• In order to place a wager you have to put coins in the machine. You can't change your bet once the game has started, and it has to be placed before drawing your cards.
• Push the button "Draw/Deal" once you're placed your bet, and this will then bring up the initial five-card hand.
• Then you choose if you want to hold any of the five cards in you hand by pushing the "Hold/Cancel" button under each card you decide to keep. If you change your mind and don't wish to hold on to a chosen card, press the "Hold/Cancel" button once again to cancel.
• The word "hold" will then flash under all your held cards, confirming that you have held these cards.
• For a second time, push the "draw/deal" button to get new cards to replace the ones not held.
• If you have a winning hand the machine pays off and is set up for a new game.

Ordered from top to bottom, these are the best hands and are most likely to be winners:

Royal Flush A Royal Flush consists of all face cards plus a 10, all in the same suit. This is the highest hand to get in poker.

Straight flush Being the second highest hand possible, a straight flush is made up of 5 cards in order and all within the same suit. Aces are normally counted as the lowest card in the run. Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5 in the same suit is a group of 5 ordered cards.

4 of a Kind Four cards of the same value with one odd card will give you four of a kind. If you have four Queens and one 3, that is four of a kind.

Full House When you have 3 cards of the same value, and two other matching cards of the same value. So, for example, a hand consisting of three Jacks and two 4's, or three 6's and two 8's, is a full house.

Flush When you have all five cards in the same suit in your hand it is considered a flush. A flush can consist of a 4 of Clubs, 5 of Clubs, 7 of Clubs, Queen of Clubs, and an Ace of Clubs.

Straight Five cards in order, but not in the same suit, is a straight. An Ace of Diamonds, 2 of Clubs, 3 of Hearts, 4 of Clubs, and a 5 of Spades is one possibility of a straight.

Three of a Kind Three cards of same value or rank, and two outsider cards like 7, 7, 7, Ace and 2 is a three of a kind.

Two Pair Two cards the same is a pair, and when you have two of these plus an odd card it is a two pair hand. An example would be 6, 6, 7, 7, 2.