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Before trying a new game or a sport you haven’t played before, you should know all of its terminology. Video poker is no different – it uses playing cards with a slots-like format that demands you know a lot of specific phrases. By understanding this terminology, you’ll be able to learn about video poker more effectively.
Why Terminology Matters
Every field has its own specialized language, used largely within the confines of its industry. While this may seem impenetrable to those on the outside, this terminology exists to communicate complex ideas and events in a fast, quick, and efficient way. Terminology is a great way to communicate without getting stuck in unnecessary details that you, and the person you’re talking to, already know.
This applies to casino games, including video poker, which require you to know playing card hands and other, more specific phrases. While hands-on experience is ideal when learning something new, it helps to know those phrases beforehand. Online, there is no shortage of games where you can see video poker terminology in action. By learning that terminology, you can more effectively read others’ discussions about video poker or discuss strategies with others.
Terminology can be found everywhere, from the casino floor to big league sports. Jargon is widely used to describe the different parts of a football field, or the different strategies a team might try on that field. Some jargon becomes so popular that it is adopted into everyday life. This has also happened with some casino terminology – think “ace in the hole” or “up the ante.”
Video Poker Glossary
Here you’ll find a brief glossary that covers the main terminology surrounding video poker. Naturally, they have some overlap with traditional poker and other card-related games.
The Poker Hands
In your average Jacks or Better video poker game, every hand above a pair of jacks is in play. Here’s a table that describes each hand.
| Hands (Ranked Best to Worst) | No. of Cards | Card Description |
| Royal Flush | 5 | Five same-suited cards – ace, jack, queen, king, and 10 |
| Straight Flush | 5 | Five same-suited cards in sequential order |
| Four of a Kind | 4 | Four matching numbers/faces |
| Full House | 5 | Three matching numbers/faces + two other matching numbers/faces |
| Flush | 5 | Five same-suited cards in non-sequential order |
| Straight | 5 | Five number cards in sequential order |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | Three matching numbers/faces |
| Two Pair | 4 | Two matching number/face pairs |
| Jacks | 2 | A pair of jacks |
Other Useful Phrases
Here are other phrases that you’ll see when playing video poker, including technical terms related to online gambling:
Bust – In gambling, it means a failed bet. For video poker, it’s a hand that doesn’t improve after you’ve discarded useless cards and drawn others from the deck.
Pay table – This is the list of payouts on a slot machine or, in this case, a video poker machine. It tells you what you’d get for each hand.
RNG – Short for Random Number Generator, this is the technology that a lot of online slots and video poker games use to stay unpredictable. RNGs also have a lot of use cases outside of the casino industry.
Pat hand – A hand that cannot be improved upon, no matter how many cards you replace.
Deuces Wild – A type of video poker where deuces (twos) are wild cards that can substitute other cards to make the perfect combination.
Kicker – A side card that doesn’t make one of the hands. In video poker (especially Jacks or Better) you should discard kickers to try and get a better, more valuable hand.
When you know the poker hands and these useful phrases, you should be able to understand video poker content at a deeper level.
