Poker Pursuit

Play Poker Pursuit Free Demo

Try Poker Pursuit by Microgaming in free demo mode below. No registration, no deposit — just click and play to get a feel for the mechanics before risking real money.

Poker Pursuit: A Unique Raise-or-Fold Twist on Video Poker

Poker Pursuit doesn’t fit neatly into any traditional video poker family. It’s not Jacks or Better. It’s not Deuces Wild. Instead, Microgaming built something closer to a Caribbean Stud-style mechanic fused with draw poker — you receive cards in stages and decide whether to raise your bet at each step. Think of it as a progressive reveal game where your decision to commit more money at each card is the entire strategy.

This game suits players who want more decision points than a standard hold-and-draw format but don’t need the depth of a full strategy chart. If you’re after pure optimal-play grinding, you’re better off with Jacks or Better or Aces and Faces. But if you enjoy the tension of escalating commitment with partial information, Poker Pursuit delivers something genuinely different.

How Poker Pursuit Actually Plays

Forget the traditional deal-hold-draw loop. Here’s how Poker Pursuit works:

1. You place an ante bet.
2. Two cards are dealt face up.
3. You choose to raise (add another bet) or check (continue without extra cost).
4. A third card is revealed. Again, raise or check.
5. A fourth card is revealed. Same decision.
6. The fifth and final card is revealed, completing your hand.

There’s no discard. No draw. You get exactly five cards, revealed one at a time after the initial two, and your only decisions are whether to add money at each stage. Every raise adds one unit equal to your ante. You can raise at all three opportunities, making your total bet four times the ante, or check through and pay just the ante.

The minimum paying hand is a pair of Jacks or better, consistent with most standard video poker paytables. No wild cards are in play — this is a straight five-card poker evaluation. Your final payout multiplies by the total number of bets you placed (1 to 4 units).

The Paytable and Why It Matters

Notice how compressed this paytable is compared to standard Jacks or Better. The Royal Flush pays 100:1 per unit rather than the traditional 250:1 (or 800:1 at max coins). The Full House at 4:1 and Flush at 3:1 look weak by standard video poker standards, where a full-pay 9/6 JoB returns 9:1 and 6:1 respectively.

The saving grace is the raise mechanic. When you correctly identify strong draws and raise at the right moments, you’re putting more money in when the odds favor you. That’s where the edge recovery happens. But make no mistake — the base paytable is short-pay by traditional video poker standards.

RTP with Optimal Strategy

Microgaming hasn’t published an official RTP figure for Poker Pursuit, and independent calculations vary based on the exact raise strategy employed. The RTP is unknown, though estimates suggest it falls somewhere in the mid-to-high 90s with optimal play. Every mistake — every time you raise when you should check, or check when you should raise — costs expected value.

Three key strategy principles we identified during our testing:

• Always raise with a made pair of Jacks or better after two cards. You already have a paying hand; put money in.
• Raise on strong draws. Two suited high cards (J+) or two high cards to a Royal are worth the extra unit. Four to a flush or four to a straight on the fourth card is a raise.
• Check garbage. Two low unsuited, unconnected cards after the initial deal? Check through. Don’t throw money at hope.

The game punishes loose raising severely because you can’t draw replacement cards. Your hand is fixed — you’re simply choosing how much to bet on it.

Pros and Cons

• Pro: The staged reveal creates genuine decision-making tension that standard video poker lacks.
• Pro: Simpler than memorizing a full Jacks or Better strategy chart — fewer decision points to master.
• Pro: The raise mechanic lets you control variance by committing more to strong hands.
• Pro: Quick rounds with no draw phase mean faster gameplay sessions.

• Con: The compressed paytable returns less on premium hands than standard video poker.
• Con: No draw mechanic means you’re entirely at the mercy of the deal — no second chances.
• Con: Unknown official RTP makes it impossible to confirm optimal returns.
• Con: Far less strategic depth than Deuces Wild or Double Double Bonus variants.

How It Compares

Strategy Tips

1. Learn the raise thresholds: The entire strategy revolves around when to raise versus check. After two cards, raise with any pair of Jacks+, any two suited cards 10 or higher, or Ace-King suited. After three and four cards, raise with any made paying hand or any four-card flush/straight draw. Check everything else.
2. Check the paytable before playing: Different Microgaming casino implementations may tweak payouts. We’ve seen variations. Always verify the exact table before committing real money.
3. Understand there’s no max-coin bonus: Unlike standard video poker where betting max coins unlocks a disproportionate Royal Flush payout (4,000 vs 1,000 for four coins), Poker Pursuit’s raise mechanic is the bet-sizing tool. Your ante size matters, but there’s no hidden premium for max coins.
4. Manage your bankroll for the raise structure: Your bet can be up to 4x your ante per hand. If you set a £1 ante, budget for £4 per hand during aggressive sequences. We recommend at least 100 ante units as a session bankroll.
5. Watch out with casino bonuses: Most welcome bonus wagering requirements either exclude video poker entirely or weight it at 5-10%. Playing Poker Pursuit to clear a bonus is almost always a bad idea — read our guide on casino bonus mistakes before you try.

Where to Play Poker Pursuit

Poker Pursuit is available at most Microgaming-powered online casinos. For UK players, look for UKGC-licensed sites carrying the full Microgaming video poker suite. If fast cashouts matter to you — and they should — check our list of fast payout casinos that carry Microgaming titles.

If you discover Poker Pursuit isn’t quite your style, consider trying live dealer poker games at our recommended best live casinos for a more interactive experience.

The Bottom Line

Poker Pursuit is the video poker game for people who find standard hold-and-draw too predictable. The staged card reveal with raise-or-check decisions creates a different kind of engagement — one that rewards reading partial hands rather than memorizing discard charts. The compressed paytable is a legitimate downside, and the unknown official RTP makes it hard to recommend for serious grinders. But as a change of pace from Jacks or Better? It’s worth a session. Play the free demo first, learn the raise points, and only move to real money when the decisions feel automatic.

Key Facts

Responsible Gambling

Video poker can feel low-risk because of the skill element, but the house still has an edge. Set session limits, never chase losses, and take breaks. Visit our responsible gambling page for tools and resources, or get independent support at BeGambleAware.org.