Video poker is a casino card game based on five-card draw poker, played on a screen against a computer. Players receive five cards, choose which to hold, then draw replacements. Winning hands are paid according to a fixed pay table. Jacks or Better, the most common variant, achieves a 99.54% RTP with optimal strategy — the highest return of any casino slot-style game.
How to Play Video Poker
Video poker gameplay is the same across all variants: you receive five cards, decide which to hold, then draw replacements. Your final five-card hand is evaluated against the pay table and you're paid accordingly.
- Select your coin denomination and number of coins per hand
- Always bet maximum coins (5) — the royal flush pays 800:1 for 5 coins versus 250:1 for fewer
- Click Deal to receive five cards
- Click to hold the cards you want to keep
- Click Draw — unselected cards are replaced
- Your final hand is compared to the pay table and wins are credited
The maximum-coins requirement is critical. The royal flush pays 250:1 for 1–4 coins but 800:1 for 5 coins. Missing the max-coin bonus on a royal flush significantly reduces the overall game RTP. Always bet 5 coins — if the denomination is too high, switch to a lower denomination rather than reducing coins per hand.
Video Poker Hands and Payouts
The standard Jacks or Better pay table below is the "9/6 full-pay" version — Full House pays 9 coins, Flush pays 6 coins (per coin bet). This table achieves 99.54% RTP with optimal strategy.
| Hand | Pays (1 coin) | Pays (5 coins max) |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 250 | 4,000 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 250 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 125 |
| Full House | 9 | 45 |
| Flush | 6 | 30 |
| Straight | 4 | 20 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 15 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 10 |
| Jacks or Better (pair) | 1 | 5 |
| All other hands | 0 | 0 |
Full-Pay vs Short-Pay Tables
The Full House and Flush payouts are the two numbers that determine a video poker table's RTP. The standard description is "X/Y" — Full House payout / Flush payout.
| Pay Table | Full House | Flush | RTP (Optimal Play) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/6 (Full Pay) | 9 | 6 | 99.54% |
| 8/6 | 8 | 6 | 98.39% |
| 8/5 | 8 | 5 | 97.30% |
| 7/5 | 7 | 5 | 96.15% |
| 6/5 | 6 | 5 | 95.00% |
Always check the Full House and Flush payouts before playing. Many online casinos use 8/5 or 7/5 tables — these have RTP 1–2% lower than the 9/6 full-pay version. The pay table is visible in the game's help section before any real-money play.
Video Poker Strategy: Jacks or Better
Video poker strategy is more complex than most casino games — the correct hold decision depends on your exact five-card hand. The priority list below covers Jacks or Better on a 9/6 table. Apply from the top: hold the highest-ranking combination your hand allows.
Hold Priority Order
- Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House: Hold all 5
- Flush or Straight: Hold all 5
- Three of a Kind: Hold 3, draw 2
- Two Pair: Hold 4, draw 1
- High Pair (Jacks, Queens, Kings, Aces): Hold 2, draw 3
- 4-card Royal Flush draw: Hold 4, break everything below straight flush
- 4-card Straight Flush draw: Hold 4, draw 1
- Low Pair (2s through 10s): Hold 2, draw 3
- 4-card Flush draw: Hold 4, draw 1
- 3-card Royal Flush draw: Hold 3, draw 2
- 4-card open-ended Straight draw: Hold 4, draw 1
- High cards only (J, Q, K, A): Hold 1–2 highest cards, draw rest
- No useful cards: Draw 5 new cards
Key Strategy Rules
- Always break a low pair for a 4-card Royal Flush draw — the Royal's 800:1 payout justifies it
- Keep a made low pair over any 4-card Flush draw (unless it's a 4-card Royal)
- Keep a made pair over any 4-card Straight draw
- With no pairs and no draws: hold only Jack, Queen, King, or Ace (one or two highest)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not betting max coins — costs you the 800:1 royal flush bonus
- Playing 8/5 or worse pay tables thinking they're 9/6
- Breaking a made pair to chase a 4-card Flush (not worth it outside Royal Flush situations)
- Holding 3 cards to a Straight over a made low pair
Popular Video Poker Variants
Jacks or Better
The base video poker game. Minimum paying hand is a pair of Jacks or higher. 9/6 full-pay table achieves 99.54% RTP with optimal strategy. The best starting point for new players — the strategy is well-documented and the game mechanics are the foundation of all other variants.
Deuces Wild
All four 2s (deuces) are wild and can substitute for any other card. Because wilds make strong hands easier to achieve, the pay table is adjusted — the minimum paying hand is Three of a Kind (not a pair). With full-pay Deuces Wild and optimal strategy, the RTP reaches 100.76% — technically player-positive. However, full-pay Deuces Wild tables are rare at online casinos. Most use short-pay tables with RTP around 98–99%.
Double Double Bonus Poker
A Jacks or Better variant offering enhanced payouts for specific Four of a Kind combinations: Aces (with specific kicker cards) pay 400:1, base Aces pay 160:1. Full-pay RTP is approximately 98.98%. Higher variance than standard Jacks or Better — sessions are more volatile due to the bonus payout structure.
Multi-Hand Video Poker
Play 3, 5, 10, 25, or 100 hands simultaneously. You make one hold decision that applies to all hands, but each hand then draws independently from a separate deck. Multi-hand video poker dramatically increases variance — with 100 hands at $0.25 each, you're betting $25 per decision. RTP is identical to the single-hand version of the same game.
Video Poker RTP vs Other Casino Games
| Game | Best RTP | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Video Poker (Deuces Wild, full-pay) | 100.76% | Rare tables, optimal play |
| Video Poker (JoB 9/6) | 99.54% | Full-pay table, optimal play |
| Blackjack | 99.50% | Basic strategy, 4-deck S17 |
| Baccarat (Banker) | 98.94% | Banker bet only |
| Craps (Pass + Odds) | ~99.63% | Pass Line + 3–4–5× Odds |
| Slots (average) | 94–96% | No strategy impact |
FAQ
- What is the best video poker variant?
- Jacks or Better on a 9/6 full-pay table offers 99.54% RTP with optimal strategy — the best available at most online casinos. Full-pay Deuces Wild exceeds 100% RTP but these tables are rarely offered online.
- What is the difference between video poker and slot machines?
- Slots use a random number generator with no player decision-making — you spin and receive a fixed result. Video poker requires hold decisions that directly affect your RTP. A skilled video poker player achieves ~99.5%; an unskilled player may achieve 97% or less on the same machine.
- Do I need to know poker to play video poker?
- You need to understand hand rankings: pair, two pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush, royal flush. Full poker strategy knowledge is not required — video poker uses its own specific hold strategy rather than Texas Hold'em or Omaha concepts.
- What is the house edge in video poker?
- On a full-pay 9/6 Jacks or Better table with optimal strategy: 0.46% house edge. This is lower than blackjack with basic strategy (0.5%) and dramatically lower than any slot machine (typically 4–10% house edge). The house edge rises quickly on short-pay tables — check before playing.
- Can I play video poker for free?
- Yes — most online casinos offer demo mode video poker with no signup required. Free play uses the same RNG as real money, making it an ideal way to practice strategy and verify the pay table before committing funds.