How do you play Joker Poker?
Ever play poker home games with friends? Then you know that whole drill you go through as you crack open a fresh deck of cards. First thing? Remove the Jokers. Then you count the cards to make sure they’re all there, removing any hand ranking cards or random cards that might be in the pack, in addition to the normal 52 cards.
But what happens if you forget to remove the two Joker cards? What happens if you play poker and let the Jokers remain in the game, acting as wild cards?
Welcome to the world of Joker Poker, a really fun video poker game available to play at Palace of Chance right now.
Joker Poker is one of my personal favorites because it’s really easy to understand. The object of the game is to make the best hand out of the five cards you’re dealt. As long as you’ve got a pair of Kings or better, you’ll win cash.
The hand ranking system is similar to what you might be used to playing in 5-Card Stud, except there are some nuances due to the presence of the Jokers cards. Remember, with wild cards, you’ve got the opportunity to hit five of a kind. In Joker Poker, this is how your hand ranks, from best to worst (we’ve also included the top payout in credits assuming you’ve bet the max):
- Sequential Royal = 10,000
- Royal Flush 4,000
- 5 of a kind = 750
- Royal with Joker = 400
- Straight Flush = 250
- 4 of a kind = 100
- Full House = 30
- Flush = 25
- Straight = 15
- 3 of a kind = 10
- 2 Pair = 5
- King of Better = 5
To play the game, just select the number of coins you want to play, between one and five. Then, click Deal. You’ll receive five cards, face up. If you’ve got two kings or better, you’ve already won. If you don’t, not to worry. You can swap one card, all five cards, or any number of cards in between. You can also choose to keep all your cards. It’s your call.
After you’ve held onto the cards you want, click Draw to receive new ones. You’ll then get paid out based on how your hand ranks.
If you’ve won, the game isn’t quite over. Joker Poker invites you to head to head with the dealer in a winner-take-all battle. With the dealer’s card showing, choose one of five cards, which are displayed face down. If your card is higher, you win double your bet. And you’re invited to bet again. If it’s lower, you’ll lose the money you just won. You don’t have to play Double or Nothing, but trust me, it’s a ton of fun.
Remember, the Jokers are wild in this game, which means you’ve got loads of opportunity to hold a hand that actually ranks. So try it out now. It’s available now to play for free at Palace of Chance. All it takes is a free account and you’ll be ready to go!.
