Gambling authorities are there to ensure that the gaming industry is operating correctly. LAS VEGAS — A recent guest at the Excalibur hotel and casino in Las Vegas is now a millionaire. Excalibur Las Vegas tweeted a photo of a big win on one of the casino's slot machines Tuesday.

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Big Win Poker video poker presents an interesting tradeoff for video poker players who are looking for something a little bit different than Jacks or Better-style gameplay. It takes away one of the most common winning hands of all by not paying anything out for two pair hands. But it compensates for this by giving you beefed up payouts on many other hands on the pay table.

When you play common video poker, you are essentially mimicking the gameplay of Five-Card Draw poker against the machine. Many people find video poker to be one of the most entertaining and stimulating forms of casino entertainment. Part of the draw is that the game can be separated into many variations which cater to your favorite style of play and your desired payout level.

For example, you can stick with the basic form of video poker, also known as Jacks or Better, because a pair of jacks is the easiest to hand to make that will get you some form of payback. But Jacks or Better pay tables sometimes frustrate players who are looking for bigger payouts in a short time. That’s because it reserves its biggest payouts for hands such as the straight flush or royal flush that are extremely difficult to make, which means you have to grind out winnings.

Bonus pay tables then came along as a way to remedy this situation. But even Bonus Poker pay tables weighed their payoffs heavily toward four of a kind hands, which are still some of the tougher hands to acquire during gameplay. Big Win Poker video poker, on the other hand, actually boosts the payoffs for winning hands that you will likely achieve multiple times over the course of a common session of video poker.

You can expect Big Win Poker video poker to have increased payouts for difficult hands such as the royal flush, the straight flush, and the four of a kind. But it also gives increased payouts to the full house, the flush and, sometimes, the straight, when compared to common Jacks or Better machines. That means you have the chance to really see your winnings increase on hands you actually have a decent chance of achieving.

Yet no video poker game gives away extras on its pay table without taking something away, and Big Win Poker video poker proves no exception to this rule. When playing this game, you will receive no payback for a hand of two pair, a hand that usually pays off at 2 to 1 on most Jacks or Better video poker machines. Since that hand usually comes up relatively often during video poker gameplay, you will feel the sting of this discount if you can’t achieve some of the other hands we’ve already mentioned to compensate.

In the following article, we’ll go over everything you need to know about the game known as Big Win Poker video poker. We’ll explain how to play at a machine or at your favorite website, and we’ll also take a look at what the pay tables are like compared to other versions of the game. Finally, we’ll look at what you can expect from the game in terms of payback as well as check out how you can learn to play the game with excellent strategy.

Why People Love Video Poker

You might have walked around casinos many times without ever really looking into video poker. It’s easy for people to misinterpret the game, in large part, because it’s often lumped in with slot machines. The two can generally be found in the same part of a casino. But video poker rises above slot machines in terms of its friendliness to gamblers, and it outdoes table games in a lot of ways.

In fact, many people play nothing but video poker when they enter a casino. Still, more devour the game on gambling websites and apps. After all, video poker makes a smoother transition to small screens than most other games in the casino.

But what is it about video poker, including Big Win Poker video poker, that makes it so beneficial? Well, it’s kind of a hybrid of table games and slot machines. It takes the best elements of each and combines them into something that’s extremely player-friendly.

From slot machines, video poker borrows the concept of playing against the machine. There are no interruptions from other gamblers or employees, and it also means you get to play at your own pace. For those who get a little nervous about knowing how to play table games or understanding the protocol of how you’re supposed to act at the table, video poker removes all of those hassles.

But video poker borrows some of the strategic concepts of table games as well. When you’re playing a slot machine, you really have no control over whether you win or lose. You just have to spin the reels and hope you get a little lucky.

While luck certainly plays a big part in Big Win Poker video poker as well, you have some control on the outcome of each hand. That comes when you make decisions about which cards to hold and which cards to discard in order to make the best hand. And those that make the best mathematical decisions, in terms of the probabilities of the cards you might draw, will usually garner the most winnings.

Probabilities represent another area where video poker separates itself from slot machines. When you’re playing a slot machine, you have no way of knowing how often winning spins might show up when you play. Nor can you know what to expect in terms of the machine’s average payback percentage.

Video poker removes those doubts. Due to the probabilities contained within a 52-card deck of cards, you’ll know exactly what your chances are of attaining a winning hand at any time. And you can also combine that knowledge with information from the pay table to determine exactly what the payback will be for each machine you play.

When it comes to payback, video poker also stands tall. The average payback for a video poker machine towers over what you can expect from the average slot machine. And the most competitive video poker machines in terms of pay can hang right with the very best table games as well.

On top of all that, you can learn how to play Big Win Poker video poker in minutes. That time is reduced even more if you’ve played a little poker and know how to make winning hands. But even if not, you can grasp the concepts of video poker after a few hands and will be able to refine your play from there.

With all of those good things in mind, let’s talk about how you play a hand of video poker. Once you’ve got that down, you can move on to see what separates Big Win Poker video poker from other video variations.

Playing a Hand of Video Poker

Step 1: Insert Your Money

You’ll find a slot at the bottom of any video poker machine that will accept cash or a redemption ticket from the casino you’re visiting. When you play video poker online, you’ll need to open up an account with the website you want to use. That usually requires funding the account with a credit card or some other method.

Whatever money you put into the machine will be registered in terms of credits or coins. Each credit for Big Win Poker video poker equals a single unit of whatever denomination you have chosen to play. Many machines have the denomination, such as a quarter or a dollar, already predetermined. Although, you might be able to find some that let you choose the denomination on your own.

For example, let’s say you’ve entered $10 into a machine with a denomination of 25 cents. That means you’ll have 40 credits to play. You can figure out that number by dividing the amount of money that you inserted by the denomination (10 divided by .25 equals 40).

Step 2: Make Your Bet

You’ll find that Big Win Poker video poker is similar to other basic types of video poker in that it allows you to bet between one and five credits. There are some video poker variations which allow you to bet more to enact a special feature, but this game isn’t one of them.

Although you might not realize it, making a bet represents the first time you’ll actually get a chance to display your strategy within the game.

Why is that the case? Well, many novice players think betting different credits each hand, based on when they expect to win, is the right way to go. In actuality, betting the maximum amount of credits every hand is the best strategy.

First of all, five credits wagered gives you the highest payback on the royal flush. You’ll see that this is an even more pronounced facet of the game in Big Win Poker video poker, where the payback for the royal flush is a little bit higher than most Jacks or Better games. But that is only the case when you bet five coins, which allow you to return much better odds for a royal flush hand than if you were betting one through four coins.

Anyone who tries to base bets on when they think they’re going to win is misunderstanding how video poker machines work. Each hand you play gives the same exact chance to win, no matter if it’s the first hand you play at a machine or the thousandth. Video poker machines don’t pay more or less based on any hands that have come before them, as each new deal and draw is completely random.

If you find that betting five coins per hand becomes too expensive for you, it’s best to move to a machine with a lower denomination rather than betting less than maximum. At least if you move to a machine that costs less, you can play the max bet and still get the highest payback percentage possible. That means giving yourself the best chance at turning a profit on Big Win Poker video poker in the long run.

Step 3: Play Your Hand

Once you have decided upon your wager, five cards will appear on the screen. These five cards will come from a 52-card deck that is simulated within the machine and is constantly shuffling. The moment you hit the button for the deal, the top five cards in the simulated deck will be the ones that show up in your hand.

From those five cards, you’ll be hoping to make a winning combination of cards as determined by the pay table. In most cases, the hands that represent winning hands will be the same from machine to machine, although we’ll explain in a moment how Big Win Poker video poker differs slightly in that respect. For now, just know these are the combinations of cards that you’ll be seeking:

• Pair of jacks or better
• Two pair
• Three of a kind
• Straight (five cards of consecutive rank, like 3-4-5-6-7)
• Flush (five cards of same suit)
• Full house (three of a kind and two pair in the same hand)
• Four of a kind
• Straight flush (straight with five cards of same suit)
• Royal flush (ten, jack, queen, king, and ace of the same suit)

The hands on the top of that list are the easiest ones to make and pay the least. As you move down the list, you’ll come across hands that are tougher to achieve yet will pay out more. You may have a winning combination like the ones listed above right off the bat in your deal. If not, you’ll still have a chance to win.

You will assess your cards and decide how you will play the draw. On the draw, you get to discard the cards you don’t think are helping you (much as if you were playing Five-Card Draw at home). In their place will come cards from the top of that simulated deck that gave you the initial deal, only now it has only 47 cards remaining, since you already have five from the original 52 in your hand.

Making a decision about which cards to hold and which cards to discard requires assessing the probabilities of making a winning combination out of what you have and what you think you might draw. Big Win Poker video poker often comes down to deciding whether to try for a hand that is easy to achieve but might not pay that much against going for a hand that is hard to attain but will pay you a lot. In other words, you’ll be balancing the risk against the potential reward.

Let’s take a look at an example to illustrate. Imagine that you receive the following five cards on the deal.

In this hand, you don’t have a winning combination right off the bat. But you do have several seeds of winning hands within your five cards. You’ll have to decide which ones to pursue.

You can, for example, hold on the pair of fours and try to improve them. This will give you your best chance of making a winning hand of any kind, since you’ll have three cards to draw. You might end up with a modest-paying three of a kind, or you could get lucky and maybe make a full house or four of a kind.

You’ll also notice that you possess a four, five, six, and seven. That means you are one card short of a straight. If you chose to go down this avenue, you would discard one of the fours and hope to draw a three or an eight.

Finally, you might also immediately realize that you have three consecutive hearts in the hand, which are the building blocks for a possible straight flush. This won’t be easy to achieve, as you’ll have to draw just the right cards on the two chances that you have. But this represents the highest possible reward on the hand, as the straight flush is one of the highest-paying hands in the game.

Every Big Win Poker video poker hand requires decisions like this. In many cases, you’ll find the choices much more obvious than this one. But this hand is a good example of how you have to balance the possibility of making a winning hand of some kind with the potential of how much each winning hand will pay.

Once you make that decision, you will push the buttons underneath the cards you want to hold. The machine will then make the replacements, and your hand will be complete. Credits will be added to your total based on whether or not you made a winning hand.

You can continue play in this manner as long as you have credits left by simply repeating the last two steps over and over again. At any point, you can redeem the credits you have for cash. And, if you run out of credits, you’ll need to replenish your bankroll if you wish to continue.

Now that you know how to play basic video poker, it’s time to look at what makes Big Win Poker video poker unique.

Pay Tables for Big Win Poker Video Poker

When you stop at a video poker machine like Big Win Poker video poker, you should check out the pay table before you do anything else. You can’t find a more important piece of information than the pay table. Not only does it tell you what you can expect from each winning hand, but it also provides you with all you need to know about the style of play for the game and what you can expect in terms of payback.

Let’s start by taking a look at a pay table for Big Win Poker video poker. This is the highest-paying version of the game, also known as the full-pay, that you will find in casinos or at online gambling sites. Take a look:

First, a note on how to read the pay table. Simply combine the column with winning hands on the left with the rows of bets on the top. For example, if you made a straight and bet five coins, you would receive 20 coins, which represents a 15-coin profit (20 coins minus the original five that were wagered).

Without any context, it might be difficult for the novice video poker to have any notion about why Big Win Poker video poker is a unique game. Let’s provide that context then. Below is the full-pay version of the video poker variation known as Jacks or Better, which is played the same as Big Win Poker video poker but pays out its hands a little differently.

Let’s compare the two. You’ll probably notice that the Big Win Poker video poker table holds an advantage over the Jacks or Better machine in several hands. These hands range from ones that are pretty hard to achieve (royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind) to ones that you can expect to get at some point if you play the game for a decent length of time and rack up about a hundred hands or so (full house and flush).

Looking at it that way, you might immediately come to the conclusion that Big Win Poker video poker is the far superior game. But as you move down the pay table, you’ll see that the two pair hand does not return anything to the player when playing Big Win Poker. By contrast, you’ll get paid back 2 to 1 when playing Jacks or Better and achieving two pair.

Why is that such a big deal? Well, when you play video poker, you can expect to get two pair about 10% of the time. In other words, one in every 10 hands (on average) will end up in two pair.

When you consider the frequency that hand appears, you realize that not getting anything back for it will really hurt. The payback percentage, which is an estimate of how much you can expect to return from a machine on an average session, for Jacks or Better is actually higher than it is for Big Win Poker video poker. The Jacks or Better machine stands at 99.54%, while Big Win Poker video poker comes in at around 99.03%.

Does that mean Jacks or Better is the better game? Well, if you’re going to play video poker seriously on a long-term basis, you should always seek out machines that give you the highest possible payback. Jacks or Better certainly comes out on top in that department.

But we generally recommend you stick with video poker variations that come in at a payback percentage of over 99%, and Big Win Poker video poker does meet that threshold. Plus, if you’re only playing a short session and are the type who prefers the chance at big payouts in a hurry, Big Win Poker actually rates out as a better game. You have a much better chance at a quick, significant score with it than you do with Jacks or Better.

One note on paybacks for Big Win Poker video poker: A two pair hand that includes a pair of jacks or higher will pay you back at even money. For example, imagine that you drew this hand.

Two pair pays nothing, but you do have a pair of jacks. The machine will also pay off the higher paying combination. As a result, you would get an even-money payback for that hand when playing Big Win Poker video poker.

The pay table that we showed you above represents the full-pay version of Big Win Poker video poker. Unfortunately, you might come upon other versions of the game in casinos or online. And the pay tables that you receive for these games will discount certain hands compared to the full-pay version.

As a result, you will see your payback percentages drop when you play these games. The following pay tables also can be found on Big Win Poker video poker machines. Each of these pay tables brings back a payback percentage under our 99% threshold, so we would not recommend these for a long-term play, although short-term, casual players can certainly give them a spin.

Strategy for Big Win Poker Video Poker

When playing Big Win Poker video poker, or any other variation of video poker for that matter, the players that utilize the best strategy will bring in more money. As a matter of fact, the only way that you maximize the payback percentages for each version of the game is to achieve perfect play. That means you need to make the right decision about what to hold and what to discard for every single hand.

What do we mean by the “right” decision? It’s the decision that brings the highest expected value to the hand. In other words, if it were played over and over again, a certain combination of holds and discards would bring the most money from the hand.

Learning that type of strategy for Big Win Poker video poker can be a little tricky because of the odd pay table. For example, take a look at the following hand:

If you were playing Jacks or Better, the obvious play would be to keep the two pair and hope to improve to the full house. But in the case of Big Win Poker video poker, you might have to consider dropping everything but the pair of queens, which would open up more possibilities for you. This unique brand of video poker offers quirks like that now and again, and you’ll need to be ready for them.

Barring that, you can take advantage of two methods of video poker instruction which will allow you to play the game with perfect strategy. We recommend either one, although both have their advantages and disadvantages.

1. Video Poker Training Software: If you use video poker training software over time, the right plays for each possible hand will be drilled into your head through sheer repetition. This software works by simulating play based on a specific pay table. When you make a mathematically incorrect decision about what to hold and what to discard, the software will notify you of your mistake.
2. Strategy Charts: You can find strategy charts for just about every major form of video poker game, including Big Win Poker video poker, if you do a little online searching. Strategy charts list all the possible combinations of cards that you might receive on the deal to let you know which ones are the most advantageous to keep. Using strategy charts might provide you with a quicker fix than training software, but you’ll have to memorize the chart first before you can take the knowledge with you into the casino.

Conclusion on Big Win Poker

Free Poker Machines

Big Win Poker video poker, whether you find it in a casino or as part of a top gambling website, makes for an interesting spinoff of basic Jacks or Better play. It’s one that might appeal to those who are tired of the same old payouts from certain winning hands. If you get a few of those winning hands where the payoffs are boosted from Jacks or Better, you might end up praising this game to the heavens. If, on the other hand, you keep getting two pair and coming up empty, you might find yourself running back to your nearest Jacks or Better machine before more damage can be done.

• • Return To Player Percentage: 95.1%
  • How Many Reels: 5
  • Paylines: 5 to 50
  • Min-Max Bets: 50c / $10
  • Maximum Payout: $10k+ Progressive
  • Can You Play For Free: No
  • Are There Bonus Rounds: Yes
  • Software Developer: Aristocrat
  • Progressive Jackpot: Yes
  • Compatibility: N/A

• Engaging theme in the Lightning Link range
• Exciting hold and spin bonus
• Free spins bonus with multiplier wilds

• You won’t find this game online

Play Heart Throb Lightning Link Pokies for Real Money

Video Poker Machine Used

Heart Throb is the latest installment in the hugely popular Lightning Link pokies range. This series of casino pokies was created by Aristocrat. The themes are varied, with a bonus feature known as ‘hold and spin’ connecting the titles.

As the name suggests, the theme of Heart Throb is decidedly romantic. There are doves, hearts, a box of chocolates and glittering diamonds on the reels.

When you get the hold and spin bonus feature, your heart may well be throbbing. This gives you a shot at winning some big progressive jackpots – as well as cash prizes. There is a free spins bonus feature which makes brilliant use of the diamond wild symbols. Here the wilds will double any wins that use them.

Play Heart Throb Pokies for Free Online

The only place you can enjoy Heart Throb is your local casino. This slot has not yet made the jump from the live setting to online. When it does appear, there is a high chance that many online casinos and apps will offer it in free to play mode.

You can enjoy a lot of slots from pokies giant Aristocrat for free online. These include the classic Buffalo pokies, Big Red and 5 Dragons.

How To Play Lightning Link Heart Throb Pokies

Before you hit the spin button you get to choose how many win lines to play for, and what coin size to use for your bets. The reels have the familiar 5 reels, 3 rows of symbols shape. You get to choose from 50 win-lines (at the 1c or 2c coin sizes) or a minimum of 25 at higher coin sizes. Outside of high limit gaming rooms, the top bet is $10 per spin and the smallest bet 50c.

Winning is as simple as lining up 3 of the romance-themed symbols from the left-hand reel on a win-line. Diamonds, which appear on reels 2 through to 5, are a big help. These symbols are wild.

This means that they substitute for all the regular symbols to create extra wins. They are also stacked, often covering all 3 spots on one or more reels.

Doves are the highest paying symbol. You’ll see these white birds flap their wins when involved in a win. Next, comes a gift (with a bow), heart-shaped box of chocolates and red rose. Playing card symbols K, Q, J, 10 and 9 in bold colours are used for the smaller wins.

There are two more symbols in play. One is a moon, which can trigger the free spins bonus games. The other is a heart – which is used for the hold and spin bonus game.

Heart Throb Pokies Bonus and Free Spins

There are two special features on the Heart Throb pokies. Lightning Link games all follow the hold and spin bonus + free spins formula. Each game has a slightly different variation on the free spins bonus. For Heart Throb, the wild symbols get multipliers while your free spins bonus is live.

The hold and spin bonus is the same as on all the Lightning Link games. You can win progressive jackpot prizes and cash awards for getting as many of the special heart symbols as possible.

Free Spins

Full Moon symbols trigger the free spins bonus. You need a minimum of 3 to get this feature. You will get a bigger scatter prize for 4 or 5 – though the number of free spins is set at 6 no matter how many bonus symbols trigger it. 5 moons get you 100 times your triggering bet before your free spins start. 4 moons get 15x with 2x for the minimum 3.

Wilds are a regular sight in Heart Throb. They only appear on the last 4 reels, and so can’t make wins on their own. In the free spins bonus, these get a 2x multiplier. The best thing about this is that getting multiplied wins on different reels gives you a big boost.

Wins with 2 wilds in them are 4x the pay table, 3 wilds increase this to 8x and 4 wilds to 16x.

You can retrigger with more of the moon symbols, for 3 extra spins each time. It is also possible to trigger the hold and spin bonus from within the free spins. Unfortunately, these wins are not subjected to any multiplier.

Heart Shaped Hold and Spin Bonus

Each of the heart symbols has something written on it. This is either a number – representing a coin win at your current denomination – or the name of a jackpot prize. Any time you hit 6+ hearts on the same spin, you trigger a hold and spin bonus.

Now you get 3 respins. Your objective is to add more hearts to the reels, with the regular symbols now greyed out. Any time you hit an extra heart; your remaining spins reset to 3.

You can win big by hitting the name of one of the lower three jackpots on the reels. The biggest prize of all is the grand jackpot. This is a progressive which is linked between all the Lightning Link pokies in a casino. To win this one you need to fill the entire grid of reels with hearts. There is no minimum bet size to be in with a shot at winning the grand.

Frequently Asked Questions About Heart Throb Pokies

You’ll need to wait to enjoy Heart Throb (or any other Lightning / Dragon Link Pokies) online. This game is currently exclusively available in brick and mortar casinos.

Yes. There are two progressives. The ‘Grand’ is shared between all Lightning Link games in a casino. The ‘major’ is machine specific and has a maximum of $1000. You’ll also find two bonuses (non-progressive jackpots).

Lightning link pokies have varied themes. What they have in common is a reel setup (5×3 grid, changeable coin sizes and win lines), and the hold and spin feature. The free spins bonus used in this game can be found in other Lightning Link games. There are enough variations, including reveal symbols, richer reels and giant symbols, that the free spins bonuses stay interesting.

The best thing about the multiplier wilds in the Heart Throb slot is that they work together – potentially giving you a boost of up to 16x on your wins.

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