Online Video Poker Guide: Best Paytables, RTP %, and More

Our main topic of focus here at ProfessionalRakeback.com is online poker, but our team of experts has experience across many different areas of gambling, including video poker. In this article, our team will review all of our favorite sites to play video poker, how to play, what to look for in a game, and much more.

You can find 9/6 Jacks or Better at all of the sites on our list below. This tends to be the game with the highest RTP (Return to Player) available. Another benefit to playing Jacks or Better is that it is the easiest video poker game to learn how to play correctly.

If you are already familiar with all of the basics of video poker and you're just looking for a reputable site to play, then please feel free to review the detailed list provided below. There are many sites across the web offering video poker games, so it can be hard to choose one to play, but rest assured that all of the operators recommended below maintain excellent reputations for offering fast cashouts and fair games, including video poker.

1

CAFE CASINO

BONUS:

350% up to $5,000

★★★★★

4.7 / 5

SOLID VIDEO POKER PAYTABLES AND LARGE CASINO BONUSES

SOFTWARE:

RIVAL, RTG

GAMES

290+

MORE INFO

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CafeCasino is a casino-only sister site to Bovada. The selection of video poker games is fairly narrow featuring only eight variants currently, but the games and paytables are excellent and includes 9/6 Jacks or Better. All of the video poker games here offer nickel denominations, so you can play 5 coins for a total of $0.25 per hand and be sure you're getting the best odds. CafeCasino doesn't offer any sportsbook or poker room, so it may not be ideal for video poker players who also enjoy playing poker at the tables or players who like betting on sports. Bovada offers all of the same games as well as a full sportsbook and poker room.

Because CafeCasino can focus exclusively on casino gaming, it can offer larger and more generous casino bonuses. Although video poker only contributes at a 10% rate towards bonus playthrough, you still may be interested in Cafe's 350% crypto deposit bonus of up to $5,000 on your first deposit. Be sure to use code CCBTCVIP to get started today.

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2

SLOTS.LV

BONUS:

300% up to $1,500

★★★★★

4.6 / 5

EXCELLENT VIDEO POKER AND ONGOING RELOAD BONUSES

SOFTWARE:

RIVAL, RTG

GAMES

290+

MORE INFO

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Slots.lv truly stands out by offering solid deposit bonuses on your first nine deposits. You read that correctly, you can get a 300% first deposit bonus of up to $1,500 as well as another eight 150% bonuses of up to $750, as long as you use crypto to deposit. Slots.lv is nearly identical in design to CafeCasino, so all of the same video poker games are on offer here including 9/6 Jacks or Better.

If you'd rather utilize a more traditional deposit method like a debit card, then you will only receive a 200% initial deposit bonus up to $1,000 and another eight 100% deposit match bonuses worth $500 each.

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3

IGNITION CASINO

BONUS:

150% up to $1,500

★★★★★

4.5 / 5

GREAT OPTION FOR VIDEO POKER WITH ATTACHED POKER ROOM

SOFTWARE:

RIVAL, RTG

GAMES

290+

MORE INFO

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Ignition Casino features a poker room unlike the previous two sites on our list, and it might be the best site for poker players especially if you have any interest in playing video poker as well. Ignition offers a 150% up to $1,500 bonus if you deposit using cryptocurrency. Be warned that video poker play will only contribute at a 10% rate to any bonus playthrough, but you can still use bonus funds to play and hopefully win at Ignition.

Ignition is a sister site to the previously mentioned Slots.lv and CafeCasino platforms, so the eight video poker titles remain the same. In addition, you'll find hundreds of other casino games like slots, table games, and more.

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4

BOVADA CASINO

BONUS:

125% up to $1,250 X 3

★★★★★

4.5 / 5

LONGSTANDING OPTION FOR VIDEO POKER, SPORTS, AND POKER

SOFTWARE:

RIVAL, RTG

GAMES

290+

MORE INFO

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Bovada is a partner of CafeCasino, Slots.lv, and Ignition, so the casino gaming here is identical to the sites described above and includes the same eight video poker titles. Where Bovada shines is by offering a full-featured racebook and sportsbook, two things that are absent at all of the options above. First-time crypto depositors can receive $3,750 in casino bonuses ($3,000 if using old-school deposit methods).

Although the casino bonuses are slightly smaller here than at Cafe or Slots.lv, Bovada is definitely a great choice if you want to try betting on sports or horses in addition to playing video poker or other casino games.

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5

SB CASINO

BONUS:

100% up to $1,000 X 3

★★★★★

4.4 / 5

TRUSTED OPTION WITH VIDEO POKER, POKER, HORSES, AND SPORTS

SOFTWARE:

BETSOFT, NUCLEUS, CONNECTIVE, RIVAL

GAMES

350+

MORE INFO

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Sportsbetting.ag is related to the BetOnline and Wild Casino brands, so its video poker offerings are quite similar. The main advantages of SB include its full-featured sportsbook, racebook, and poker room. Plus, there are dozens of video poker titles that you can enjoy and most of them feature good paytables. You can get three separate casino deposit bonuses worth 100% up to $1,000 each, and a 100% sports crypto bonus of up to $1,000.

Other benefits at SB.ag are poker leaderboards, generous casino and sports reload bonuses, up to a 9% rebate on racebook wagers, and much more.

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6

BETONLINE

BONUS:

100% up to $1,000 X 3

★★★★★

4.4 / 5

VIDEO POKER, SPORTS, HORSES, AND POKER

SOFTWARE:

BETSOFT, NUCLEUS, RIVAL, CONNECTIVE

GAMES

400+

MORE INFO

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BetOnline is related to SB Poker and Casino, so the bonuses and gambling offered are identical. Just like at SB.ag, you can get a 100% casino bonus on your first three deposits. BoL also boasts a 100% poker bonus worth up to $1,000 and a 100% sportsbook or racebook bonus worth up to $1,000.

BetOnline is respected throughout the online gambling community as a longstanding and trusted provider. BoL, and all of the sites associated with the Chico Poker Network, including SB.ag, Wild Casino, and SuperSlots, have gained a reputation for offering the fastest cashouts in the industry with most crypto withdrawals being completed in under 30 minutes.

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7

WILD CASINO

BONUS:

300% up to $3,000

★★★★★

4.3 / 5

DECENT VIDEO POKER SELECTION AND GREAT CASINO BONUSES

SOFTWARE:

BETSOFT, NUCLEUS

GAMES

350+

MORE INFO

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Wild Casino is another excellent option for video poker players. Wild Casino is a sister and partner to SB Casino and BetOnline, so many of the games are the same. Unfortunately, Wild Casino doesn't have quite as many video poker games as BetOnline or SB Casino, but it is still an excellent choice as it features solid paytables and generous casino bonuses. There are 10 single-hand video poker variants and 7 multi-hand games.

Crypto depositors can get a bonus worth 300% on their first deposit up to $3,000 and 150% up to $1,500 on their subsequent four deposits. Other benefits at Wild include weekly reload bonuses, a 10% casino rebate, and free daily tournaments.

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8

EVERYGAME CASINO

BONUS:

Up to $5,655

★★★★★

4.2 / 5

SOLID VIDEO POKER LIBRARY AND GENEROUS BONUSES

SOFTWARE:

RTG, BETSOFT, OTHERS

GAMES

800+

RELOADS

MANY

MORE INFO

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Everygame is a longstanding and trusted operator in the online gambling industry. You can find an excellent 9/6 full-pay Jacks or Better game within the poker casino at Everygame. Even better, the game offers the option of playing five hands at once at coin sizes as small as $0.10 denominations. The Jacks or Better game located in Casino Red pays a reduced 8/5, so we would definitely encourage you to play video poker from within the poker software here at Everygame, or locate Bonus Poker inside of the Casino Red to get 99.17% in RTP.

You can take advantage of a 125% bonus of up to $1,000 at Casino Red as well as other subsequent reload bonuses and free spins bonuses at the attached Casino Classic. Keep in mind that Everygame also boasts a full sportsbook and poker room, along with generous bonuses, in addition to the casino offerings.

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9

SUPERSLOTS

BONUS:

400% up to $4,000

★★★★★

4.0 / 5

MASSIVE CASINO BONUSES

SOFTWARE:

BETSOFT, NUCLEUS, RIVAL

GAMES

350+

MORE INFO

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SuperSlots.ag is an online casino with a generous set of deposit bonuses including a crypto deposit bonus worth 400% of your deposit amount up to a whopping $4,000! You can also take advantage of a separate welcome offer worth up to $1,000 on each of your first six deposits. Unfortunately, there are only four video poker games total here, and two of the games are Jacks or Better. Still, the paytables are the full 9/6, so SuperSlots is a reasonable choice if you also enjoy games like slots and table games.

SuperSlots is a casino-only operator with a heavy focus on slots, so you can take advantage of frequent casino reload bonuses, free spins, and a 10% casino rebate on your losses. Cashouts are lightning fast here as well with most crypto transactions being finished in less than 30 minutes.

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What is Video Poker?

Video Poker is a digital poker game that utilizes a 52-card deck. Video poker is somewhat similar to slot machines in that the game is played on a video screen as animations are displayed while a Random Number Generator outputs a result. The difference in Video Poker is that the player can influence the outcome and the potential Return-to Player percentages by making good decisions. Similarly, the player can make bad decisions that will significantly impact their ability or opportunity to win.

The most popular and standard video poker variant is called Jacks or Better. As the name implies, you'll need to hold at least a pair of jacks in order to win. Jacks or Better is a standard 5 card poker draw game. You will be dealt five cards, at which point you'll have the opportunity to choose which cards you want to hold. You can hold all five cards, only some of the cards, or you can discard the entire hand. You will then receive new cards to replace the cards you decided to discard or change. If you end up with a pair of jacks or an even better poker hand, then you'll win.

Popular Video Poker Variants

There are a number of popular video poker variants, including Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Bonus Poker, and Double Bonus Poker. These are just a few of the most popular games as there are numerous other titles available, including Aces and Faces, Double Double Bonus Poker, and Bonus Deuces Wild.

Single-hand video poker games at BetOnline

When it comes to deciding on which variant to play, there are a few important considerations. First of all, it is important to choose a game that you know how to play well. Knowing the correct basic strategy will help you maximize your playing time and potential profits. If you aren't familiar with how to play some or all of these games, we would definitely suggest starting out by familiarizing yourself with Jacks or Better and learning the basic strategy first.

Online Video Poker

Video poker first rose to popularity in the mid-1970s alongside the emergence of personal computers, but these early efforts were primitive and didn't achieve much popularity. In 1979, however, SIRCOMA (Si Redd's Coin Machines) first introduced Draw Poker, which was a success. Video poker steadily gained momentum throughout the 1980s. Over the years since that time, numerous games and poker variants have been created, resulting in video poker becoming widely available and intensely popular. In online casinos, the game now vies with three-card poker to be the most-played video-based card game. 

Online gambling has become increasingly popular over the past 10 - 20 years, and while most of the attention tends to be placed on slots and table games, there are also video poker games available to enjoy online. Our focus here at ProfessionalRakeback.com is primarily on playing poker at the tables against other players, both live and online, but we felt it was important to highlight video poker because it is an excellent option that offers significantly better odds than slots.

While the odds of winning playing video poker are generally much higher than slots, this doesn't mean that you can't win big jackpots playing video poker. You can often locate progressive video poker games that will pay out an additional bonus if you hit a royal flush. Unfortunately, it is a bit difficult to find progressive video poker games online.

What to Look For In a Good Video Poker Game

When it comes down to finding a suitable video poker game to play, there are a number of important considerations. First of all, it is important to familiarize yourself with at least one popular variant and learn basic strategy. We would highly suggest starting with Jacks or Better as it tends to offer some of the most consistent returns, and learning to play it correctly will set a solid foundation for you to learn other games.

If you don't learn basic strategy and practice prior to playing, it can be very difficult, and most importantly, it will cost you money. Although it may seem tricky at first, once you understand the basics, you should begin to have an easier time applying what you have learned. Many Jacks or Better games offer an expected RTP of 99.54% with perfect strategy. Slot machines feature an average RTP of 95% or even less, so you can already see how video poker can be a much better option if you want to play casino games.

There are even video poker games that pay more than 100% RTP, meaning that you can actually win money in the long run if you can play perfect strategy. Full-pay deuces wild has an RTP of approximately 100.76% with perfect play. Oftentimes, you can get points and comps at live casinos for playing, which can be exchanged for cash, free play, hotel stays, and more. When you are able to find a casino offering a game near or over 100% in RTP, the player club perks and benefits can increase your long-term expected value and actually give you a significant edge over the house.

As far as playing online video poker is concerned, your upside is somewhat limited because it is extremely difficult to locate any games on the internet that pay over 100%. In addition, the comps and points available tend to offer somewhat reduced benefits when compared to their live casino counterparts.

With that being said, there is still plenty of good news and a bit of upside because while you may not be able to find truly profitable games, you can play enjoyable video poker titles with excellent paytables. There are numerous games that feature an RTP of over 99% on sites like Bovada, Everygame, and SB Casino.

Denominations and Max Bets

Most video poker games offer varying bet sizes and coin denominations. Denominations available generally include nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollars. You will find different variations of these as well as larger games at many casinos, but in general, this is what you can expect to see. The key here is in how many coins you choose to wager.

Most video poker games offer the option of betting as little as one coin or as many as five. It is imperative that you always choose to play the full five credits. This is because you will win a large bonus should you hit the coveted royal flush. For example, if you wager four coins you will usually win 1000 coins. Wagering only one more coin for a total of five would result in winning 4000 coins, four times as much as a four-coin bet.

As you can imagine, this plays a big role when playing video poker because a large portion of the Return to Player percentage and value lies in seeking a royal flush. Playing Jacks or Better with perfect strategy can result in a payback percentage of 99.54% while deciding to play only four coins will reduce this by a whopping 1.2%. This effectively increases the house edge to nearly 2%, so as you can imagine, it is essential to bet five coins or at least be sure that you will receive the full 800 to 1 payout as opposed to a 250 to 1 payout. You can always find this out by reviewing the paytable carefully prior to playing.

You may also occasionally encounter machines that do not pay the full 800 to 1 bonus on a five-coin bet with some games requiring a 10-, 20-, or even a 100-coin wager. Be careful to review the game payouts for a royal flush prior to beginning play to ensure you'll win the full jackpot if you're able to hit a royal flush.

In addition, you might run into the opposite situation where you don't actually need to wager five coins in order to qualify for the full 800 to 1 bonus on a royal flush. At BetOnline and all of its related sister sites, there are a number of games that feature a minimum denomination of $1 but the games will award the full $800 for a royal flush with only one coin wagered.

9/6 Jacks or Better at Wild Casino with a full 800 to 1 royal flush payout on a single coin bet

Paytable Information, Deviations, and Volatility

Video poker games can offer some of the best odds in the casino, but the game does require a bit of knowledge to be able to play correctly and identify which games are worth playing. Below, we will consider a few essential aspects of playing video poker, including paytable differences and volatility.

Paytable Differences and Deviations

Although video poker games are often some of the best games to play in the casino, not all video poker games are created equal. There can be a massive disparity between a good video poker game and a poor game that will eat your hard-earned funds.

There can be many different paytable variations for different video poker games, and this is a concept that can be a bit complex. We will try to at least give you a basic understanding of how to approach different paytables and how to identify good video poker games. Every video poker game will display the full paytable, so you can review all of the payouts prior to playing.

You may have heard video poker games referred to with two numbers in front of the game like "9/6 Jacks or Better". The numbers reference the coin pay values for a full house and a flush respectively. Every video poker variant is slightly different, so it is important to only compare apples to apples. We will take a brief look at Jacks or Better in this article to explore how paytables might change and what you want to look for when you play.

9/6 Jacks or Better at Bovada (Slots.lv, CafeCasino, and Ignition Casino offer the same game)

9/6 Jacks or Better is widely regarded as one of the best video poker variants due to it offering an RTP of 99.54% with optimal play. Unfortunately, not all versions offer this paytable. You may find versions of Jacks or Better that pay as low as 6/5 for a full house and flush. For every 1 coin reduction in the full house or flush categories, the expected value will go down by approximately 1.1%. This means that an 8/5 Jacks or Better game will pay 2.2% less than the full pay, 9/6 version.

8/5 Jacks or Better at Everygame Casino Red

At Everygame Casino Red, you can also find full pay Bonus Poker which features an RTP of 99.17% with perfect play. Playing Bonus Poker with the exact same strategy as Jacks or Better will net you nearly 99.16% in RTP. It is a much better choice to play the full pay 8/5 Bonus Poker than it is to play the 8/5 Jacks or Better game photographed above. Playing Bonus Poker with the exact same strategy as Jacks or Better will net you nearly 99.16% in RTP.

Multi-Hand 8/5 Bonus Poker at Everygame Casino Red

This concept applies to every variant of video poker, so it is important to familiarize yourself with the ideal paytable of the game you'd like to play and then locate the highest-paying version that you can. Looking at the flush and full house paytable is the first thing to check, but it is also important to review the other pays as you may occasionally find games with reduced payouts on two pair, straights, and even four-of-a-kind.

Along the same line of thinking, knowing how to play more than one variant correctly can be extremely valuable. If you are looking for the highest possible RTP figures or the best paytables, you may need to be willing to play various games and be flexible. Fortunately, once you have a solid foundation of knowledge after learning how to play Jacks or Better correctly, you should be able to learn additional variants with relative ease.

Volatility

Volatility is a concept that applies to many forms of gambling, and it is an especially crucial element of video poker. A volatile machine will pay out larger jackpots on a fairly infrequent basis while less-volatile games will pay out smaller wins with more regularity. When it comes to video poker, the difference in volatility reflects the differing pay scales and the weight of each winning combination.

Jacks or Better is one of the lowest variance video poker games that you can play, which in turn may give you more of an opportunity to try and hit a royal flush. The key reason that Jacks or Better is somewhat low in variance is because it pays 2 to 1 for two pair. Many similar games like Double Bonus Poker only pay 1 to 1 for two pair. This is compensated for in the paytable by paying extra for four-of-a-kind and even for specific four-of-a-kind, like aces.

Some games like Double Double Bonus Poker and Triple Double Bonus Poker increase the volatility even more by adding a bonus for landing a "kicker" alongside certain quads. For example, landing quad aces alongside a 2, 3, or 4 will award an even larger win than four aces alone when playing either Double Double or Double Triple.

The paytable for Double Double Bonus Poker at Bovada

One other game that is known for being more volatile than Jacks or Better is Deuces Wild. With Deuces Wild, you'll need to land at least three-of-a-kind to win, and although that is much easier to do with wild deuces, it is still more difficult to do than it is to land a simple pair of jacks or better. With that being said, deuces wild can be highly entertaining and exciting due to the wildcard element, and the optimal strategy is fairly complex.

Multi-Hand Video Poker?

As video poker increased in popularity throughout the 1980s, many new versions and games started to emerge. You can find all kinds of unique video poker games in live casinos, like Ultimate X and Super Times Pay, that introduce an additional multiplier or wheel into the mix. In general, it is best to avoid these kinds of games if you are trying to maximize your play as the paytables tend to be somewhat reduced. There are exceptions to this rule of course, so be sure to review the paytable for any game you find before you begin playing.

As far as multi-hand variants of video poker are concerned, there are numerous types and games nowadays. In addition to the standard single-play games, there are 3-hand, 5-hand, 10-hand, 25-hand, 50-hand, and even 100-hand video poker games widely available in land-based casinos. You can usually find a few of these games at reputable online casinos like Bovada, but as previously mentioned, the paytables tend to be slightly lower.

10-Hand Jacks or Better at Bovada with a reduced 8/5 paytable

If you enjoy playing multi-hand video poker, then the 8/5 10-Hand Bonus Poker game offered at Everygame would be a much better choice than the Jacks or Better game shown above at Bovada. 8/5 Bonus Poker has an RTP of 99.17% while the 8/5 Jacks or Better has an RTP of well under 98%.

Double or Nothing

Another interesting feature that you may encounter playing video poker both in person and online is the "double or nothing" option. Many video poker games offer you a chance to double up your winnings at the conclusion of any winning hand.

The way that this works is that the game will ask you if you would like to double up your winnings after each hand. If you click yes, then the dealer will deal five cards like any normal hand. The card on the far left will be turned face up and assigned to the dealer, at which point you will have the chance to pick one of the remaining four cards, which will be face down. If your card value is higher than the dealers, then you win. You will then be asked if you'd like to double up again, at which point you can cash out your winnings, or, gamble to double your winnings again.

The Double or Nothing feature in the Jacks or Better game at Bovada

The double or nothing feature is especially noteworthy because it does not have any house edge meaning the odds of winning for you as the player are exactly 50%. This is one of the few bets in the casino that is truly breakeven, and it can be quite exciting. Just be careful to cash out your winnings at some point. Casinos tend to bank on the fact that players will attempt to double up numerous times in a row in an effort to win big. Our advice is to decide how many times you will double up before you start. This way, you can confidently decide when to cash out instead of attempting to double endlessly until you inevitably lose.

Basic Strategy and How to Maximize Profits

Unlike slot machines, video poker games feature decisions that directly impact the expected result of the game. By playing video poker games correctly, you can win significantly more than the average person who doesn't know how to play. These games still have an element of luck and an RNG, but playing optimally can significantly increase your odds of winning in the long run.

Basic strategy resources are widely available across the internet, including at sites like WizardOfOdds.com. We would highly suggest visiting WizardofOdds to learn how to play different video poker games. You can also find some great tips for success when playing video poker at CardPlayerLifestyle.com. We aren't going to go into detail regarding strategy in this article, as there are just too many topics to cover with regard to video poker on a single page.

With that being said, we would suggest learning Jacks or Better prior to learning any other game that you may want to learn. Although JoB isn't the most exciting video poker variant, understanding how to play the game optimally will set you up for success when you want to learn related games like Bonus Poker and Double Double Bonus Poker.

We cannot stress the importance of learning the basics of the game that you wish to play prior to playing. Casinos often bank on inexperienced players not being able to play video poker optimally. This allows casinos to offer generous paytables that you can take advantage of as a knowledgeable player.

Deuces Wild presents its own unique set of difficulties, and although it is one of the most exciting and potentially profitable games to play, it is also one of the most difficult to play correctly on a consistent basis. This is because unlike many of the other games, including Bonus Poker and Double Bonus Poker, Deuces Wild is not based on Jacks or Better. Instead, all deuces are wild and a minimum of three-of-a-kind is required to win.

Can I Play Free Video Poker Online?

Video Poker is widely available to play for free online in many variations. Learning how to play correctly in order to maximize your potential profits can be difficult, so choosing to practice on a free game is an excellent choice before diving into the real money video poker streets.

There is an endless array of free video poker games online, but we would highly suggest trying the free video poker variants on offer at Bovada and its sister sites. You can play popular variants like Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, or Double Bonus Poker for free. You can even try multi-hand versions of a few games like the 10-handed options.

To try Jacks or Better at Bovada for free to hone your skills without needing to risk any of your own funds, please feel free to click on the window below to do so:

Frequently Asked Questions

Video poker is an immensely deep topic, so you may have additional questions about online video poker that we haven't yet addressed. Please feel free to review the FAQ section below: