How Amusnet's Joker Poker works

A 53-card game with one wild card

Amusnet's Joker Poker is played with a standard 52-card deck, plus a single joker. That 53rd card is a wild card: it can stand in for any other card to form or complete a winning hand.

The joker doesn't simply take a random value. It always adopts the most favourable value for the player, which can turn an ordinary hand into a winning one.

How a round plays out

A round of Joker Poker unfolds in two stages. Once you've set your stake, you press the DEAL button and receive five cards. You decide which ones to keep by marking them as HOLD, then press DRAW. The cards you didn't keep are replaced with new ones from the same deck. The final result determines your payout, based on the active pay table.

The winning hands in Joker Poker

From three of a kind to the royal flush

The winning hands follow the classic poker hierarchy. From weakest to strongest, here are the hands recognised in this video poker game:

• Three of a kind (three matching cards)

• Two pair

• Straight (five consecutive cards)

• Flush (five cards of the same suit)

• Full house (three of a kind plus a pair)

• Four of a kind (four matching cards)

• Straight flush (a straight in the same suit)

• Natural royal flush (10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace of the same suit)

• Five of a kind with the joker (a special hand only possible thanks to the joker)

The joker makes hands possible that simply can't be achieved with 52 standard cards, such as five of a kind.

The minimum paying hand

In Amusnet's version, a hand must reach at least three of a kind to pay out. A single pair earns nothing.

The technical features of Joker Poker

An RTP among the highest in the sector

The Return to Player (RTP) of Amusnet's Joker Poker is set at 99.31%. That is one of the highest figures in the online video poker category. In practical terms, it means that £99.31 is theoretically returned for every £100 staked over the long run.

Volatility and maximum win

The game's volatility is rated 2 out of 5, which corresponds to low-to-moderate volatility. Wins therefore land fairly often, even if they stay modest in size. The maximum win reaches 950 times your starting stake, achievable with the rarest hands.

Availability and features

Amusnet's Joker Poker is available on desktop and mobile. The game includes several features. Autoplay lets you run several rounds in a row without manual input. The Gamble option lets you try to double your winnings after each winning hand, while the Jackpot Cards Bonus is an additional bonus tied to Amusnet's Jackpot Cards progressive jackpot system.

Which cards to hold in Joker Poker

The joker's role in your decision

Because the joker can take on any value, it completely changes how you read a hand. The moment you're dealt a joker, you always keep it: it's your strongest card and the foundation of almost every winning combination. You then build your hand around it, depending on what else you're holding.

Without a joker, you fall back on classic video poker logic. Four cards of the same suit or four consecutive cards are well worth keeping, as they put a flush or a straight within reach. An existing three of a kind is, of course, kept in full, in the hope of improving to four of a kind or a full house.

Patience over impulse

The game's low-to-moderate volatility rewards a calm approach. Since a single pair pays nothing, there's little point chasing small hands. Aim instead for hands that deliver at least three of a kind. This is also why a fixed stake and a clear playing budget work well here: wins come regularly, but rarely in big spikes. Keep a level head and you'll play longest.

Joker Poker and the Jackpot Cards system

A built-in bonus game

Amusnet's Joker Poker is connected to the Jackpot Cards programme, a progressive jackpot system developed by the provider. This bonus can trigger at random and offers the chance to win additional prizes, regardless of the outcome of the current hand. This kind of integration is common across the Amusnet catalogue, which builds several games around the same mechanic.

What to remember about Amusnet's Joker Poker

Amusnet's Joker Poker is a classic video poker game: accessible, with a high RTP and contained volatility. The mechanics rest on simple rules: choose which cards to keep, draw the new ones, and rely on the joker to improve your hand. The link to the Jackpot Cards system adds a bonus dimension without changing the basic flow.

It's a title that suits seasoned video poker players and newcomers alike. You'll find it in the games catalogue at the best online casino Belgium.