Methods and apparatus for providing free-play credits in a video poker game are disclosed. The methods and apparatus enable a video poker player to play a plurality of poker hands. The poker game awards free-play credits for lower ranking hands (e.g., below a threshold such as a straight) and monetary credits for higher ranking hands (e.g., at or above a threshold such as a straight). Free-play credits have a lower value than monetary credits. As a result of this lower value, awarding free-play credits instead of monetary credits creates a surplus of money that can be used to further reward the player without changing the overall payback percentage of the poker game. The surplus can be used to increase the payback of the higher ranking hands (e.g., increase the jackpot associated with a royal flush) and/or as a bonus award for frequent players (e.g., award one bonus free-play credit for every twentieth free-play credit earned).