Microgaming has set the trend in innovation in video poker games. A few years back it launched a new format of video poker called Level Up, which was adapted by many other software providers. Now Microgaming has come out with yet another innovative video poker format. This is appropriately titled Reel Play because it is played on the reels of a slot machine.

The first and only video poker variant in the Reel Play Poker format is Jacks or Better. In order to wager on this game players should log in to their Microgaming online casinos and select video poker from the games menu. One of the tabs in the video poker menu is Reel Play Poker and Jacks or Better is listed under it. After opening the game the first step is to select the betting parameters, as in online slots. Reel Play Poker has 20 paylines and players are advised to wager with all paylines enabled. Players at Microgaming online casinos can wager up to 20 coins per payline and the coin size varies from 0.01 to 0.25 credits.

Once the betting parameters are set the player clicks the Deal button and a demonstration reel appears below the main reels. A five card hand is dealt from a single deck in this demonstration reel. The Microgaming software marks the cards that should be held as per optimum strategy. The player can deselect the marked cards by clicking on them. He can put unmarked cards on hold by clicking on them. Once this is done the player clicks the Spin button to proceed with the game.

Microgaming Reel Play Poker is then played on the main reels, which are arranged like a five reel video slot with three rows across the reels. The reels that correspond to the held cards are first filled with those cards. These reels will remain fixed. The remaining reels spin and when they come to rest they display the cards. In the normal multi hand video poker online casino games, the hands are evaluated only in the horizontal rows. In Reel Play Poker the hands are evaluated along the 20 defined paylines as in online slot games. The winning combinations in any of the paylines are independently paid out according to the payout table. There is another factor that differentiates Reel Play Poker from video slots. In video slots the like symbols have to appear on consecutive reels starting from the left most reel. In Reel Play Poker the cards can appear anywhere on the enabled payline. For example in a three of a kind aces hand the aces can be on the second, fourth and fifth reels in an enabled payline.

In Microgaming Reel Play Poker the payout table values automatically adjust to the number of coins selected by the player. These values are absolute values and will not have to be multiplied by the number of coins wagered. The payouts follow the usual Jacks or Better scheme. With 1 coin wagered the payouts begin with 1 coin for a pair of jacks and go up to 800 coins for a royal flush. With 20 coins wagered a royal flush will pay 16,000 coins. Reel Play Poker Jacks or Better is live at all Microgaming online casinos like Platinum Play, River Belle and All Slots.