. In this situation the advantage lies with the online gambler. Why you ask? Simple. The environment is extremely different. Vegas and all land based casinos exist to distract the player into not noticing how much money they have lost. Think about it. The flashy lights, the loud noises and piped in music, the uniforms, the low cut tops on the cocktail waitresses. Everything exists to make you not think about the fact that your depositing. This truth is universal across each of the games in the casino. Now picture yourself at home, sitting in your favorite chair, with your favorite drink in your hand. You can pause the game at any time and not lose your machine. You can quit while your ahead and not be faced with walking back through the whole casino to cash out and then back through again to leave, only to be bombarded with more opportunities to lay down your winnings, and bank machines at each exit whispering to you that your not truly broke yet. No clocks on the wall’s, no windows, nothing to even hint to you what time it is. At home, you have all of the control in the world. Plus a few bonuses you wouldn’t get otherwise. For one, speaking of bonuses, have you ever been comped in Vegas? Chances are the answer is no, and the reason is simple: because the place next door won’t comp you either, hence, no competition. On the Internet its different, even if your only playing online video poker, you can get a great sign up bonus. There are thousands of online casinos just wishing for you to sign up with them, and willing to comp you. Other perks of playing from home include a hand count on your cumulative bet total. Vegas does NOT want you to realize just how much money you’ve put down so far, but many online casinos offer a running total. This gives you a much clearer view of your wins and losses, and better control over your bank roll. When it comes down to it, playing online video poker may be your most intelligent choice.
Play video poker right and you'll be playing what many consider the best game in the casino. With video poker, you get to play at your own pace and you also have the potential for big payoffs. In video poker you do have the control so pick the right machine, play the right way and have fun!
