Video Poker Basics
Why video poker is different from slots and can have better odds.
Video poker looks like a slot machine, but it plays like poker—and that's a crucial difference. Unlike slots, your decisions directly affect your expected return. With perfect strategy, some video poker games offer a house edge under 1%, making them among the best bets in the casino.
How Video Poker Works
- Insert credits and choose your bet (usually 1-5 coins)
- Five cards are dealt from a standard 52-card deck
- Choose which cards to hold and which to discard
- New cards replace discards from the same deck
- Your final hand is paid according to the paytable
Good to Know
Popular Video Poker Variants
Common Games and Their Payback
| Game | Full Pay RTP | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jacks or Better (9/6) | 99.54% | Most common, good for beginners |
| Deuces Wild (Full Pay) | 100.76% | Actually player-favorable! |
| Double Bonus | 99.17-100.17% | Higher variance, bigger jackpots |
| Double Double Bonus | 98.98% | Popular, lots of bonus hands |
| Joker Poker | 98-100.64% | Wilds make bigger hands easier |
RTP assumes optimal strategy play
Strategy Insight
Why Video Poker Beats Slots
Video Poker
- RTP: 97-100%+ possible
- Skill affects outcomes
- Known probabilities
- Visible paytables
Slot Machines
- RTP: 85-96% typical
- No skill involved
- Hidden probabilities
- RTP can change
Basic Jacks or Better Strategy
Memorizing perfect strategy takes time, but these simplified rules get you close:
- Hold any made hand (pair or better)
- Hold 4 to a flush over a low pair
- Hold 4 to a straight (open-ended) over nothing
- Hold 3 to a royal flush even over a low pair
- Hold high cards (J, Q, K, A) when you have nothing
- Keep suited high cards over unsuited
Hold the pair of Kings. A 3-card flush draw isn't worth giving up a guaranteed win.
Hold A-K-Q-J suited. You have 4 to a royal flush—always chase that even over a single pair.
Always Bet Max Coins
Warning
Finding Good Pay Tables
The same game can have different pay tables at different casinos:
- Check the full house/flush payouts in Jacks or Better
- Look online for pay table databases before playing
- Avoid "Short Pay" machines (8/5, 7/5, or worse)
- Downtown/off-strip often has better pay tables than the Strip
Strategy Insight
Key Takeaways
- 1Video poker involves skill—your decisions affect your return
- 2Full-pay games can offer 99%+ RTP with perfect strategy
- 3Always bet max coins to get the royal flush bonus
- 4Learn to recognize pay tables (9/6 is good, 8/5 is not)
- 5Use a strategy card—casinos allow them and they maximize your EV