Welcome to the ultimate video poker guide, your one-stop resource for mastering this classic casino game. Unlike slots, video poker rewards skill, and this guide is designed to give you that skill.
We wll break down everything from reading paytables and understanding RTP to applying perfect strategy for popular variants like Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild. By the end, you’ll know how to find the best machines, make optimal decisions, and manage your bankroll like a pro, significantly improving your odds of winning.
What is Video Poker? A Beginner’s Welcome
If you’ve ever felt that slots are too random but table poker is too intimidating, video poker is your perfect match. It’s a casino game that blends the simplicity of a slot machine with the strategy of five-card draw poker. You play on a digital console, making decisions that directly impact your outcome. This element of skill is what makes it a favorite among savvy casino-goers.
The game’s history dates back to the mid-1970s, but it truly took off when a company called SIRCOMA (which later became IGT) introduced Draw Poker in 1979. Its popularity soared because it offered a less intimidating way to play poker, and today it’s a staple on casino floors and online.
How a Hand of Video Poker is Played
Learning the gameplay loop is the first step in any good video poker guide. It’s simple and follows the rules of five-card draw:
- Place Your Bet: You start by choosing how many credits (or “coins”) to bet, typically from 1 to 5. As we’ll see later, always betting 5 coins is crucial.
- Deal the Cards: After betting, you press the “Deal” button, and the machine gives you five cards from a standard 52-card virtual deck.
- Hold or Discard: This is where your skill comes in. You decide which cards to “Hold” and which to “Discard.” You can hold anywhere from zero to all five cards.
- Draw New Cards: You press the “Draw” button, and the machine replaces your discarded cards with new ones from the same virtual deck.
- Get Paid: Your final five-card hand is evaluated. If it matches one of the winning combinations on the game’s paytable (like a pair of Jacks, a straight, or a flush), you get paid!
Unlike a live poker game, you’re not playing against other people. Your only goal is to make the best possible hand according to the paytable.
How to Read Video Poker Paytables: The Key to Winning
If there’s one thing this video poker guide needs you to remember, it’s this: the paytable is the game. The paytable is the list of winning hands and their payouts, and it’s the single most important factor in determining a machine’s profitability. It tells you everything you need to know about the game’s potential return. You can usually find it displayed prominently on the game screen.
What is a Paytable?
A paytable is a chart that shows how much each winning poker hand pays out for the number of coins you’;ve bet. By analyzing it, you can determine the game’s overall return percentage and find the best machines to play.
Full Pay vs. Short Pay: How Paytables Affect RTP
Not all video poker machines are created equal, even if they have the same name. Casinos can adjust the payouts for certain hands, which directly impacts the game’;s Return to Player (RTP). This is where the terms “Full Pay” and “Short Pay” come in.
- Full Pay: This refers to the version of a game with the highest possible, most generous paytable. For example, the original and best version of Jacks or Better is known as “;9/6 Jacks or Better.”
- Short Pay: This refers to any machine with a less generous paytable. The payouts for key hands are reduced, which increases the house edge.
The numbers in “;9/6” or “8/5” refer to the payouts for a Full House and a Flush on a one-coin bet. Even a small change can have a big impact on your long-term results. Let’s explore the concept of full pay Jacks or Better 9/6 explained:
Jacks or Better Paytable Comparison
| Paytable Version | Full House Pay | Flush Pay | RTP (with optimal strategy) | House Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/6 JoB (Full Pay) | 9 coins | 6 coins | 99.54% | 0.46% |
| 9/5 JoB | 9 coins | 5 coins | 98.45% | 1.55% |
| 8/5 JoB | 8 coins | 5 coins | 97.30% | 2.70% |
| 7/5 JoB | 7 coins | 5 coins | 96.15% | 3.85% |
| 6/5 JoB | 6 coins | 5 coins | 95.00% | 5.00% |
As you can see, a seemingly small drop from a 9/6 paytable to an 8/5 paytable increases the house edge by over 2%! This is why savvy players hunt for full-pay machines. Learning how paytables affect RTP is your first step to becoming a winning player.
The “Max Coins” Rule: Why It’s Non-Negotiable
On almost every video poker machine, you’;ll see a massive jump in the payout for a Royal Flush when you bet the maximum number of coins (usually 5). This isn’t a trick; it’s a bonus designed to reward max bettors.
Let’s look at a typical 9/6 Jacks or Better paytable:
- 1 Coin Bet Royal Flush: 250 coins
- 2 Coin Bet Royal Flush: 500 coins
- 3 Coin Bet Royal Flush: 750 coins
- 4 Coin Bet Royal Flush: 1,000 coins
- 5 Coin Bet Royal Flush: 4,000 coins
If the payout scaled perfectly, a 5-coin bet would pay 1,250 coins (250 x 5). Instead, it pays 4,000! Playing fewer than 5 coins means you’re playing with a significantly lower RTP and giving up the chance at the game’s jackpot. If a 5-coin bet is too expensive, it’s better to move to a lower denomination machine (e.g., from a $1 machine to a 25¢ machine) than to bet fewer coins.
A Deep Dive into the Most Popular Video Poker Variants
While Jacks or Better is the classic, the world of video poker is vast. Different variants offer unique rules, paytables, and strategies. Here’s a look at some of the best video poker variants you’ll encounter.
Jacks or Better (JoB): The Perfect Starting Point
Jacks or Better is the grandfather of all video poker games and the best place to learn video poker strategy. Its name says it all: you need at least a pair of Jacks to get a payout. It’s known for its straightforward strategy and low variance, meaning your bankroll will experience gentler swings compared to other games. The gold standard is the 9/6 JoB paytable, which offers a 99.54% RTP with perfect play.
Deuces Wild: Where 2s are Your Best Friend
In Deuces Wild, all four “;deuce”; (2) cards are wild cards. A wild card can substitute for any other card to help you form a winning hand. This makes it much easier to hit big hands, but the paytable is adjusted to reflect this. For example, the minimum paying hand is usually Three of a Kind. The best Deuces Wild paytable is the “Full Pay” version, which has a theoretical RTP of 100.76%—meaning the player actually has a slight edge over the house with perfect strategy!
Bonus, Double Bonus, and Double Double Bonus: Chasing Quads
These games are all based on Jacks or Better but offer enhanced payouts (bonuses) for different Four of a Kind hands (quads). This makes them more exciting but also increases their variance.
- Bonus Poker: Offers a bonus for four Aces.
- Double Bonus: Offers even bigger bonuses for four Aces, four 2s, 3s, or 4s. The full-pay 10/7 version has an RTP of 100.17%.
- Double Double Bonus (DDB): The most popular variant in many casinos. It introduces kicker rules, where the fifth card in a Four of a Kind hand can trigger an even bigger payout. For example, four Aces with a 2, 3, or 4 kicker pays a massive 2,000 coins on a 5-coin bet! This high-reward potential comes with very high variance.
Your Ultimate Video Poker Strategy Chart for Beginners and Pros
The key to reducing the house edge is to use an optimal strategy. A strategy chart is a ranked list of possible hands you can be dealt. To use it, you find your hand on the list and hold the combination that appears highest. This takes the guesswork out of every decision.
A Simple Universal Strategy for Beginners
If you’re just starting out, this simplified strategy works reasonably well across most Jacks or Better-based games and is a great entry point.
- Hold a made Royal Flush, Straight Flush, or Four of a Kind.
- Hold 4 cards to a Royal Flush.
- Hold a made Full House, Flush, or Straight.
- Hold 3 of a Kind.
- Hold 4 cards to a Straight Flush.
- Hold Two Pair.
- Hold a High Pair (Jacks, Queens, Kings, or Aces).
- Hold 3 cards to a Royal Flush.
- Hold 4 cards to a Flush.
- Hold a Low Pair (2s through 10s).
- Hold 4 cards to an open-ended Straight.
- Hold any two suited high cards (e.g., King and Queen of spades).
- Hold any single High Card.
- If you have none of the above, discard all five cards and draw a new hand.
Perfect Jacks or Better Strategy (9/6 Full Pay)
For those ready to master the game, here is a more detailed Jacks or Better strategy chart. This is a simplified version of the optimal strategy, which returns 99.46% on a 9/6 machine. Find your dealt hand on this list and choose the play that is highest up.
Jacks or Better Simple Strategy Chart
- Four of a kind, straight flush, royal flush
- 4 to a royal flush
- Three of a kind, straight, flush, full house
- 4 to a straight flush
- Two pair
- High pair (Jacks or better)
- 3 to a royal flush
- 4 to a flush
- Low pair (10s or lower)
- 4 to an outside straight
- 2 suited high cards
- 3 to a straight flush
- 2 unsuited high cards (if more than 2, pick the lowest 2)
- Suited 10/J, 10/Q, or 10/K
- One high card
- Discard everything
Source: Adapted from Wizard of Odds Simple Strategy.
Optimal Deuces Wild Strategy (Full Pay)
The Deuces Wild strategy is more complex because you must account for the number of deuces you are dealt. You should never discard a deuce. The strategy is broken down by how many deuces you hold.
Deuces Wild Simple Strategy Chart
4 Deuces: Hold all five cards.
3 Deuces: Hold only if you have a pat Royal Flush or Five of a Kind. Otherwise, hold only the three deuces.
2 Deuces:
- Hold any pat Four of a Kind or better.
- Hold 4 cards to a Royal Flush.
- Hold 4 cards to a Straight Flush.
- Otherwise, hold only the two deuces.
1 Deuce:
- Hold any pat Four of a Kind or better.
- Hold 4 cards to a Royal Flush.
- Hold a Full House.
- Hold 4 cards to a Straight Flush.
- Hold 3 of a Kind, a Straight, or a Flush.
- Hold 3 cards to a Royal Flush.
- Hold 3 cards to a Straight Flush.
- Otherwise, hold only the deuce.
With 0 Deuces: Follow the Jacks or Better strategy, but prioritize 3 or 4 cards to a Royal or Straight Flush over pairs and two pairs.
Source: Adapted from various expert strategies, including Wizard of Odds and Casino.org.
Level Up Your Play: Advanced Video Poker Concepts
Once you’ve mastered the basics, a few advanced concepts can help you squeeze out every last fraction of a percent in RTP. These are the details that separate casual players from pros.
Understanding Royal Flush Odds and Probabilities
The Royal Flush is the holy grail of video poker, offering a jackpot-sized payout. But how often can you expect to hit one? The royal flush odds depend on your strategy.
- Odds of being dealt a natural Royal Flush: Approximately 1 in 649,740.
- Average odds of hitting a Royal Flush (with optimal play): Approximately 1 in 40,000 hands.
While you won’t hit it every session, the massive payout is factored into the game’s overall RTP. This is why strategies often prioritize holding cards that give you a chance at a royal, even if it means breaking up a made hand like a flush or straight.
The Penalty Cards Concept Explained
The penalty cards concept is an advanced topic, but it’s fascinating. A penalty card is a card in your hand that you plan to discard, but its presence hurts the potential of the cards you’re holding. This is because that card is no longer in the deck to be drawn.
Example: You are dealt 3♦, 10♦, J♦, A♦, Q♣ in 9/6 Jacks or Better.
- You have a four-card flush (3♦, 10♦, J♦, A♦).
- You also have a three-card royal flush (10♦, J♦, A♦).
A simple strategy chart might tell you to hold the three-card royal. However, the Q♣ you are about to discard is a “penalty card.” It’s one of the cards you would need to complete a straight (8, 9, 10, J, Q or 9, 10, J, Q, K). Because the Q♣ is in your hand and not in the deck, the value of holding the three-card royal is slightly reduced. In this specific case, holding the four-card flush becomes the better play. While these situations are rare, awareness of penalty cards is part of perfect strategy.
Multi-Hand Video Poker Basics
Multi-hand video poker allows you to play multiple hands—often 3, 5, 10, 50, or even 100—at once. Here’s how it works:
- You are dealt a single base hand.
- You choose which cards to hold.
- Those held cards are copied to all of your other hands.
- Each hand then draws replacement cards from its own separate deck.
The advantage is that if you’re dealt a great starting hand (like three of a kind), you have many chances to improve it to a full house or four of a kind. The disadvantage is that multi-hand video poker has much higher variance. A bad starting hand means you’ll likely lose on all your hands at once. The playing strategy, however, remains exactly the same as for a single-hand game.
RTP and Variance: The Math Behind the Machine
To truly master this game, this video poker guide must cover two critical mathematical concepts: Return to Player (RTP) and Variance.
What is RTP in Video Poker?
RTP (Return to Player) is a percentage that represents the theoretical amount of money a machine pays back to players over the long run. For example, a game with a 99.54% RTP will, on average, return $99.54 for every $100 wagered.
Video poker is one of the few casino games where you can find machines with an RTP over 99%, and in some rare cases, even over 100% (giving the player a positive expectation). Finding games with the highest RTP is the number one goal of any serious player.
Video Poker RTP List for Full-Pay Variants
| Game Variant | Full Paytable | RTP (with optimal strategy) |
|---|---|---|
| Deuces Wild | Full Pay | 100.76% |
| Double Bonus | 10/7 | 100.17% |
| Double Double Bonus | 10/6 | 100.07% |
| Jacks or Better | 9/6 | 99.54% |
| Bonus Poker | 8/5 | 99.17% |
Note: These RTPs are only achievable with perfect strategy. Full-pay machines with >100% RTP are extremely rare.
Understanding Variance and Its Impact on Your Bankroll
Variance measures the swings in your bankroll. It tells you how volatile a game is.
- Low-Variance Games (e.g., Jacks or Better): These games have more frequent, smaller wins. Your bankroll will last longer, and the swings are gentle. They are great for players who want to learn video poker strategy with less risk.
- High-Variance Games (e.g., Double Double Bonus): These games have their payouts concentrated in rare, high-paying hands like Four of a Kind. You’ll experience longer losing streaks but have the chance for huge wins. They require a larger bankroll to withstand the swings.
Choosing a game isn’t just about RTP; it’s also about matching the variance to your risk tolerance and bankroll size.
Bankroll Management: How to Play Smarter and Longer
No video poker guide is complete without a section on bankroll management. Having enough money to withstand the natural ups and downs of the game is critical. The bankroll required for video poker variance can differ dramatically from one game to another.
Calculating Your Session Bankroll
A “;session bankroll”; is the money you set aside for a single playing session. A common rule of thumb is to have enough to cover the swings of the game you’re playing. High-variance games require a much larger bankroll than low-variance ones.
For a casual trip (e.g., 12 hours of play over a few days), here’s a rough estimate of the bankroll needed for a 95% confidence level of not going broke on a 25¢ machine ($1.25 per hand):
- 9/6 Jacks or Better (Low Variance): ~$940
- Full Pay Deuces Wild (Medium Variance): ~$1,075
- 9/6 Double Double Bonus (High Variance): ~$1,375
Source: Bankroll calculations adapted from analysis by Casino Player Magazine.
These numbers illustrate how higher variance demands more capital. Always choose a game and denomination that fits your budget.
Risk of Ruin Explained
Risk of Ruin (RoR) is the probability of losing your entire bankroll. For professional players who have an edge, this is a critical calculation. For casual players, it’s a good concept to understand. A larger bankroll relative to your bet size drastically reduces your risk of ruin. For example, to have only a 5% risk of ruin in 9/6 Jacks or Better (assuming some casino cashback), you’d need a long-term bankroll of over 9,000 betting units ($11,250 for a 25¢ player). This is for indefinite play, but it shows how seriously pros take bankroll management.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What is the best video poker game for a beginner?
Jacks or Better is widely considered the best game for beginners. Its strategy is straightforward, and it has low variance, which means your bankroll will last longer while you learn. Look for a 9/6 paytable to get the best odds.
Q2. Can you really get an edge over the casino in video poker?
Yes, but it’s rare. Certain “full-pay”; versions of games like Deuces Wild (100.76% RTP) and 10/7 Double Bonus (100.17% RTP) offer a theoretical return over 100% with perfect play. However, these machines are extremely hard to find and require flawless strategy to realize that edge.
Q3. How much does a video poker strategy chart really help?
A strategy chart is essential. Playing by gut instinct can result in an RTP of 95% or lower. Using a basic strategy chart for 9/6 Jacks or Better can raise the RTP to over 99%. It’s the single most effective tool to improve your video poker odds.
Q4. What’s the difference between Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild?
The main difference is that in Deuces Wild, all 2s are wild cards. This makes it easier to form winning hands, so the paytable is less generous for lower-tier hands (e.g., the minimum paying hand is usually Three of a Kind). The strategy for Deuces Wild is also more complex and depends on how many deuces you are dealt.
Q5. Why is Double Double Bonus so popular if it has high variance?
Players love the thrill and the potential for huge payouts. Hitting a premium Four of a Kind with a kicker in Double Double Bonus can pay as much as 400-to-1, which is half the payout of a Royal Flush. This lottery-like excitement appeals to players who are willing to accept bigger bankroll swings for a shot at a massive win.
Q6. Should I break up a paying hand like a Flush or Straight?
Sometimes, yes. The most common scenario is when you have four cards to a Royal Flush. For example, if you have a flush but four of the cards are 10-J-Q-K-A of the same suit, you should discard the fifth card and go for the royal. The massive potential payout of the Royal Flush makes it the correct mathematical play.
Q7. Are online video poker games fair?
Yes, as long as you play at a reputable, licensed online casino. These casinos use a Random Number Generator (RNG) to ensure that every card dealt is completely random and fair. The games are audited by third-party agencies to verify their fairness.
Q8. What are the best tools to practice video poker?
There are many excellent video poker training tools available. Software programs and apps like WinPoker or the Wizard of Odds’ own Video Poker Wizard allow you to play hands and will alert you if you make a mistake. Many online casinos also offer a free-play or “demo” mode, which is a great way to practice without risking real money.
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