How to Play Spin Poker Video Poker
Spin Poker video poker creates opportunities to play multiple hands based on a single deal. In this way, it resembles multiple play video poker. But it also separates itself because just a few lines of video poker can then be broken up in many different hands, all of which will pay you back if they’re winners.
Video poker stands as a game that’s extremely beneficial to gamblers. You can learn to play it in no time at all, yet it also lets you play with strategy so that it’s not a completely mindless experience. And the payback is quite lucrative.
Spin Poker video poker definitely belongs in the category of adventurous variations of video poker. Playing the game isn’t all that different. You still make your choices about which cards to hold and which to discard in order to make the best possible winning hand.
But the difference comes once you make those decisions. You can win in many different ways based on the original decision that you make, depending on how much you bet. You’ll be playing three different hands at once, even with a limited number of cards.
Spin Poker video poker essentially plays like Triple Play video poker in that a single deal is played out several hands. But the cards that are drawn for these multiple hands come from a single deal. Usually, multiple-hand play requires the cards to be drawn from separate decks containing the same cards.
There’s also a neat little “spin” on Spin Poker video poker that creates excitement. The cards from the different reels on the machine can be combined in many different ways to create brand new “hands.” All of these hands will pay off based on the pay tables you choose to play.
In the following article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about Spin Poker video poker. We’ll show you how to play a hand of basic video poker, then we’ll explain how Spin Poker creates an interesting variation of that. And we’ll also look at payback and strategy for the game as well, so you can get a well-rounded look at the game.
The Basics of Video Poker
Spin Poker video poker is one of the many variations of basic video poker that can be found in casinos and as part of top gambling websites. The basic format of the game isn’t all that hard to learn. And, once you do, you’ll have a nice foundation in place to learn some more complex variations such as Spin Poker.
Video poker takes many of the finest aspects of table games and slot machines and mixes them up. These are some of the ways this is true:
- Video poker can be played by one person all alone, just like slot machines. It doesn’t need the assistance of casino employees. And you don’t have to worry about learning proper etiquette and protocol, something that might intimidate novice gamblers.
- Video poker is extremely easy to play at its most basic level, just like slot machines. Some table games can take years for you to learn intricate rules. You can learn video poker in minutes.
- Video poker makes a smooth transition to online play, just like slot machines. You can sign up with a gambling website and begin playing without ever leaving your home. And you can usually find the top variations of the game online as well.
- Video poker requires strategy, just like table games. Many people like to have a little bit of a challenge, which you don’t really get with slot machines. Here, you can impact play with your decisions, and the best players tend to get the best results over time.
- Video poker is based on probability math, just like table games. The probabilities will determine your chances of coming up with certain winning hands. And they’ll also help dictate which of those hands you should try to achieve.
- Video poker allows you to compute a payback percentage for each pay table that you might encounter. This means you can compare one machine or online game to another.
These are just a few of the great benefits you can garner from playing video poker. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how a basic hand of video poker works. Then, we can move on to the interesting twists brought on by Spin Poker video poker.
Step 1: Create a Bankroll
When you’re playing video poker, your bankroll allows you to make bets and collect your winnings. You can start up a bankroll at a video poker machine by inserting money or a redemption ticket into the slot at the bottom of the machine. Or, if you’re playing online, you can start up a gambling account with the website that you choose to use.
Your bankroll will be represented by credits or coins. Think of these in terms of the denomination of the machine that you’ve chosen to play. For example, if you’re playing at a 25-cent machine, each credit or coin that you bet or receive in payment will be worth 25 cents.
Step 2: Make Your Bet
Normally, you’d be playing a single hand of video poker and betting between one and five credits per hand. But the special configuration of Spin Poker video poker necessitates playing multiple hands at once. How many of those hands you play will dictate how much you have to bet.
We’ll get to the part about where these different hands come from in a bit. For now, just understand that you will have to make a separate bet for each one you choose to play. And you’ll have to decide on betting between one and five credits for each.
We always recommend that you bet five credits per hand on Spin Poker video poker, and the reason for that comes down to the royal flush hand. It’s the highest-paying hand in the game. But that pay can only be maximized if you bet five credits on the hand.
If you hit a royal flush on a hand where you bet anywhere from one through four credits, your payoff will be 250 credits for every one you bet. But up that bet to five credits and the payoff jumps to 800 to 1.
If you were betting five credits on multiple hands, here is what the total wager would like:
- 3 hands = 15 credits
- 5 hands = 25 credits
- 9 hands = 45 credits
Step 3: Playing a Hand
Spin Poker video poker requires that you play at least three hands at once. But before you can get to that point, you have to understand how the basic deal and draw setup of video poker works. It’s essentially the same setup as the table game known as Five-Card Draw.
In Five-Card Draw, however, you have to worry about beating everyone else at the table. When playing video poker, you just have to make a winning hand. That will depend on which pay table you’re playing.
If you’re playing a wild card game like Deuces Wild, the paying hands will start off at three of a kind and include five of a kind, something you can’t achieve in non-wild card play. For non-wild card games, these will be the winning hands you’re trying to achieve:
- Pair of jacks or better
- Two pair
- Three of a kind
- Straight (five cards of consecutive rank, like 3-4-5-6-7)
- Flush (five cards of same suit)
- Full house (three of a kind and two pair in the same hand)
- Four of a kind
- Straight flush (straight with five cards of same suit)
- Royal flush (ten, jack, queen, king, and ace of the same suit)
These winning hands are listed in order from easiest to achieve to most difficult to achieve. As you move down the list, the pay will generally increase. In other words, the rarer the winning hand, the more it pays.
That’s what you have to keep in mind as you receive your five-card deal. These cards will come from a deck of 52, just like one you would have at home. Each deal and draw in video poker is completely random, with no connection to hands that have come before it.
You should keep that in mind as you look at your deal and think of what winning hands you have a chance at making. It’s possible that you get a deal with a winning combination already included. Or you might have a poor deal that you’ll need to drastically improve to come up a winner.
Luckily, you have a chance to do that on the draw. On the draw, you get to discard the cards you don’t think will help you. Those cards will be replaced by fresh ones from the deck that dealt you the first five.
As a result, the draw deck will have just 47 cards remaining. You can use that knowledge and the knowledge of which cards are still in the deck to make your decisions. This will often come down to a case of risk versus reward.
For example, you might already have a low-paying winning hand such as a pair on the deal. You could easily stick with that and hope to improve the hand by getting rid of the other three cards.
But you also could have a deal that includes most of what is needed for a high-paying hand like a royal flush. Even if you’re missing two specific cards from that combination, which would require a very lucky draw, it might be worth trying to get it. After all, the payoff would be significant.
These are the decisions you need to make when playing video poker. When we get to strategy, we’ll talk more about how to make those choices. In any case, once you’ve made your decision, you will press the buttons on the cards you wish to hold.
Once you’ve done this, the draw will take place to complete the hand. Any winnings you might achieve will be added to your bankroll. Deductions to your bankroll will have been made right after you pressed the “deal” button.
You can continue to play in this manner as long as you still have some coins left in your bankroll. Or you might choose to cash out. If you do, you’ll receive a redemption ticket which can be used elsewhere in the casino.
That’s the way that single-hand video poker plays out. It’s a simple process. Once you understand it, you’ll be ready to take on Spin Poker video poker.
Playing Spin Poker Video Poker
Spin Poker video poker resembles the structure for multiple play video poker. But, in many ways, it also resembles a slot machine in the way that different reels can play out in different formations to create wins. It’s a unique combination.
On the screen, Spin Poker video poker looks a little like a three-reel slot machine. There will be five cards in each reel for a total of 15 (5 times 3) on the screen.
For the sake of instruction, we’re going to start out with a Spin Poker video poker example where you are playing three hands at once. Your five-card deal will come in the middle of the three reels. When this occurs, you will have the choice about what to hold and what to discard, just as in regular video poker.
Let’s take a look at a sample deal:
Middle Reel:
In this deal, you have several ways you can proceed. The pair of queens is already a winning hand on all non-wild card pay tables, so you could keep those two cards.
Or you could try to do something with the hearts. You can keep all four and go for the flush. Or you could hold onto the four, five, and seven of hearts in an attempt to make a straight flush.
Let’s say that you decide to hold onto the pair of queens after all. This decision will then be replayed on the top and the bottom reels. This means that these two cards will be held in the exact same spots in those reels.
The draw is where Spin Poker video poker separates itself from most multiple play video poker games. In multiple play video poker, your decision on the deal still governs all the hands you’re playing.
But the cards on the draw come from separate decks for each hand. Each contains the same 47 cards, which would be the original 52 minus the 5 that were dealt. Because of this setup, you could conceivably get the same card in multiple draws.
That’s not the case with Spin Poker video poker. You’ll still be dealing with the 47 remaining cards. But that deck of 47 will be used for all of the draws, meaning there’s no chance you will receive the same card on the draws for different hands or reels.
This really won’t affect strategy much. It will just create a little more of a balanced outcome on the draws. You’ll have more of a chance of coming up with a winning combination somewhere, but less of a chance of having all three deals be beneficial for you.
Let’s take a look at our above deal and see how it all might play out.
Top Reel:
Middle Reel:
Bottom Reel:
You can see how the hands have played out in your favor. On the top reel, you ended with three of a kind. In the middle reel and bottom reels, you ended up with two pair in both.
You would get paid for all of those winning hands. If you were playing a Jacks or Better pay table, for example, you would end up with the following on five-coin wagers:
- Top Reel: Three of a Kind = 15 coins
- Middle Reel: Two of a Kind = 10 coins
- Bottom Reel: Two of a Kind = 10 coins
Adding all of that up, you would have ended up with 35 coins worth of winnings. Minus the 15-coin bet, you ended up with a profit of 20 coins on this round of Spin Poker video poker.
Obviously, a great deal will help you win multiple times playing Spin Poker video poker. By contrast, a bad deal will put you in the hole, with a distinct chance of your losing 15 coins in one fell swoop.
Overall, the setup for Spin Poker video poker won’t affect your payback percentage too much. It will be based on the individual pay tables, which we’ll talk about in a moment.
The multiple play will definitely add some volatility to the mix, however. In other words, you have a better chance of big winnings in a hurry playing Spin Poker video poker than if you were playing one hand at a time. But the flipside is that you run the risk of losing more in a short time.
Playing Different Reel Combinations
If you’re a fan of slot machines, you might be familiar with games that use the reels to make different combinations. In other words, you might get scored not just on the horizontal rows that show up on the screen. You could also end up with payoffs based on different patterns connecting symbols from different reels.
The same can take place with Spin Poker video poker. There are versions of this game online where the combinations that can pay off are practically endless. But the two most common versions are five-play and nine-play.
In five-play Spin Poker video poker, you will be scored for the three horizontal rows, or reels, just as in triple play. But you’ll also be paid for a “V” formation going both up and down.
Let’s go back to the hand above. The downward “V” would start with the queen of diamonds in the top row, move diagonally down to the king of clubs in the middle of the bottom row, then come back up to the far right of the top row, which is where the queen of spades sits.
As a result, you would get this five-card hand from that downward V:
That means you would get paid for a three of a kind. Now, let’s look at the upward “V,” starting on the bottom left, moving to the top center, then returning to the bottom right.
This hand turned out to be a full house. You were fortunate in how the nines were positioned. But that’s just one of the many pleasant surprises when you play Spin Poker video poker in this manner.
As for nine-play video poker, here are what the combinations would be:
- Top Row
- Middle Row
- Bottom Row
- Upward “V”
- Downward “V”
- First and Second Card in Row 1, Middle Card in Row 2, Fourth and Fifth Card in Row 3
- First and Second Card in Row 3, Middle Card in Row 2, Fourth and Fifth Card in Row 1
- First, Third and Fifth Card in Row 2, Second Card in Row 1, Fourth Card in Row 3
- First, Third and Fifth Card in Row 2, Second Card in Row 3, Fourth Card in Row 1
Using the example above, you would have ended up with the following:
- 6. Three of a Kind (Queens)
- 7. Pair (Queens)
- 8. Pair (Queens)
- 9. Pair (Queens)
As you can see, in the sample Spin Poker video poker hand we provided above, you actually would have a winner in all nine hands. You would get paid for each.
Keep in mind that, when playing five-play and five-play Spin Poker video poker, you have to make bets for each of the combinations you want to play. It can pay off when you come up with an example like this. But a bad deal and draw could mean a quick loss of up to 45 coins.
While all this might seem complicated to a novice video poker player, keep in mind that you really only have to make two decisions. You just have to decide how many five-card combinations you want to put into play by making the necessary bet. And you have to decide which cards to hold and discard from that original five-card deal.
The Spin Poker video poker machine, or online game, will do the rest. It will determine your winnings based on the combinations you’ve played. As a result, it’s not that intimidating at all.
Pay Tables for Spin Poker Video Poker
Spin Poker video poker allows you to choose what pay table suits you best. You might like simple Jacks or Better or a more aggressive pay table like Triple Double Bonus. Or you could even try a game with wild cards involved.
What you should be doing is trying to find pay tables which are full-pay. In other words, you’re looking for the payout amount that will return you the highest payback percentage.
For example, if you’re playing Jacks or Better, the 9/6 pay table is the full-pay version. This is the version that pays the full house at 9 to 1 and the flush at 6 to 1. It returns an excellent 99.54% payback percentage, reducing the house edge to under 1%.
If you see a Jacks or Better pay table on a Spin Poker video poker machine without that pay table, the payback percentage will suffer. The lower the payback percentage, the lower you can expect to get from the game in the long run.
To find out exact payback percentage for a given pay table in Spin Poker video poker, you can use a video poker calculator. Simply input the pay table amounts and the calculator will do the rest.
Here are some pay tables you’re likely to find on a Spin Poker video poker machine:
Jacks or Better Pay Table
| Coins/Hand | 1 Coin | 2 Coins | 3 Coins | 4 Coins | 5 Coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1,000 | 4,000 |
| Straight flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Four of a kind | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 |
| Full house | 8 | 16 | 24 | 32 | 40 |
| Flush | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Straight | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Two pairs | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Jacks or better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Bonus Poker Pay Table
| Coins/Hand | 1 Coin | 2 Coins | 3 Coins | 4 Coins | 5 Coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1,000 | 4,000 |
| Straight flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Four of a kind (aces) | 80 | 160 | 240 | 320 | 400 |
| Four of a kind (2s, 3s, or 4s) | 40 | 80 | 120 | 160 | 200 |
| Four of a kind (any other) | 20 | 40 | 60 | 80 | 100 |
| Full house | 8 | 16 | 24 | 32 | 40 |
| Flush | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Straight | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Two pairs | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Jacks or better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Bonus Poker Deluxe Pay Table
| Coins/Hand | 1 Coin | 2 Coins | 3 Coins | 4 Coins | 5 Coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1,000 | 4,000 |
| Straight flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Four of a kind | 80 | 160 | 240 | 320 | 400 |
| Full house | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
| Flush | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 |
| Straight | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Two pairs | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Jacks or better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Double Bonus Poker Pay Table
| Coins/Hand | 1 Coin | 2 Coins | 3 Coins | 4 Coins | 5 Coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1,000 | 4,000 |
| Straight flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Four of a kind (aces) | 160 | 320 | 480 | 640 | 800 |
| Four of a kind (2s, 3s, or 4s) | 80 | 160 | 240 | 320 | 400 |
| Four of a kind (any other) | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Full house | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
| Flush | 7 | 14 | 21 | 28 | 35 |
| Straight | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Two pairs | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Jacks or better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Double Double Bonus Poker Pay Table
| Coins/Hand | 1 Coin | 2 Coins | 3 Coins | 4 Coins | 5 Coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1,000 | 4,000 |
| Straight flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Four aces without any 2,3,4 | 400 | 800 | 1,200 | 1,600 | 2,000 |
| Four 2s, 3s, 4s w/ any A,2,3,4 | 160 | 320 | 480 | 640 | 800 |
| Four aces | 160 | 320 | 480 | 640 | 800 |
| Four 2s, 3s, 4s | 80 | 160 | 240 | 320 | 400 |
| Four 5s through Ks | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Full house | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
| Flush | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 |
| Straight | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Two pairs | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Pair of jacks + | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Triple Double Bonus Pay Table
| Coins/Hand | 1 Coin | 2 Coins | 3 Coins | 4 Coins | 5 Coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 200 | 400 | 600 | 800 | 4,000 |
| Straight flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Four of a kind – aces 2, 3, 4 kicker | 800 | 1,600 | 2,400 | 3,200 | 4,000 |
| Four of a kind – 2s, 3s, or 4s A, 2, 3, or 4 kicker | 400 | 800 | 1,200 | 1,600 | 2,000 |
| Four of a kind – aces 5s – Ks kicker | 160 | 320 | 480 | 640 | 800 |
| Four of a kind – 2s, 3s, or 4s 5s – Ks kicker | 80 | 160 | 240 | 320 | 400 |
| Four of a kind – any other | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Full house | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
| Flush | 7 | 14 | 21 | 28 | 35 |
| Straight | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Three of a kind | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Two pairs | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Pair of jacks + | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Deuces Wild Pay Table
| Coins/Hand | 1 Coin | 2 Coins | 3 Coins | 4 Coins | 5 Coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1,000 | 4,000 |
| Four deuces | 200 | 400 | 600 | 800 | 1,000 |
| Wild royal rush | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 |
| Five of a kind | 15 | 30 | 45 | 60 | 75 |
| Straight flush | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
| Four of a kind | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Full house | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Flush | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Straight | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Three of a kind | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Strategy for Spin Poker Video Poker
You should base your strategy for Spin Poker video poker on the pay table that you’ve chosen to play. Don’t try to outthink yourself by looking at the positioning of the cards and trying to guess what will come up on the various reels. This is a common video poker mistake and doing this will probably just hurt your potential payback.
Instead, choose the pay table you’re most likely to play. Then, learn how to play that table with perfect strategy.
By perfect strategy, we mean that you’re making the right choice for every deal in terms of what to hold and what to discard. And that is based on the math. You have to take into consideration both the probabilities of attaining hands and the payoffs they offer.
Trying to do all of that math in the midst of a session of video poker is nearly impossible. Even if you did get it right, it would take you a long time to figure it all out, severely slowing your play.
To play video poker with perfect strategy, thereby maximizing your potential winnings, it’s a good idea to seek some help. Luckily, you can get just that sort of help from the sources below. Both are very compatible with whatever pay table you choose on a Spin Poker video poker machine.
Strategy Charts
In the case of strategy charts, you really need to memorize them to use them properly. While you could print one out and bring one into a casino, it would slow down your play to consult it every hand. Besides, the casino might not allow you to have a kind of “cheat sheet” on hand when playing Spin Poker video poker.
Once you memorize a chart, you’ll know every correct play no matter the deal. Strategy charts rank all of the possible combinations of cards you might get on the deal based on their expected value. The moment you know the combination within your own deal that ranks the highest, you’ll know that’s what you should hold and discard.
Video Poker Training Software
Video poker training software might take a little more time than strategy charts to achieve perfect play. You can customize the instruction to whatever pay table you choose. Then, by playing with the software for a long period of time, all the right moves will become clear to you.
The software allows you to simulate play as if you were playing for real money. At certain points, you’ll be faced with a deal that might be tricky in terms of what to hold and discard. That’s when the software can step in and show you the right play.
Spin Poker Video Poker Pros and Cons
- A little bit of both video poker and slot machines included
- Many different ways to combine the cards on the screen into winning hands
- Many different pay tables for you to choose
- A bad deal can hurt you many times over
- Might be a bit confusing for beginning video poker players
Conclusion on Spin Poker Video Poker
Spin Poker video poker will provide you with a new way to look at the video poker screen. You’ll be watching the cards from all angles to see all the different ways you can win. And the strategy stays simple even as the winning can potentially be amplified, which is a nice combination to have.
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