New Jersey Video Poker

new jersey poker

All casinos in New Jersey have online Video poker games, with some casinos having a better selection than the others. Online poker is a strategy-based game and a great option for bettors who have difficulty playing in real-life games with serious players. Online poker offers some of the best odds among all casino games.

The Top New Jersey Video Poker Sites

We’ve listed below the best online poker sites in New Jersey. These New Jersey online casinos are licensed in the Garden State and have been evaluated on numerous parameters to pass our stringent tests.

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PokerStars NJ - 100% CASHBACK UP TO $600

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Pokerstars NJ was the latecomer to join the online video poker party in 2016. However, the top-class branding and the reach of this website are unmatched. Pokerstars is a global brand with connections in all the known markets of the world. Due to its phenomenal success outside the US, this legalized online poker store is a trusted brand that provides gamers with a safe and secure environment for gameplay. The casino offers a welcome $30 Bonus or a 100% cashback up to $600.

There is an amazing range of tournaments that the online poker portal offers. The weekly package of offers is packed with value at all levels. For example, there’s a $5,000 freeroll every week for beginners. Apart from that, you have the four Sunday majors, including the Sunday Special topping $100,000 in prize pools. To top it all, Stars is renowned for hosting major festivals. The New Jersey Championship of Online Poker (NJCOOP) is the largest and offers $1 Million in prizes.

Due to the magnitude of size and resources at the casino’s disposal, it can come up with new promotions and lucrative innovations at a faster pace. Over time, we’ve seen Zoom (fast-fold cash games) and Spin & Go (three-handed lottery-style tournaments) are extremely popular games. Not only that, this online poker portal has a forte in some areas that other casino operators cannot match. And if this was not all, the Pokerstars NJ casino is the second busiest cash game online network in New Jersey offering every level of casino enthusiast.

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888 Poker NJ - 100% BONUS UP TO $1,000

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When it comes to online gaming, whether in online casino gaming or sports betting, 888 is a world-class name. The casino offers a welcome bonus of $20 Free + 100% Bonus up to $1,000.

888 does offer online poker in the UK and other European countries, though it specializes in other areas of betting. However, what this company is a forerunner specializing in is a robust software, and provides services and networks to other brands. Therefore, the brand can be on both sides of poker gaming. At one end, 888Poker can provide what players want. On the other end, 888 establishes industry trends because it creates software across several platforms and online gaming portals. With high-quality services and a strong presence in different areas of online gaming, 888Poker New Jersey has become the most active site in the state and the biggest online poker site in New Jersey.

888Poker and WSOP.com are under collaboration to share a network. This means that the 888 platform has players on both networks competing against each other. With this arrangement, 888 has a daily average of over 500 users, with 200 cash game players placing their bets at any time. This omnipresent ability has made NJ 888Poker an authority name with interstate liquidity. To top it all, the weekly tournaments, the MTTs, and the bonus offer lure players regularly to this network.

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Partypoker NJ - 100% BONUS UP TO $1,000

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MIN DEPOSIT $10

Partypoker NJ is an established name in the world of gaming operating since 2001. This site offers a welcome bonus of $25 Free + 100% Bonus up to $1,000 to beginners. If you are looking at some regular serious betting on a New Jersey Video poker, this is your go-to NJ online poker destination. PartypokerNJ went on to quickly became the largest platform worldwide. The company has re-established itself under the guidance of GVC Holdings.

Today, partypoker is one of the most consistent and widely available brands in the US. It’s done this through partnerships with MGM (under Roar Digital), the WPT, and, in New Jersey, the Borgata. New players get a bonus worth up to $600 as welcome as well as unique promotions like Spin the Wheel. Plus, daily $10,000 guaranteed tournaments, the Sunday $35K, and leaderboards for sit-and-go players.

Online Casino Gaming in The U.S.

The licensing arrangement between DGC and BetMGM will see the multi-channel content of the provider being made available to all brands of the operator in New Jersey and the casinos of Atlantic City.

The Digital Gaming Corporation (DGC) set its foot in the US in New Jersey, launching its online slot games suite with partner BetMGM, an MGM Resorts International’s joint venture with GVC Holdings.

The B2B iGaming Solutions division of Digital Gaming Corporation aims to provide multi-channel gaming content to its casino operators in the regulated US market via its multi-state licensing agreement with BetMGM.

From the WSOP / 888 to PokerStars and partypoker, there are many casino game options in New Jersey’s online poker scene. The quality of the games offered is top-class, reflected in the games you can play and the promotions you can pick. You can select from an option of cash-games, free credits, or entry to a WSOP bracelet event.

Video Poker Basics

The original video poker game is now played along with its many variants, Jacks or Better (only hands with pairs of jacks or higher are paid) for an elevated gaming experience.  And once you learn the basic rules and style of playing poker, you’ll be able to easily understand and enjoy playing a wide variety of spinoff video poker offerings.

In video poker, your objective is to make the highest hand, as illustrated on the game’s paytable. Playing the game is exceedingly simple; the only thing you need to know beforehand is the basic poker hand values (see table below).

Video Poker Hand Values

Listed below is a graphic and a table showing all the poker hand values:

List of winning poker combinations
HandDescription
Five of a KindFive cards of the same value – at least one joker card is needed
Royal FlushThe highest possible straight, with cards of the same suit
Straight FlushFive cards of the same suit in sequence (e.g. 5c,6c,7c,8c,9c)
Four of A KindFour cards of the same value (e.g. 9,9,9,9,3)
Full HouseThree of a kind combined with a pair
FlushFive cards of the same suit that don’t make a straight
StraightFive cards in sequence, but not of the same suit (e.g. 8c,9h,10h, Js, Qc)
Three Of A KindThree cards of the same value (e.g. 3,3,3, K,5
Two PairTwo cards of the same value, plus another two cards of a different value (e.g. 7,7,3,3, A)
One PairTwo cards of the same value (e.g. K, K,7,5,3)
High CardFive unrelated cards (e.g. 5s,9c,Ah,10s,Jh)

Online Video Poker Game Play

To start with, the player has to select the number of coins he would like to bet on the hand and click on the button “deal”. The player is dealt five cards and will have the option of “standing pat” (not drawing any cards) or discarding any or all of his cards. To keep a card in hand, either select the card by clicking it or click the “hold” button beneath it. On clicking “draw” the unselected cards will be replaced by new ones. When the player receives his new cards they will be compared to the game’s paytable and will be paid out accordingly.

Popular NJ Video Poker Variations

Listed below are a few of the most popular New Jersey Online Video poker variants.

Jacks or Better

Also known as Draw Poker, Jacks or Better was one of the first video poker games ever created. As the name suggests, only hands with a pair of jacks or higher are paid.

Deuces Wild 

In Deuces Wild, all four deuces in the deck are wild and can represent any other card to make the best hand possible.

Bonus Poker 

A variant of Jacks or Better which pays a bonus on four-of-a-kind hands which include aces, twos, threes, or fours.

Double Bonus Poker 

This version of Bonus Poker doubles the payout of every four-of-a-kind hand while reducing the payout for smaller hands.

Types of Video Poker Games In NJ Online Casinos

Single Hand Games 

In these games, there is only one deck and one hand is dealt at a time. The first Online video poker machines offered this simple version of the game.

Multi-Hand Games 

This type of video poker elevates the gamer’s video poker experience by allowing players to play multiple decks on the same hand. The players are dealt their initial five-card hand and select which cards they would like to keep. When the players select those cards, they will simultaneously appear selected in the other hands located on the screen.

Once “draw” is clicked, your held cards will stay in place while the others are discarded and replaced by new ones. So, for example, if you decide to hold two pairs, all of your other hands will display the same two pairs. They’ll then draw cards from their respective decks, giving you the possibility of making several types of hands, each greater or equal to your original two of a kind.

Gaming Strategy for Video Poker

As mentioned above, online video poker has the best returns in the casino, and you can cut the house edge to less than 1% if you use the optimal gaming strategy. Start with checking the paytable. Finding the right game with a high paytable can cut the house edge from 3% (similar to the high return slots) all down to just 0.5%.

The online GameKing suite of games is the most common game suite you will find in a retail casino, and the most basic variation in that suite is Jacks or Better. We highly recommend this variation for beginners, as it is safer play and normally offers high returns.

For beginners, there are few things to consider when playing video poker. The frequency of certain high-paying hands is way lower than those of lower-paying hands. A pair of Jacks or better won’t pay much and allows you to play an additional deal. However, playing a safe game when you have a chance at a big payout will lessen your returns over time.

There are 2,598,960 different possible five-card hands when playing with a 52 card deck. When looking into a perfect strategy chart for a game like a blackjack, the truth is, there is no perfect play. That doesn’t mean there are not some basic strategies that can follow for earning high returns in the game.

In certain situations, you can make an easy decision while playing. For example,  if you are dealt a Royal flush or Full House, you just have to hold those five and enjoy the payday.

Video Poker FAQs

What video game variation has the best odds?

Full-Pay Dueces wild is the poker game that has the best odds where you can get a 100% return if played perfectly, but this game is rare. Jacks or Better is a good starting point for newbies as this game has the best paytable.

Does Video Poker have better returns than slots?

Definitely! The highest returns you will receive in any slot game will top out around 98% with Video Poker returns being around 99.7%.

Can I use Video Poker to clear bonuses?

Yes, You can, but there are a few exceptions. Different sites offer different options to return the deposit bonus. Some sites only allow slots to clear bonuses, but some will let you play Online Video Poker to clear them. Your play will only count towards the goal at a reduced rate, like 25%.

Is it worth it to use Video Poker to clear bonuses when they only count as 25%?

That is a personal preference. Firstly, you need to be an avid poker player who plays a lot of video poker so that you can clear a bonus. For example: Let’s take Golden Nugget’s $1000 welcome bonus. If you were playing slots, you would only need to wager $20,000 to clear the bonus, but you have to wager $80,000 to clear the bonus using Video Poker. Hence, even with the extra $60,000 in wagers, the Video Poker returns are slightly higher.

Final Thoughts

Apart from the big names in Online Video poker casinos, some other casinos in the Atlantic City and New Jersey that offer online video poker include the Golden Nugget, Tropicana, Virgin Casino, Caesers, and Unibet.

Tropicana Casino and Virgin Casino are top casinos that offer the best video poker game at New Jersey online casinos. Deuces Wild is the best video poker game available on the Three- and Five-Play versions of the Game King machine.

Will NJ mobile casinos introduce better video poker games? Let’s hope so, though most operators revolve their mobile online websites around slot machines.

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About Joe Kizlauskas

Joe is a seasoned iGaming copywriter and speaker who has been in the business since 2015. He's written more words on all elements of Casinos, Slots, Bingo & Sports Betting than he likes to remember, and he's contributed material to a number of well-known brands. Joe may be seen playing 5 a side, at the gym or playing games on his Playstation when he is not writing.