Best online video poker sites in NZ 2024

Play online video poker for free & real money

What is video poker?

Video poker is an online casino game combining elements of online poker with aspects of classic poker. Unlike conventional poker, video poker is played against the house and is powered by a random number generator (RNG).

The aim of the game is to form the best possible five-card poker hand. You’re dealt five cards and have one opportunity to hold or redraw as many as you wish. The higher your final poker hand ranks, the higher your payout. It also requires far less skill than traditional poker, making it extremely popular at many online casinos in New Zealand.

Popular video poker games in NZ

From Jacks or Better to Aces & Eights, there are several video poker games that you can play for real money at online casinos in NZ:

Jacks or Better

Jacks or Better is a firm favourite among Kiwis. As the game’s name suggests, you can earn a payout when your finishing hand has a pair of jacks or better. The return to player (RTP) is 99.5%, making it a great value video poker game.

Deuces Wild

In Deuces Wild, twos (deuces) are wild and can contribute to winning hands by substituting for any other card in the deck. A royal flush offers the highest payout, while three-of-a-kind is the lowest-paying hand in the game. Like Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild is popular at online casinos in NZ as the wild card increases your chances of making a winning hand.

Aces & Eights

Another video poker game with a high RTP (99.78%) is Aces & Eights, also referred to as ‘Dead Man’s Hand’. This video poker game delivers higher payouts when you draw four sevens, aces, or eights – hence the name.

Joker Poker

Traditional video poker games are played with a 52-card deck, but Joker Poker features an extra card – the joker in the pack. In this game, the joker serves as the wild and can replace any other card in the deck to help you form wins. The pair of kings is the lowest hand you can win with in Joker Poker.

Bonus Poker

Based on Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker offers higher payouts when you land four-of-a-kind twos, threes or fours. As the odds for a four-of-a-kind hand showing are high, Bonus Poker is another popular video poker variation available at many online casinos in New Zealand.

Real money video poker vs free video poker

You can play video poker for free or real money when you create an account at a licensed online casino in New Zealand. But which type of video poker should you opt for? Here are some of the differences to be aware of between free games and those that require a real money stake:

How to play online video poker

Getting started with video poker online in New Zealand is a breeze. Here are the steps you can follow to play video poker at a licensed and regulated real money casino:

1. 1

   Select a licensed and regulated online video poker casino like those featured in our toplist.

2. 2

   Create an account and read the terms and conditions of the welcome offer.

3. 3

   Make a deposit to unlock the welcome bonus and check that the funds have arrived in your account.

4. 4

   Browse the casino’s online game library to check the different video poker games you can play, including Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, and Joker Poker.

5. 5

   Read the rules and decide how much to bet per hand. You can adjust your bet amount on video poker each time you play.

Video poker odds & payouts

Before playing video poker, it helps to understand how hand rankings work in poker. You don’t need to be an experienced poker player, but knowing the winning hands make video poker much more enjoyable.

The amount you can win in video poker depends on the hand you can form with the cards you are dealt, as each hand has different odds and payouts. For instance, a royal flush has high odds and a higher payout ratio, as the probability of forming this hand is low compared to variations that appear more frequently, like a pair of 10s.

You should also be aware of the game’s house edge, which might be given as an RTP percentage. The higher the game’s RTP, the lower its house edge, which is great news for players as it increases your chances of a winning payout. Though the odds and payouts vary from game to game, you can use the table below as a guide to help you as you play video poker online in New Zealand:

You can also check the paytable of a particular video poker game before placing your bets by opening the in-game menu.

Online video poker bonuses

The best online casinos in NZ offer a range of casino bonuses for new and existing players, including no deposit, match deposit, reload bonuses and cashback offers. Still, always read the T&Cs of a casino bonus to understand how it works before opting in.

All casino bonuses come with wagering requirements, which indicate how much real money you need to bet before withdrawing any bonus winnings. You should also pay attention to the other conditions, such as time limits, to ensure you fulfil the promotion terms before it expires.

Best video poker casino bonuses

Take advantage of some of the best video poker casino bonuses available to Kiwis at these top sites:

Playing video poker on mobile

You can enjoy video poker on your computer and any mobile device, such as your smartphone or tablet. These games have been created with HTML5 technology, so they are fully optimised to work on smaller screens and maintain the same high-quality performance.

The best way to enjoy video poker in New Zealand is to download the casino’s dedicated mobile app for iOS or Android, assuming it has one. You can then take advantage of exclusive in-app promotions and play mobile-optimised video poker games no matter where you are in NZ.

Top 5 online video poker strategy tips

Though video poker doesn’t require much skill, there are some steps you can take to get the most out of the game while playing online. Here are five video poker tips to bear in mind:

• Study basic poker hand rankings before playing. Make sure you know a two-pair from a royal flush to get the most enjoyment out of video poker.

• As every video poker game is slightly different, check the RTP, odds and payouts offered before placing your bets to play games suited to your preferences.

• If you have never played video poker before, practising with free games is a good idea before placing real money bets.

• Take advantage of a casino bonus and try out different video poker games to boost your bankroll and keep gameplay interesting.

• Always set your betting limits and gamble responsibly when playing video poker online.

How we rate online video poker sites

To ensure that we only recommend the best video poker sites in New Zealand, our experts spend a lot of time reviewing sites and checking their credentials. We only ever recommend sites that we rate highly based on the following criteria:

1. 1

   Game variety & software providers

   The variety of video poker games offered by an online casino is important. While most casinos offer Jacks or Better, we look for casinos that provide five or more video poker titles so you can mix things up and keep things interesting while you play.

2. 2

   Bonuses & promotions

   The best online casinos in New Zealand offer excellent welcome bonuses and ongoing promotions to Kiwis. We consider the value of the promotions and read the small print to find out about wagering requirements and timeframes to ensure we only recommend sites that offer generous bonuses.

3. 3

   Deposits & withdrawals

   Our top-rated online casinos support a range of secure and trusted payments, such as e-wallets, debit cards, and bank transfers; some also support crypto payments. We also recommend sites that deliver fast payouts within 1-3 business days.

4. 4

   Security & licensing

   To ensure your safety while playing video poker online, we only recommend sites licensed and regulated by industry bodies like the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission. If a site is not licensed, we don’t recommend it. It’s as simple as that.

5. 5

   Mobile selection

   We recognise that many Kiwis want to play video poker on smartphones and tablets, so we recommend that casinos offer video poker on various devices and operating systems, such as iOS, Android and Windows.

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Online video poker FAQs

• Can you win real money on video poker?

  Yes, you can win real money playing video poker online. When you create an account at an online casino in NZ, you can place real money bets on the video poker game of your choice for your chance to win a payout.

• Is there a trick to winning video poker?

  Not particularly. Video poker is primarily a game of luck as its powered by RNG software. Still, you can employ a basic strategy while playing video poker and gamble responsibly to maximise gameplay.

• Where can I play video poker online for free?

  You can play video poker for free at OnlineCasino.co.nz via our free games library comprising 15,000+ titles. You can also play free video poker at online casinos in NZ, including JackpotCity, Spin Casino, and Ruby Fortune.

• What are the odds of winning at video poker?

  The odds of winning in video poker change from game to game and depend on your hand. For example, the odds of winning with a pair are 2.37:1, while the odds of winning with a royal flush are 649,740:1.

• Which is the best online video poker game?

  Jacks or Better is one of the best online video poker games, but you can also enjoy Aces & Eights, Deuces Wild, and Joker Poker.

• Can I play video poker on mobile?

  Yes, you can play video poker on mobile. Visit a mobile casino or download your chosen casino’s iOS or Android app to play video poker for real money while on the go.

Ross Young

Verified expert

Global content writer

Ross is a senior writer at Magic Word Media, a global authority in online casino content writing. Ross has been covering the online casino space for many years, specialising in news, game guides and reviews.

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