Last updated: December 29, 2022
The CasinoToday video poker guide on how to win is a leading resource offering players an extensive insight into the world of playing video poker games, as well as through online casinos. This comprehensive guide to playing smarter will help you to improve your chances of winning.
There are many reasons why players make the smart choice of preferring video poker games as their go-to online casino game. One of the big benefits of playing is that it is player-friendly and transparent – the game provides all the information needed to ascertain the house edge and figure out the best possible strategy to play. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to utilize this information for a winning advantage, but with this video poker guide, you’ll have it all.
In this first chapter of our video poker player guide, we explore the basics of playing the much-loved casino game. This is where we touch on the fundamentals, but don’t think you are too experienced for chapter one. Understanding the fundamentals of playing and the general rules behind the game and how it works is crucial to increasing your winning chances.
Playing an actual round of video poker is not as daunting as it might seem. The game is not as technical or difficult to grasp as traditional poker, and this misconception is often what puts players off in the first place.
Although it will differ slightly depending on the specific variation of video poker you are playing, a typical round will play out similarly to what we have set out below:
First and foremost, if you are playing at a casino, the first step is often choosing the denomination of games you want to play. Whereas, if you’re playing at an online casino, then you typically just select the video poker variant rather than the denomination first.
Once you’ve got your game ready to go and have checked over the paytable and game information – hit the ‘play max credits’ button to get started. You can play with below the max; however, this will have a big effect on the amount of money you win and could lead to leaving big winnings on the table. If necessary, it is better to look for a lower denomination game rather than reducing your max bet.
Your hand will be dealt with, and now it is time to review and decide which cards you’d like to hold. This is done by hitting the ‘hold/cancel’ button or selecting the card itself, depending on the variant.
Don’t stress if you’ve made a mistake picking your hold cards, and you can un-select the cards by selecting them again or hitting the ‘cancel/hold’ button.
Once your hand is ready, hit the ‘deal/draw’ button to hold onto those cards and discard the others. This will also replace any discarded hands with new cards, and any winning hand is decided from here.
Worth noting, some games offer players the chance to double-up their win with a simple red or black pick. You will have this option available on any win, and you simply pick a side and cross your fingers for good luck. We recommend not gambling on your winnings and just taking what wins you do get.
This part of our guide looks at the paytable, and all the important information is kept here in broad daylight for players. This information allows you to find out a host of different games aspects, including:
The paytable will often be shown behind the information section of the game or within the settings tab. However, some variants will display a selection of the paytable on their front game screen with the remaining or more detailed information kept within the menu.
While this information’s location can vary from game to game – for the most part, all paytables will look the same.
You will find the first row of the paytable will feature the highest paying hand for the variant of video poker – which should always be the royal flush. Going down in rows will then follow with the next payouts and so on. Whereas across the columns of the paytable will feature the different denominations (i.e., one credit through to five credits), this will show you how much you could win – as well as how much you could be missing out by reducing your max bet.
These paytables will differ between game types, as certain games feature alternative pay structures for particular hands or bonuses.
Mostly, the information will remain the same, but you may come across slight differences in the payouts of particular hands from time to time. Traditionally these will be the payouts for the full house and flush. Some casinos and game developers may change the payouts of other hands too. This is where the term full-pay or 9/6 comes into play with strategies, a full pay game being one that pays 9/6 – nine credits on the full house, and six credits on the flush per credits played.
The 9/6 term is used because it is most commonly found that casinos will alter the payouts for those two hands; therefore, knowing how much the flush and the full house pays will give you a good starting point for the game in general.
All casino games have a payback or return, and a house edge is a mathematical advantage that the casino has over the player losing. Here we will look at each of these three terms and explain what they’re and how they work in the video poker context.
We’ve gone ahead and grouped these two terms as they kind of mean the same thing and are often referred to interchangeably In video poker. Firstly, the ‘payback’ is what the game pays back to you from the money you put into it. Simultaneously, the ‘return’ is what the game returns to you out of the money you put into it.
While most players just have a crack at casino games hoping to get lucky and score a big win – the payback and return will give you an understanding of what to expect when playing.
This payback or return is shown as a percentage and will vary depending on the game and paytable (full-pay or not). In the average jacks or better video poker game, you would comfortably expect the following return to player percentages:
These percentages refer to that for what you put into the game, the algorithm that is powering the game (a random number generator) will payback approximately 99.54% (if you were playing the 9/6 jacks or better game, for example).
So, if you played for three hours and bet a total of $500, you could estimate to get a return of $497.70 (or $99.54 on every $100). This can vary wildly and depend on several factors, including the bets, the game, and whether you are playing optimally.
We know that payback and return are what the player gets, so the house edge is effectively what the casino keeps. You can get a quick idea of the house edge by merely removing the return/payback from 100%; however, specific bonus video poker variants have a return over 100%.
In video poker, the house edge is simplified. In contrast, in other casino games such as roulette, craps, blackjack, or baccarat, the edge can be slightly different because of the plethora of bets and options in the game. In these games, players will face a different edge depending on the bets they play.
While some of those games may be more lucrative than video poker from a statistical standpoint, the true gameplay and ease of use are what brings players back to video poker. Play on your terms, at your speed, without the hassles.
The variance and volatility are impactful on determining whether a game is right for you. Some video poker games are highly volatile, which means that you are in for a bumpy rollercoaster ride of highs and lows. Your bankroll will rise and fall sharply, giving you the potential to score a great win but the risk of slow and painful losing periods.
These games with more volatility are often exciting for players because chasing those larger payouts will always be adrenaline fueling. Usually, you’ll find the bonus poker games have this higher volatility.
Players commonly use the term variance and volatility interchangeably – but they aren’t the same. We’ve explained that volatility is the ‘bumps’ in the road, but it is a generic term and has no mathematical definition to its use.
Variance is precisely the opposite – it is the mathematical number that can differentiate the extent of volatility between casino games. Now, in video poker variants, the variance is often at a low point somewhere between 12 to 15, whereas the high point is from 50 onwards, and can be much higher at closer to 200.
Yes, this is a significant range, but understanding it isn’t too much trouble.
What you want to ask yourself is whether you are looking to win real money or ensure that you have the best possible chance to play for your entire allocated time. Games with higher volatility and variance will be tougher on your bankroll with less frequent wins, meaning you have more chance of going bust.
The variance figures itself are long mathematical equations calculated using the total number of potential outcomes for each payout. So, it is easier to refer to one of the many variance tables online.
We’ve helped you out here by including a table of the variance amounts for the most common video poker variants:
| Video Poker Game | Variance |
| 9/6 Jacks or Better | 19.51 |
| 8/5 Bonus Poker | 20.90 |
| 8/5 Aces and Faces | 20.95 |
| 16/10 NSU Deuces Wild | 25.78 |
| 10/7 Double Bonus | 28.26 |
| 8/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe | 31.96 |
| 18/7/5 Joker Wild Kings or Better | 33.09 |
| 8/5 Super Double Bonus | 38.64 |
| 15/10 Loose Deuces Wild | 70.31 |
| 10/6 Double Double Bonus | 42.18 |
| 9/6 Triple Double Bonus Poker | 100.11 |
| 8/5 Super Aces Bonus | 63.36 |
| 16/8/5 Joker Poker 5-of-a-Kind | 70.41 |
| 15/10 Double Deuces Wild | 50.93 |
Our final section in the introductory chapter of this player guide is short and sweet – focusing on the benefits of using online casino video poker bonuses. These are bonus codes that players can use to extend their playtime by scoring bonus money on top of their next deposit.
Not all of the video poker bonuses offer the same value, though, so it is vital to shop around and read the terms and conditions. We also feature a selection of the best online casino bonuses from reputable sites here.
Cashing in on a promotion like this will often give players a quick and easy way to double down on their bankroll, but sometimes the offers are higher than that with 200-300% deposit bonuses standard.
If you are playing at an online casino, then we recommend taking advantage of this free bankroll.
Quickly see which casino offer the best game, most bonus value sweetest perks.
Not all winning strategies are focused on your gameplay choices. It is possible to improve your chances of winning at video poker by making smarter choices when it comes to the management of your bankroll.
This is often one of the most common hurdles that players fail to make it over, which is unfortunate because they are entirely on the player.
In this chapter, we explore the actionable steps that video poker players should be taking to improve how they manage their bankroll and how it is possible to improve your chances of coming out ahead by first planning forward.
Everything in life should be taken in moderation, whether it is spending your salary, enjoying time off, or taking work home. This is especially true with maintaining responsible gambling practices and going hand-in-hand with setting yourself up with a flexible bankroll to enjoy.
Now, we know what you are thinking – what does moderation have to do with bankroll and limits.
Well, the best form of moderation is giving yourself manageable limits. You must take these limits seriously, though, so you must be setting reasonable limits – otherwise, you simply set yourself up to fail.
Limits that we recommend you consider placing (and sticking to) for your video poker gambling include:
Setting yourself limits is more challenging than it appears, which is why you need to set aside time to think correctly and set realistically achievable targets. We recommend basing these on your prior habits and expectations.
You will only do yourself harm by setting poorly planned limits or goals, as this will increase the risk from the temptation of breaking your limit.
Part of managing your bankroll is ensuring that you can see the big picture. Don’t look at your bankroll as a wad of cash that you can burn through. Instead, break it down into smaller parts to give yourself an idea of how much to use and how to play to ensure that you are capable of meeting your limits and goals.
As you would agree, sometimes, you may not have the same level of bank to play with that you typically do. Things happen from time to time; it’s relatable. However, if you don’t respect the bankroll difference, you can run into some unfortunate situations.
Say you usually have $500 to play with each week, and it typically allows you to play for a few hours and really enjoy yourself. Next week though, money is tight, and you only have $200 to play with.
It might not look like such a big problem, but if you continue treating your gambling as you usually would by playing the same video poker games and making the same level of bets, then you will get stuck.
Usually, that $500 bankroll will allow you to play one hundred hands at $5 each. Given each game takes you about 2 minutes to play, this would keep you comfortable for about three hours and 20 minutes.
If you continue playing $5 hands with your much smaller bankroll, this will only allow you to play 40 hands – which is about one hour and 20 minutes of gameplay. This is significantly shorter and not what you are used to.
So, you go and look for money that you already don’t have (hence you have less, to begin with) and get yourself caught in a terrible situation financially.
This is why it is crucial to think big picture of your bankroll:
At the end of the day, always remember to play with money that you are entirely comfortable with losing. If you can’t afford to lose it, then you shouldn’t be gambling with it.
As you’ve been reading your way through this chapter, you would likely have realized that the costs of gambling can spiral out of control quickly. This is especially true when you are playing with smaller bankrolls too.
While many players want to win big, it’s smarter to keep yourself in the game and have more chances at winning big, rather than trying to get lucky with bigger denominations and bets on hands.
As they say, smaller bets lead to bigger bankrolls.
If it isn’t already – the above passage should be your gambling motto. One of the best video poker strategies for playing with a smaller bankroll is to focus on smaller bets. The royal flush doesn’t come around often, so rather than risk bigger bets – consolidate down and focus on getting more hands in with the long game.
Other beneficial tips and strategies to focus on to improve your smaller bank sessions include:
Finally, if you manage to come out ahead, consider adding your extra cash to your next bankroll or saving it for a later date.
The third chapter in our guide focuses on helping you understand how to play with video poker strategies. This chapter’s information will give you just what you need to jump straight into games without too much of a hassle.
As you progress through this chapter, you’ll find that although some of the games may appear similar – even precisely the same with alternate paytables – the playing strategies can differ. Therefore you must review the strategy and practice them.
The particular video poker games that we look at here include three of the most commonly played variations:
Video poker games are popular among casino gamblers for much the same reason that the slots are popular – they’re both easy to play and don’t require significant skill to come out ahead. While relying on the luck of the draw isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, the beauty of video poker games is that they also offer flexibility with the control.
This is where the game stands apart from the similar slot machines. Players have control over the first hand. Deciding what to do with each of those five cards is a critical part of scoring a winning hand.
Luck is not so much the determining factor in a win or loss now because of the option for control. This factor is entirely why you should always use a strategy when playing video poker, instead of merely going with the flow and discarding whichever random cards. If you play smartly and follow a set order of operations, you can easily set the field for some great winning opportunities.
Video Poker: Easy to Play, Easy to Make Mistakes
There are quite a few winning combinations in video poker games, as you would see from the paytables. Some are much more common than others, and some of those might be a little harder to understand as a beginner i.e., a pair is obvious, but what is a flush or straight?
We are trying to relay that while the game is easy to play, it is also easy to make mistakes. Typically, these mistakes are always the simplest too.
Inexperienced video poker players often have a habit of focusing on the larger paydays, showing in common mistakes. These are the easy mistakes where players throw away a steady win to pick up a royal flush or similar higher payday.
A great example of this would be a player drawing a hand which features four sixes and an ace. Instead of holding the four sixes and picking up the win from a four of a kind, players will not realize and throw these four away and keep the ace – hoping for a royal flush or similar with the ace.
Unfortunately, the chances of that coming good are slim pickings. As most strategies say, you should focus on getting whatever winnings with your initial hand. After all, in video poker, a winning hand is the aim so that you have another shot at playing a hand for a lucky royal flush.
Strategy charts are a great tool that players can use to study the optimal strategy for different video poker games. In its simplest form, a strategy chart will list hands or incomplete hands that might be initially dealt to a player – or the preferred outcome from an incomplete winning hand.
These charts are a cinch to use as they typically will work in order of most favorable outcomes at the top of the chart to the least favorable outcomes towards the bottom.
What determines the ranking of these outcomes is primarily the amount of return.
Using your strategy chart is straightforward:
The process for playing with one of these charts is simple, but don’t underestimate how easy it can also be to miss something like a three-card straight with an ace or a pair. Take your time when starting and get into the habit of knowing what and where to look.
Jacks or better, is one of the most popular video poker variations that is played at traditional casinos and the best online casinos. The game features some of the most attractive returns, offers low variance, and playing with the optimal strategy is straightforward.
All up, there are nine winning hands, which means strategy charts will only have nine lines to work through.
Not all jacks or better versions of the game are the same, though, even if they appear to be. As you will recall – the paytables can differentiate, which is where the full pay and short pay descriptors come into play.
We recommend focusing on playing full-pay 9/6 jacks or better games. We covered how to determine whether a game is a full or short pay in earlier sections of this guide.
The hierarchy of hands (aka the strategy chart) for this variant of video poker results in a return of about 99.46%, which is a simplified version of the truly optimal strategy. This simplified method is only 0.08% worse off, which otherwise equates to losing one bet in every 1,178 hands that you play.
Use this strategy, starting with the first and working your way down when comparing and considering your hand:
Bonus poker is different from jacks or better as it offers bonus payouts for certain four of a kind hands. The fives through to kings in a four of a kind are paid 25:1 just like jacks or better; however, other combinations include:
These bonuses are lucrative and aim to satisfy players’ thirst for big jackpots. On a 25c video poker machine, a four of a kind with aces will equate to $100. It may not seem like a lot, but it does fill the pockets, and although a royal flush statistically happens once every 40,000 hands – the four aces happen approximately eight times more often at once every 5,100 hands.
When it comes to bonus poker games, you won’t have too much difficulty finding a game offering true odds of 8/5 at casinos.
The strategy is similar to the jacks or better strategy; follow the following strategy chart for bonus poker games:
Double jackpot poker (aka double aces and faces) features an extra bonus if you manage to strike your luck with some added kickers in the paytable to go with its return of 99.63% and variance of 22.4. The extra bonuses in this game include:
While it adds another layer of complexity to the game, the double jackpot poker strategy is relatively simple. Just make sure that you are playing on an 8/5 game when using the below hierarchy of winning hands as your focus:
In this chapter, we explore some of the video poker variations and give you an understanding of what to expect from the game types. After reading through the below sections, you will be able to think about how you prefer to play and choose the best game for you.
There are hundreds of variations to choose from, so it is understandable when players are unsure of what game to play. The first thing you need to do is think about how you want to play. Are you looking to play for longer or play for a shorter period?
If you want to play for longer, you will likely need a larger bankroll and/or to play at a lower denomination than you were expecting.
As we mentioned earlier, if you have a lower bankroll, then it would be smarter to opt for a low variance and lower volatility video poker game to ensure that you get the most entertainment out of your shorter playtime.
So, which video poker games are classified as low variance or high variance titles?
| Game | Variance |
| Jacks or Better | 20 |
| Bonus Poker | 21 |
| Double Bonus Poker | 28 |
| Double Jackpot Poker | 22 |
| Deuces Wild | 26 |
| Deuces Deluxe | 26 |
| Joker Wild Kings or Better | 26 |
| Pick’em Poker | 15 |
| USA Poker | 26 |
| Aces & Eights | 22 |
| All American | 27 |
| Aces & Faces | 21 |
| Double Aces & Faces | 29 |
| Game | Variance |
| Bonus Poker Deluxe | 32 |
| Double Double Bonus Poker | 42 |
| Double Double Jackpot Poker | 38 |
| Bonus Deuces Wild | 33 |
| Deuces Wild Double Bonus | 40 |
| Deuces & Joker Wild | 46 |
| Joker Wild 2 Pair or Better | 31 |
| Super Double Bonus Poker | 38 |
| Triple Bonus Poker | 45 |
| Triple Bonus Plus Poker | 44 |
| White Hot Aces | 44 |
| Double Double Aces & Faces | 42 |
| Super Bonus Deuces Wild | 37 |
| Game | Variance |
| Super Double Double Bonus | 51 |
| Loose Deuces Poker | 70 |
| Triple Double Bonus Poker | 98 |
| Triple Deuces Poker | 97 |
| Royal Aces Bonus Poker | 184 |
Jacks or better is a low volatility game with straightforward gameplay. It’s easy to learn, and a winning hand can be scored by getting at least a pair of jacks or higher. Because of the low volatility, it is possible to play this game with a smaller bankroll while still enjoying your time.
If you are starting out with video poker, we recommend starting with jacks or better for a simple introduction.
Pick a pair video poker games are very different from the standard variations. In pick a pair (also known as pick’em poker), players must select one card from two pairs on the left and right.
What is attractive to players with this variant is that some players are not comfortable with having to work through five decisions on whether to hold or discard a card. In pick a pair, players just have the one decision to make and is, therefore, a little less stressful to them.
If you struggle with overwhelming anxiety from having to keep track of five cards, then pick a pair would be an excellent game to play.
Bonus poker variants attempt to spruce up the game by adding big-time paydays on particular four of a kind hands. The game’s barebones follow the jacks or better style of play, with the added benefit of big-win potential. Typically these bonus poker variants are a little smoother in the volatility department than many of the other games that feature bonuses.
Wild card video poker games often have more complex strategies than standard and bonus variants of video poker. This is because they involve many more potential situations to cover and strategy that revolves around the number of wild cards in your hand.
If you can manage to get the game under control, you’ll relish the rewards of having a potential return up to 100.76% with the optimal strategy. Especially popular among players who want to challenge themselves.
In the fifth chapter of this guide, we look at why players should be practicing their gameplay with video poker games. Here you’ll discover why and how you should go about testing your skills at home.
Playing and learning how to win at video poker games is straightforward – especially with how great strategy charts are to use, but we have an even more concise way of improving your skills while avoiding the risk and playing free games.
But, how do you play free games – is that even possible at casinos?
The answer is no, but there is a workaround playing at the best online casinos (which we feature here). These internet video poker sites allow you to play free games or real money poker games, with the former being a risk-free way to learn.
While it is perfectly okay for players to use a strategy chart in person or with online gambling, given it’s a one-player game, you can take as long or short as you like to consult your new best friend (the chart).
Using a strategy chart isn’t a complicated process, and neither is learning how to use it properly. It comes down to repetition and familiarity – the best way to develop these two skills is to practice, practice, and practice!
You can practice using a simple deck of cards and drawing to yourself; however, we recommend getting familiar with the online casino video poker games.
This concludes our player guide on how to win at video poker games. We hope that you’ve enjoyed reading through this guide and are confident that you will have picked up some new concepts or understandings along the way.
In this guide, we’ve covered a range of topics on winning at video poker, without losing track of the important aspects of playing gambling games – enjoying yourself and gambling responsibly! While the game itself is simple, our experts have taken the necessary steps to ensure that you have all the worthwhile knowledge to set you up for success.
Not all aspects of this guide were technical in nature. Some sections were basic and covered more straightforward concepts like managing your bankroll and practicing your skills. This was no oversight, though, as the basics of playing video poker are a critical component of improving your chances of winning.
We explored the intricacies of various video poker strategies. We looked at breaking down the different types of games and those better suited to specific players.
Whether you have deep pockets or are running off empty, your bankroll doesn’t have to be the deciding factor in whether you get to enjoy playing. Now that you’ve made it through this resource – you’ll know what to do to improve your chances of winning with video poker, regardless of whether you have a large or small bankroll.
If you need a refresher on learning how to play video poker, we suggest going back over and checking the how to play video poker guide. Alternatively, you will find avariety of casino games guides on our site if you would like to take things to the next level. Plus, we feature the best online casinos and bonus codes that’ll give you the best start.
Marilyn Chavez is an associate researcher at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, where she studied the mathematical probabilities and aspects of casino games like slot machines. She’s written several case studies which have been published by multiple problem-gaming institutions to help spread awareness about the dangers of online gambling and gambling addiction. She also presented a 2019 Ted talk on the topic of gambling among minors.
