Single vs. Multi-hand
Single-Hand Video Poker
In single-hand video poker, the player is dealt and plays a single five-card hand per round. The game follows a simple structure similar to traditional five-card draw poker.
How It Works:
- Player Places a Bet: The player wagers a certain number of credits (typically between 1 and 5 per hand).
- Initial Deal: The game randomly deals five cards from a standard 52-card deck.
- Choosing Cards to Hold: The player decides which cards to keep (hold) and which ones to discard.
- Final Draw: The discarded cards are randomly replaced with new ones from the same deck.
- Hand Evaluation & Payout: The final hand is evaluated based on the payout table (the paytable), which varies depending on the specific video poker game variations (e.g., Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Double Double Bonus Poker).
Multi-Hand Video Poker
The introduction of Triple Play Poker in 1997 was the first multi-hand video poker game and significantly transformed the video poker market by increasing player engagement, revenue potential, and game variety.
In multi-hand video poker, a player plays multiple hands simultaneously instead of just one. This game style offers more excitement and faster gameplay, as players can win on multiple hands at a time.
How It Works:
- Placing a Bet: The player chooses the number of hands to play (e.g., 3, 5, 10, 50, or even 100 hands) and places a bet per hand.
- Initial Deal: The player is dealt a single five-card hand.
- Holding Cards: The player selects which cards to hold, and these same held cards are applied to all hands.
- Drawing New Cards: Each hand receives separate, randomly drawn replacement cards from its own deck (one per hand).
- Evaluating Hands & Payouts: Each final hand is compared to the game’s paytable, and winnings are calculated separately for each hand.
Many multi-hand games also offer bonuses and award multipliers to a hand, which adds additional excitement and opportunities for large jackpots.