Video poker combines the excitement of slot machines with the skill-based decision-making of poker, creating one of the most player-friendly games in the casino. Unlike traditional poker where you compete against other players, video poker pits you against a paytable, and with optimal strategy, certain variants offer over 99% return to player (RTP). This comprehensive guide will teach you everything you need to know about video poker, from basic rules to advanced strategy for maximising your returns.
What Is Video Poker?
Video poker is an electronic gambling machine that resembles a slot but plays like a five-card draw poker game. You’re dealt five cards and must decide which to hold and which to discard, receiving replacement cards for discards. Your final hand is evaluated against a paytable that determines your winnings. The best hands pay the most, with a royal flush typically offering the top payout.
What sets video poker apart from slots is that outcomes aren’t purely random—your decisions matter. Making correct holding decisions based on probability and expected value significantly affects your long-term returns. This skill element means educated players enjoy better results than those playing instinctively.
How to Play Video Poker
Basic Gameplay Steps
Insert Money: Credit the machine with cash or casino credits.
Select Your Bet: Choose how many coins to bet per hand (typically 1-5 coins). Always bet maximum coins to qualify for enhanced royal flush payouts.
Receive Initial Hand: Press the “Deal” button to receive five cards.
Select Cards to Hold: Review your hand and choose which cards to keep by pressing buttons beneath each card. Held cards are marked.
Draw Replacement Cards: Press “Draw” to discard non-held cards and receive replacements from the same virtual deck.
Evaluate Final Hand: Your final five-card hand is compared to the paytable. Winning hands pay according to the schedule, with payouts deposited to your credits.
Repeat or Cash Out: Play another hand or cash out your credits.
Understanding Poker Hand Rankings in Video Poker
Video poker uses standard poker hand rankings, with some games including special hands:
Royal Flush
A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit. The highest-paying hand, typically offering 800 coins for a 5-coin bet (250:1), but only 250 coins for smaller bets. This is why maximum coin betting is crucial.
Straight Flush
Five consecutive cards of the same suit (e.g., 9-8-7-6-5 of hearts). Pays 50:1 in Jacks or Better.
Four of a Kind (Quads)
Four cards of the same rank. Pays 25:1 in Jacks or Better. Some variants like Bonus Poker offer higher payouts for specific quads.
Full House
Three cards of one rank and two of another (e.g., 8-8-8-4-4). Pays 9:1 in full-pay Jacks or Better (9/6 machines).
Flush
Five cards of the same suit, not in sequence. Pays 6:1 in full-pay Jacks or Better.
Straight
Five consecutive cards of mixed suits. Pays 4:1.
Three of a Kind (Trips)
Three cards of the same rank. Pays 3:1.
Two Pair
Two cards of one rank and two of another. Pays 2:1.
Jacks or Better (High Pair)
A pair of Jacks, Queens, Kings, or Aces. Pays 1:1 (even money). Pairs of 10s or lower don’t pay in Jacks or Better.
Additional Hands in Variant Games
Some video poker variants include special hands like Five of a Kind (with wilds), Sequential Royal Flush, or specific four-of-a-kind combinations with bonus payouts.
Popular Video Poker Variants
Jacks or Better
The foundation of video poker and the most common variant. You need at least a pair of Jacks to win.
Full-Pay Paytable (9/6 Jacks or Better):
- Royal Flush: 800:1 (with max coins)
- Straight Flush: 50:1
- Four of a Kind: 25:1
- Full House: 9:1
- Flush: 6:1
- Straight: 4:1
- Three of a Kind: 3:1
- Two Pair: 2:1
- Jacks or Better: 1:1
RTP with Perfect Play: 99.54%
Strategy Overview: Hold all paying hands (Jacks or Better and above). Hold four-card straights and flushes. Hold high cards (Jack through Ace) over low cards. Discard low pairs in favour of four-card royal flush draws.
Deuces Wild
All four 2s are wild cards, substituting for any card to create winning hands. The paytable changes to reflect easier hand formation.
Paytable (full-pay Deuces Wild):
- Natural Royal Flush: 800:1 (with max coins)
- Four Deuces: 200:1
- Wild Royal Flush: 25:1
- Five of a Kind: 15:1
- Straight Flush: 9:1
- Four of a Kind: 5:1
- Full House: 3:1
- Flush: 2:1
- Straight: 2:1
- Three of a Kind: 1:1
RTP with Perfect Play: 100.76% (yes, positive expectation with full-pay tables)
Strategy Overview: Never discard deuces. Hold all made hands. With no deuces, hold high pairs and four-card straights/flushes. Three-card royal flushes are often correct holds.
Bonus Poker
Similar to Jacks or Better but offers enhanced payouts for specific four-of-a-kind hands.
Key Payouts:
- Four Aces: 80:1
- Four 2s, 3s, or 4s: 40:1
- Four 5s through Kings: 25:1
RTP with Perfect Play: 99.17%
Strategy Overview: Similar to Jacks or Better with slight adjustments favouring holdings that can make premium quads.
Double Bonus Poker
Offers even larger payouts for four-of-a-kind combinations than Bonus Poker, with reduced payouts on full houses and flushes to compensate.
Key Payouts:
- Four Aces: 160:1
- Four 2s, 3s, or 4s: 80:1
- Four 5s through Kings: 50:1
RTP with Perfect Play: 100.17% (with 10/7 paytable)
Strategy Overview: More volatile than Jacks or Better. Strategy emphasises holdings that can improve to premium quads.
Double Double Bonus Poker
Adds kicker requirements to some four-of-a-kind payouts for even larger potential wins.
Key Payouts:
- Four Aces with 2, 3, or 4 kicker: 400:1
- Four Aces without kicker: 160:1
- Four 2s, 3s, or 4s with A, 2, 3, or 4 kicker: 160:1
- Four 2s, 3s, or 4s without kicker: 80:1
RTP with Perfect Play: 100.07% (with 10/6 paytable)
Strategy Overview: High volatility. Significant bankroll required to weather swings. Strategy adjustments account for kicker possibilities.
Joker Poker (Joker’s Wild)
Played with a 53-card deck including one joker as a wild card. Minimum paying hand is typically Kings or Better.
RTP with Perfect Play: Approximately 100.65% (full-pay version)
Strategy Overview: Hold the joker always. With joker, evaluate best possible hands. Without joker, play similarly to Jacks or Better with adjustments for the changed paytable.
Tens or Better
Lower minimum paying hand (pair of 10s instead of Jacks), but adjusted paytable compensates.
RTP with Perfect Play: Typically 99.14%
Strategy Overview: Similar to Jacks or Better, but hold pairs of 10s or better for immediate payouts.
Video Poker Strategy Fundamentals
Always Bet Maximum Coins
The royal flush payout increases disproportionately with max coins. Betting five coins on Jacks or Better pays 4,000 coins for a royal flush, whilst betting one coin pays only 250—a massive difference in expected value.
Learn Basic Strategy
Each video poker variant has an optimal strategy. Learning these strategies reduces the house edge significantly. Strategy charts are legal to use whilst playing and are available online or in print.
Understand Expected Value (EV)
Every holding decision has an expected value—the average return over many trials. Optimal strategy chooses the hold with the highest EV, even when it feels counterintuitive.
Know Your Paytables
Paytables vary between machines. Always check the paytable before playing. A 9/6 Jacks or Better machine (full house pays 9, flush pays 6) has 99.54% RTP, whilst an 8/5 version has only 97.3%.
Key Strategy Principles for Jacks or Better
Hold All Paying Hands: Never break a paying hand unless holding gives reasonable chance at a royal or straight flush.
Four-Card Royals: Always hold four-card royal flush draws, even breaking flushes or straights.
Four-Card Straight Flushes: Hold four-card straight flush draws except when holding high pairs or better hands.
Three-Card Royals: Often correct to hold over low pairs or worse hands.
High Cards: Hold single high cards (Jack through Ace) over complete trash hands.
Never Hold Kickers: When holding pairs, discard unmatched high cards (kickers) to give yourself more draws at trips, quads, or full houses.
Common Strategy Mistakes
Breaking Low Pairs for High Card Draws: Hold low pairs over high card combinations—they have better expected value.
Holding Kickers with Pairs: Three-card draws to improve pairs are better than two-card draws keeping a kicker.
Not Drawing to Four-Card Royals: Always chase four-card royals, even breaking paying hands like flushes.
Playing Hunches Over Mathematics: Optimal strategy is mathematically proven. “Gut feelings” cost money over time.
Choosing the Best Video Poker Machines
Find Full-Pay Machines
Look for the best paytables available:
- Jacks or Better: 9/6 (99.54% RTP)
- Deuces Wild: Full-pay (100.76% RTP)
- Double Bonus Poker: 10/7 (100.17% RTP)
- Double Double Bonus Poker: 10/6 (100.07% RTP)
Check the Royal Flush Payout
Verify that betting five coins significantly increases the royal flush payout. Standard is 4,000 coins for five coins bet vs. 250 coins for one coin.
Compare Multiple Machines
Different casinos and even different areas within casinos offer varying paytables. Take time to find the best machines.
Avoid Progressive Video Poker (Usually)
Progressive video poker machines typically reduce paytables to fund the jackpot. Unless the progressive is exceptionally high, standard machines often offer better value.
Consider Volatility
Full-pay Deuces Wild and bonus variants have higher volatility than Jacks or Better. Choose games matching your bankroll and risk tolerance.
Bankroll Management for Video Poker
Determine Your Bankroll
Video poker requires adequate bankroll to withstand variance. A general guideline is 250-1,000 max bets depending on game volatility.
Jacks or Better: 250-400 max bets provides reasonable cushion
Deuces Wild and Bonus Variants: 400-1,000 max bets for high-volatility games
Bet Within Your Means
If you have £100 and want to play £1.25 per hand (five £0.25 coins), you have 80 bets—potentially insufficient for longer sessions. Consider lower denominations.
Set Session Limits
Decide on win goals and loss limits before playing. Stick to these limits regardless of emotions or streaks.
Take Advantage of Comp Points
Video poker typically earns loyalty rewards at slower rates than slots, but they accumulate over time. Use players’ club cards for cashback and benefits.
Never Chase Losses
Increasing bets to recover losses is dangerous. Stick to your planned betting level regardless of results.
Video Poker vs Slots
Why Video Poker Is Better Than Slots
Skill Matters: Correct decisions improve returns. Slots offer no strategy.
Transparent Odds: Video poker paytables and probabilities are known. Slot odds are hidden.
Better RTPs: Full-pay video poker offers 99%+ returns. Most slots are 90-96%.
Player Control: You make decisions affecting outcomes. Slots are purely passive.
Why Some Players Prefer Slots
No Strategy Needed: Slots are mindless entertainment requiring no thought.
Bonus Features: Modern slots offer elaborate bonus rounds and animations.
Lower Variance Options: Some slots have steadier, less volatile outcomes.
Bigger Jackpots: Progressive slots can reach tens of millions, though video poker progressives exist too.
Multi-Hand Video Poker
Many modern video poker machines offer multi-hand variants where you play 3, 5, 10, 50, or even 100 hands simultaneously.
How It Works: Your initial five cards apply to all hands. Your hold decisions apply to all hands, but each hand draws from a separate deck.
Advantages: More action per game, potential for multiple winning hands from one good deal.
Disadvantages: Higher cost per game, increased variance, easier to lose money quickly.
Strategy Considerations: Use the same basic strategy as single-hand versions. Bankroll requirements increase proportionally with hands played.
Common Video Poker Mistakes
Not Betting Maximum Coins
The most common and costly mistake. Always bet five coins to qualify for full royal flush payouts.
Playing Short-Pay Machines
Accepting inferior paytables drastically reduces RTP. Always seek full-pay machines.
Using Improper Strategy
Playing instinctively rather than mathematically costs money. Learn and use correct strategy.
Playing Too Fast
Mistakes increase with speed. Take time to evaluate each hand properly.
Playing Above Your Bankroll
Inadequate bankroll leads to busting before hitting royal flushes needed for long-term profitability.
Tilting After Bad Beats
Letting frustration affect decisions compounds losses. Stick to correct strategy regardless of recent results.
Not Understanding Variance
Video poker has significant variance. Short-term results often deviate dramatically from RTP. Patience is essential.
Tips for Maximising Video Poker Returns
Study Strategy Charts
Print or purchase strategy charts for your preferred games. Reference them whilst playing until you’ve memorised correct plays.
Practice Online Free
Many online casinos offer free-play video poker. Use these to practice strategy risk-free.
Use Video Poker Training Software
Software programs like Video Poker Trainer provide feedback on mistakes, accelerating your learning.
Join Players’ Clubs
Cashback and comps offset some house edge. Combined with optimal play on full-pay machines, some players achieve break-even or small profits.
Play During Promotions
Some casinos offer double or triple points days, boosting expected value through enhanced comp earnings.
Stay Disciplined
Stick to correct strategy even when it feels wrong. Mathematics works over time, not individual hands.
Track Your Results
Maintain records of play to identify patterns, calculate actual RTP, and measure improvement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is video poker better than slots? Yes, from a mathematical perspective. Full-pay video poker offers much higher RTPs (99%+) compared to slots (typically 90-96%), and your decisions matter.
Can I make money playing video poker? Certain full-pay machines (Deuces Wild, Double Bonus) offer over 100% RTP with perfect play. However, variance is high, and casino comp programmes have changed, making consistent profits difficult.
Why should I bet maximum coins? Royal flush payouts increase disproportionately with max coins. Betting less dramatically reduces overall RTP.
What’s the best video poker game? Full-pay Deuces Wild (100.76% RTP) offers the best returns, but high volatility requires large bankroll. Full-pay Jacks or Better (99.54% RTP) balances good returns with manageable variance.
How often do royal flushes hit? In Jacks or Better, royal flushes occur approximately once every 40,000 hands with optimal play. This variance requires patience and bankroll.
Can casinos change video poker results? Licensed casinos use certified random number generators that can’t be manipulated. However, casinos can and do change paytables, affecting RTP.
Should I play multi-hand video poker? Multi-hand increases action and variance. Use the same strategy as single-hand, but ensure adequate bankroll for multiple hands.
Are video poker strategy charts legal to use? Yes. Using strategy cards whilst playing is completely legal in all jurisdictions.
Conclusion
Video poker combines slot convenience with poker strategy, creating one of the most rewarding casino games when played correctly. With the right machine (full-pay paytables), maximum coin betting, and optimal strategy, video poker offers some of the highest returns to player in the entire casino—often exceeding 99% and occasionally over 100%.
The key to video poker success is education. Learn correct strategy for your chosen variant, always bet maximum coins, seek out full-pay machines, manage your bankroll prudently, and accept variance as inherent to the game. Short-term results fluctuate dramatically, but over tens of thousands of hands, optimal play yields returns close to the theoretical RTP.
Start with Jacks or Better using a strategy chart until correct decisions become automatic. As your skills improve, explore bonus variants and Deuces Wild for potentially higher returns, understanding that increased returns come with increased volatility requiring larger bankrolls.
Remember that even with optimal play on full-pay machines, most video poker variants still have a small house edge. Approach the game as entertainment that costs less per hour than most casino alternatives when played correctly, and enjoy those exciting moments when skill, strategy, and luck combine to deliver a royal flush.