Online Video Poker Variations by BetSoft 2e3x2a

Betsoft is a Malta-based developer of online casino software and it is most popular for its innovative, cutting-edge 3D slots that impress with realistic graphics, beautiful animations, and -friendly interface. The company’s portfolio of games is much more interesting and diverse, however, comprising of a wide range of blackjack, roulette, poker, and video poker titles.

Its HTML5 games are available for desktop and mobile play, loading instantly and running smoothly on practically all modern devices. Currently, Betsoft has an impressive collection of around 200 titles that can be played at some of the largest casino websites on the Internet. This is also one of the few developers that still supply gaming content to US-friendly casinos, which is certainly a great advantage over many of its competitors.

1First Steps into the Online Gambling Industry 1q4l1b

Betsoft was founded in 2006, although some sources cite a much earlier date for the start of the company (around 1999). It launched as a small firm that created able software for online casinos but soon, it shifted to Flash games that did not require . Based in Malta, Betsoft obtained a license by the Malta Gaming Authority and it also has an international Curaçao eGaming license, authorized and regulated by the Government of Curacao.

The developer has signed partnerships with multiple companies over the years and today, it supplies gaming content to some of the leading casinos and gambling sites on the Internet. It has entered a number of regulated markets and holds licenses from regulatory authorities all over Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Along with providing innovative, high-quality slots and table games to operators, it also has a full-featured casino management platform.

2Leader in the Development 3D Slots and Mobile Games 61181a

In 2010, Betsoft launched its first slot game with 3D graphics, the beginning of its groundbreaking Slots3 slot series. These games featured beautiful three-dimensional graphics, realistic animations, and carefully crafted bonus rounds and progressive jackpots. The slots construct was combined with modern concepts from the world of video games to create a unique vision and functionality.

The studio continued adding more and more fantastic games to this collection and today, it is definitive evidence that Betsoft is a true pioneer in the development of 3D games. But it is also a leader in mobile gaming – its first slot from the ToGo line of mobile games was launched in 2011. The games are optimized for iOS, Windows Phone, and Android devices, remaining highly interactive and feature-rich without sacrificing the graphics or performance of the original desktop versions.

3Gaming Collection 52654k

As we have said above, Betsoft is most widely recognized for its Slots3 series of 3D slots. It contains more than 60 different titles, which are a lovely mixture of movie trailers, video games, and slots. But that is not all, the studio offers a wide assortment of games that would cater to all types of players – mini games, Virtual Racebook, which is a 3D horse racing simulator, scratch cards, and more.

Its selection of table games includes different variations of poker, baccarat, blackjack, roulette, as well as craps, Pai Gow, Three Card Rummy, and Pontoon. Moreover, Betsoft has one of the largest collections of online video poker games – players can choose from more than 20 titles, including single and multi-hand video poker and the so-called Pyramid poker games, which are unique to Betsoft.

Design and Interface 4h4c20

Bet Size 5n4t45

Double Up Feature 5x5q6y

Multi-Hand Play 5s30m

Game Speed 523k57

With its slots, Betsoft displays its modern vision, its creativeness, and one-of-a-kind style – cinematic 3D graphics, fun characters and storylines, beautiful animations, and bonus rounds and special features that resemble video games. With its video poker collection, however, the studio has taken a different approach – featuring classic designs and simple layouts, the games remind us of the old video poker machines that became popular on the casino floors in the 1980s.

Most of the games display the paytable in the top half of the screen, while the cards are dealt beneath it. All main functions are available through retro-looking buttons located on the game console – Deal, Bet One, Max Bet, etc. Below each card, we can see a small Hold button – choosing it keeps the card for the next draw. Multi-hand video poker games are slightly different in appearance, although they, too, were designed to be as authentic as possible.

Betsoft has created more than 20 versions of video poker, most of which are based on the classic Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild games. They are played under the standard rules of video poker, so they are quite straightforward and should be easy to play for most casino patrons. The studio also has several interesting games called Pyramid Pokers – they differ from the regular video poker in their structure and payouts, so players should consider applying a different strategy for them.

Rules and Gameplay

Paytables and RTP

Pyramid Poker

Rules and Gameplay 4i5gd

The rules are pretty much the same, regardless of whether we choose a single or multi-play video poker version by Betsoft. The game is played with a standard, 52-card deck, which is shuffled before each round – the same applies to multi-hand video poker where each hand is dealt from a separate deck. Once players choose the size of their bet (the number of coins and their size), they click the Deal button and are given 5 cards. They can hold as many cards as they wish in order to increase their winning chances.

The aim is to form a winning poker hand – usually, a hand of Jacks or Better (a pair of Jacks) is the lowest-paying hand, while the top payout is given for a Royal Flush. This hand comprises a 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of the same suit. Once players decide which cards to keep, they choose the Deal button once again and a new set of cards is drawn from the deck – of course, all cards that have been held remain in place.

The computer then decides whether a winning hand is formed and pays out according to the paytable. Players can also collect or gamble their winnings with the Double Up feature, which can be triggered multiple times per round.

Paytables and RTP 5ud2j

Before betting on real-money video poker, players should always look at the paytable of each particular game. It includes the most important piece of information, namely how poker hands are ranked and how much they are paid. The most basic versions such as Jacks or Better typically pay from 1:1 for a pair of Jacks to 250:1 for a Royal Flush.

But there are many other variations of video poker and some of them feature higher payouts for certain combinations. Other games pay less for the same hands, which ultimately leads to a change in the expected return of these games. The return or Return to Player (RTP) is the percentage of the total bet players can expect to win back after playing a large number of rounds. If we play a game with an RTP of 99%, we should expect to get back $99 out of every $100 bet we make. Of course, this is just a theoretical average, which could be very different from a real-life game session but the higher the RTP, the better the expectation.

Pyramid Poker f6x46

Betsoft offers a unique line of video poker variations called Pyramid Poker. They seem very different from the classic game but after playing a few rounds, you quickly realize that they are based on the same rules and principles as regular Jacks or Better, for instance. In these games, players make bets in increments of 3 coins for every possible winning hand – along with the full 5-card poker hand, there are also two mini combinations. They are formed with the right three cards and the left three cards – as a result, players make three bets in each round.

This is why the possible wagers are in increments of 3 coins – 3, 6, 9, 12, or 15 coins. The bet size will be displayed as 1, 1, 1 (for a 3-coin wager), 2, 2, 2 (for a 6-coin wager), etc. As in the standard video poker, players can also choose the size of each coin before the beginning of each round. The maximum payout is 4,200 coins if players form three winning combinations out of the single 5-card hand they are dealt.

Jacks or Better Multihand

Bonus Poker Deluxe Multihand

Tens or Better

Deuces & Jokers Poker

Split Way Royal

Jacks or Better Pyramid Poker

All American Progressive

Jacks or Better Multihand 6hl73

This is the simplest version of video poker by Betsoft but due to its multi-hand nature, it is also one of the most exciting options. Players can activate up to 100 hands, which means that the size of their bet will increase with every hand they play with. If they choose the 100-hand Jacks or Better and decide to bet the maximum 5 coins, they will be wagering 500 coins on each round.

As you can see, adjusting the coin size is crucial in these types of games – choosing the highest denomination ($0.50) would cost $250 per round, while sticking to the minimum of $0.01 would require betting only $5 in each round. Another thing to point out in this game is the poor payouts for Four of a Kind and Straight Flush – rather than paying 25 and 50 times the bet, the game offers 20:1 and 40:1 for these two hands. This results in an RTP of 98.25%, which is significantly lower than the regular return in most versions of Jacks or Better, 99.54%.

Bonus Poker Deluxe Multihand 6h6917

Once again, this is a multi-play version of video poker that allows betting on 5, 10, 25, 50 or 100 hands at the same time. There are no wild cards in play and each hand is drawn from a standard deck of 52 cards. The game comes with the Fast Play and Double Up features that are universal to all video poker games by Betsoft.

What sets this variation apart, however, is its paytable and the higher payouts for Straight Flush and Four of a Kind – 50 and 80 times the stake, respectively. The rest of the payouts also differ from the standard paytable and they contribute to a very high RTP of 99.70%, among the highest RTP percentages you can find in any type of game and not just video poker. Here is the full paytable for Betsoft’s Bonus Poker Deluxe Multihand based on 1-coin play:

Royal Flush – 250:1
Four of a Kind – 80:1
Straight Flush – 50:1
Full House – 10:1
Flush – 5:1
Straight – 4:1
Three of a Kind – 3:1
Two Pair – 1:1
Jacks or Better – 1:1

Tens or Better 35w5r

Tens or Better is a popular video poker game that can be found in most land-based and online casinos. It is based on Jacks or Better but the lowest paying hand is a pair of Tens, hence the name Tens or Better. Typically, this variation of the classic game is not particularly profitable and attractive to players because it does not pay too well for most combinations. However, Betsoft’s take on this version has a really great paytable and a theoretical return of 99.14%.

Royal Flush – 800:1
Four of a Kind – 50:1
Straight Flush – 25:1
Full House – 6:1
Flush – 5:1
Straight – 4:1
Three of a Kind – 3:1
Two Pair – 2:1
Tens or Better – 1:1

As you can see, this is a 6/5 game (based on the payouts for Full House and Flush), while the standard Jacks or Better pays 9/6. This variation of the game makes up for the difference with a much higher top prize – rather than paying 250:1, the Royal Flush pays 800:1. The Tens or Better hand also favors players.

This is a single-hand game and it features not one but two types of wild cards – Deuces and Jokers. All Deuces, i.e. Twos, are wild and a Joker is added as a 53rd card in the deck. This is why this version of video poker is much more different than the classic game. Its paytable also is, featuring several additional winning combinations. Payouts start with a Three of a Kind and the RTP of the game is 99.07%.

Five Wilds – 2,000:1
Natural Royal Flush – 800:1
Four Deuces – 25:1
Wild Royal Flush – 12:1
Five of a Kind – 9
Straight Flush – 6:1
Four of a Kind – 3:1
Full House – 3:1
Flush – 3:1
Straight – 2:1
Three of a Kind – 1:1

Split Way Royal y3up

Split Way Royal is a rare version of video poker that can be found in only a handful of online casinos. And Betsoft is one of the two developers who created a game with the concept of having two types of the Royal Flush hand. Along with the standard Royal Flush (10, J, Q, K, A of the same suit), this game pays an equal amount for the so-called Low Royal Flush (2, 3, 4, 5, 6 of the same suit). Due to this unusual paytable, Split Way Royal offers the highest theoretical return of 99.80% of all video poker variations by Betsoft.

Low Royal Flush – 800:1
High Royal Flush – 800:1
Straight Flush – 50:1
Four of a Kind – 40:1
Full House – 6:1
Flush – 5:1
Straight – 4:1
Three of a Kind – 3:1
Two Pair – 2:1
Jacks or Better – 1:1

Jacks or Better Pyramid Poker 4375u

This is the most basic Pyramid Poker version by Betsoft and although it is similar to the standard Jacks or Better, it features a different paytable and expected return (which is estimated around 83.73%). As we have explained above, players can form three different winning combinations with each 5-card hand they receive. Still, winning in this game is not easier – the potential profits are quickly being “eaten up” by the higher number of coins we bet in each round.

The odds, as well as the RTP of the game, vary significantly, depending on the number of coins we wager in each round – playing with the main 5-card hand and betting only on it might prove the best option. The game features 3 paytables for the 3 possible combinations in each round:

Left 3 Cards	Payout	All 5 Cards	Payout	Right 3 Cards	Payout
Royal Flush (Q, K, A)	100	Royal Flush	800	Royal Flush (Q, K, A)	50
Straight Flush	15	Straight Flush	50	Straight Flush	20
Three of a Kind	5	Four of a Kind	25	Three of a Kind	10
Straight	3	Full House	9	Straight	5
Flush	2	Flush	6	Flush	1
Jacks or Better	1	Straight	4	Jacks or Better	1
		Three of a Kind	3
		Two Pair	2
		Jacks or Better	1

All American Progressive 4l154f

In addition to the regular video poker and the Pyramid Poker games, Betsoft has a progressive variation of All American. It is available only for real-money play, so to open it, players need to sign up at an online casino and make a deposit. The good thing about this game is that no side bet is required to qualify for the progressive jackpot – to hit the big jackpot, players simply need to get a Royal Flush while playing with the maximum 5 coins.

Royal Flush – 250:1
Straight Flush – 100:1
Four of a Kind – 25:1
Full House – 8:1
Flush – 8:1
Straight – 8:1
Three of a Kind – 3:1
Two Pair – 1:1
Jacks or Better – 1:1

Jacks or Better Multihand at Glance 423z69

Jacks or Better Multihand
Wild Cards	No
Bet Limit	€0.05 – €2.50 per hand
Number of Hands	up to 100
Max Payout	4,000 coins
Gamble Feature	Yes
House Edge	1.75%

Bonus Poker Deluxe Multihand at Glance 2427w

Bonus Poker Deluxe Multihand
Wild Cards	No
Bet Limit	€0.05 – €2.50 per hand
Number of Hands	up to 100
Max Payout	4,000 coins
Gamble Feature	Yes
House Edge	0.30%

Tens or Better at Glance 6e1qg

Tens or Better
Wild Cards	No
Bet Limit	€0.02 – €25.00 per hand
Number of Hands	1
Max Payout	800 to 1 for a single coin
Gamble Feature	Yes
House Edge	0.86%

Deuces & Jokers Poker
Wild Cards	All deuces + Joker
Bet Limit	€0.05 – €2.50 per hand
Number of Hands	1
Max Payout	€20,000
Gamble Feature	Yes
House Edge	0.83%

Split Way Royal at Glance 2p5t

Split Way Royal
Wild Cards	No
Bet Limit	€0.01 – €2.00 per hand
Number of Hands	1
Max Payout	800 to 1 for a single coin
Gamble Feature	Yes
House Edge	0.20%

Jacks or Better Pyramid at Glance 4m534x

Jacks or Better Pyramid
Wild Cards	No
Bet Limit	€0.01 – €5 per hand
Number of Hands	3
Max Payout	4,200 coins
Gamble Feature	Yes
House Edge	~16.27%

All American Progressive at Glance 2e6b1r

All American Progressive
Wild Cards	No
Bet Limit	€0.02 – €25 per hand
Number of Hands	1
Max Payout	4,000 coins awarding a progressive jackpot
Gamble Feature	Yes
House Edge	changes according to the progressive jackpot

Betsoft Video Poker 1x1n14

Company History and Overview 135o1j