Joker Poker video poker, also sometimes referred to by the name Joker Wild, is one of the Jacks or Better video poker variations from Realtime Gaming, or RTG. In this version of the game the joker behaves as wild, which means that players are able to substitute it for any of the other cards in his or her hand in order to make up a winning card combination. This joker being present means that the game is played with 53 cards rather than the standard 52 that the majority of video poker games make use of.
Playing Joker Poker by RTG at Online Casinos
Players who have selected Realtime Gaming’s Joker Poker will be dealt five cards, and their objective is to hold on to the best ones with which to make up the highest ranking poker card hand they can, whilst discarding those that do not contribute towards this goal. Players keep the cards they want by selecting the hold button, displayed beneath the card, or by clicking on the card itself. Players hold on to the cards they wish to keep, and will then select the deal button. The dealer for the game then automatically discards the cards the player has elected to do away with and replaces them with fresh ones.
Winning Hands for Joker Poker Video Poker
The winning hands for RTG’s Joker Poker, ranked in order, are as follows:
- Natural royal flush, a hand that is comprised of the ace; king; queen; jack and ten of the same suit
- Five of a kind, five cards of the same suit, possible thanks to the joker wild
- Joker royal flush, a royal flush that makes use of the joker wild
- Straight flush, made up of five cards of the same suit in sequence
- Four-of-a-kind, a hand that is composed of four cards of identical face value
- Full house, essentially two hands: any three-of-a-kind along with a pair
- Flush, a hand made up of five cards of the same suit, not in sequence
- Straight, a hand with five cards not of the same suit, but in sequence
- Three-of-a-kind, three cards with the same face value
- Two pairs, two groups of two cards with the same face value
- Kings or better, i.e. a pair of kings or a pair of aces
Strategy Tips for Joker Poker Video Poker
Players will find many helpful strategy hints and tips to help them maximise their Joker Poker video poker plays online, and this help is offered completely free of charge.
The game of Joker Poker is an easy one, both to learn and to master, and the hands dealt can be divided into two groups:
- Hands which include a joker
- Hands which do not
Play for the game will unfold differently depending on which one of these two types of hands the player has received, and players are encouraged to master the hints for these as quickly as they can.
The variation provides fans of poker with an interesting new way to apply the game’s rules and strategies, but does not demand too high a skill-level to exclude players who are simply looking to relax and enjoy some easy, potentially very profitable video poker play online.