Multi-Hand Video Poker & How to Play It? Comprehensive Guide!

In a standard poker machine, a player can only play a single hand at a time. It can become boring after some time because the game of poker is usually slow. A multi-hand poker machine allows players to play multiple hands. They can play three, five, ten, or even a hundred hands simultaneously. You can also call these poker machines multi-play poker machines. And today, you can play multi-hand video poker online.

How to play multi-hand video poker?

To play the multi-hand poker, follow the below-mentioned points:

1. First, decide the number of hands you will play.
2. Choose the amount you want to bet on each hand.
3. The total bet amount will be on the screen. It will depend on the number of hands you are playing and the amount you have bet on each hand. For example, suppose you have three credits on one hand and play fifty hands, then the total bet amount will be 150 credits.
4. Now press the deal button and see five cards on your screen.
5. You can then decide to hold some cards if you want. All the hands you are playing will then use these cards. Holding cards is optional.
6. Then press the draw button; all your hands will randomly get the remaining cards required to make it a five-card hand. For example, if you hold three cards, all your poker hands will use these three cards and other randomly assigned cards to make them five-card hands.
7. You will win according to the rank of your hands.

Are they better than single-hand poker?

Both games provide different levels of entertainment and excitement depending on the player’s preferences. For example, look at the points below:

1. Multi-hand video poker is readily available on an online live casino; however, they require a higher bankroll to play because of the higher variance involved.
2. They have the same pay-outs as that of single-hand poker.
3. You don’t have to make any additional wagers to activate extra features; the bets depend on the number of hands played.
4. You don’t have to learn additional poker strategies for playing multi-handed video poker online. They only require the same approach that you will use for single-handed video poker.

What are the pay-outs in multi-hand video poker?

The pay-outs depend on the paytable of the video poker game you are playing. There are many versions of multi-hand video poker. A few of them are below:

Jacks or Better

This variation is the simplest form of video poker. Here, the lowest hand is a jack or better; you will get paid if you have a pair of jacks or higher than a jack. The pay-out will be equal to the bet. You also get a bonus game in a jack or a better game where you will get five cards. One of them will face up. You must pick a card from the four face-down cards; you will win if it is higher than the face-up card.

Deuces Wild

Here, the deuces or twos are wildcards; you can complete a hand combination using them. The lowest hand is the three of a kind; you will win equal to the bet amount. This variation gives low returns as the probability of getting a winning hand substantially increases with wild cards. A hand exclusive to this variation is the five of a kind. You get a five of a kind with four deuces; they mimic the fifth card.

Aces and Faces

This variation is a more complex form of jacks or better; however, the lowest hand remains the same. The only difference is that you get much higher pay-outs if the four of a kind has either Aces or Face Cards.

Bonus Poker

This variation is also like jacks or better. In Bonus Poker, you get different payouts for different four-of-a-kind hands. For example, a hand with four Aces will pay 80 to 1; a hand with four twos, threes, or fours pays 40 to 1; and any other four of a kind pays 25 to 1.

Multi-hand video poker top tips

1. If you increase the bet amount, the jackpot pay-payout also increases. The jackpot means the maximum amount you can get playing video poker.
2. Managing your bankroll should be your primary focus when playing video poker. It would be best to bet according to the number of hands you are playing simultaneously. The more hands you play, the less you should bet per hand, reducing the risk.
3. It would be best to hold your Straight draws, Flush draws, and Royal Flush draws. They have the maximum pay-outs. Keeping a low pair would be a bad idea as they have most minor pay-outs even if you get a three of a kind. If you have a terrible hand, hold the high card.

What is the learning strategy for Multi-Hand Video poker?

As mentioned above, the approach for a single- and multi-hand video poker is the same. Therefore, the decision to hold a card depends on the same factors as single-hand video poker. It is just that your decision will influence multiple hands.

To learn the strategies, you can use the following ways:

First, you can memorize a strategy chart. A strategy chart has all the hand combinations and the recommended cards that you should hold. Thus, by learning a strategy chart, you can quickly identify your hand combination and decide which cards to keep.
The other method is to use the video-poker training software. It will drill the strategy into your brain by making you play the game. The software will tell when you make the wrong decisions. Over time, you will learn the technique organically.

In conclusion, multi-hand video poker is more exciting than standard video poker. However, as the excitement increases, the chances of failure also increase. You will need more funds to play this game. Due to its high variance, the multi-hand poker online needs a much higher bankroll to make your game enjoyable. You can also ensure that you have an exciting time playing poker by learning the strategies. You can use the strategy table or strategy software to master them.