Last updated: December 29, 2022
Welcome to the CasinoToday player guide on the best video poker odds; our team of experts created this guide after compiling a wealth of knowledge and experience with statistical analysis from video poker simulations. We hope to achieve throughout this player guide to give players new and old, an understanding of the best odds in video poker.
Working through this resource will help you to improve your winning chances while cementing the what, how, and why of the game into your brain. Video poker has been a popular game of choice amongst casino goers for decades, primarily due to the fact that players set the pace, and the rewards can be rather lucrative if the right games are played the right way.
Unfortunately, there are many slight differences and subtle intricacies throughout the many hundreds of video poker variants. However, after working your way through this guide, we are confident that you’ll know what to look for and what to do once you get there!
1Welcome again to our player guide on the best video poker odds! In this first chapter, we are diving into the video poker paytables. Below you will find examples for the popular jacks or better, deuces wild, and bonus poker games, and a take on what are full and short-pay games.
In short, video poker paytables are the information that sets out how much players can win. These are different depending on the game, but each payout is based on the winning hand rankings of traditional poker games.
These tables will mostly look alike, but don’t make the mistake of thinking paytables are the same amongst specific games because they might not be. The differences are very slight, with the full house and flush being the main culprits that are changed.
This difference is actually what determines one of the names that players give games – full-pay and short-pay, and we will explain these later in this guide.
Earlier in this chapter, we mentioned the slight differences between what is seemingly the same game. This is because of the paytable, with one offering lower payouts than the other for the full house and flush. This is important to understand because it can significantly affect the odds of winning and the returns you’ll experience.
A full-pay game is a video poker variation where the full paying paytable is used – in jacks, or better, this is what’s known as a 9/6 game.
For short-pay games, the paytable offers payouts that are lower than the ‘normal’. As we said, this is most commonly on the full house and flush. The most common reference to short-pay games is 9/5 and 8/5.
Below is the paytable for traditional full-pay jacks or better variant of video poker:
Coins | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Royal flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1000 | 4000 |
Straight flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
Four of a kind | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 |
Full house | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
Flush | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 |
Straight | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
Three of a kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
Two pairs | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
Pair of Jacks (or better) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Below is a paytable for the full-pay deuces wild video poker game:
Coins | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Royal flush (natural) | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1000 | 4000 |
Four deuces | 200 | 400 | 600 | 800 | 1000 |
Royal flush (wild) | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 |
Five of a kind | 15 | 30 | 45 | 60 | 75 |
Straight flush | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
Four of a kind | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
Full house | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
Flush | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
Straight | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
Three of a kind | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Below is a paytable for the full-pay double bonus poker game:
Coins | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Royal flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1000 | 4000 |
Straight flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
Four of a kind (aces) | 160 | 320 | 480 | 640 | 800 |
Four of a kind (2, 3, 4) | 80 | 160 | 240 | 320 | 400 |
Four of a kind (5 through kings) | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
Full house | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
Flush | 7 | 14 | 21 | 28 | 35 |
Straight | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
Three of a kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
Two pair | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Jacks or better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
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In this chapter, we investigate the odds included in video poker and share the return to player percentage for some of the most popular variants. We share some interesting statistics on the chance of drawing a big win on your initial hand and setting out the odds players have of improving their initial hand into a winning combination.
The return to player percentage is best considered the amount that players could expect to receive back from their gambling during a lengthy period. It is a crucial aspect of letting players know up-front what to expect from a video poker game; however, it is often overlooked or misunderstood.
This return is typically provided on each game’s information and paytable and is worked out by comparing the house edge with the game odds. While many players look at the figure and think nothing of it, it is worth paying attention to.
What’s great about video poker is that some variations feature a return to player percentage that is over 100%.
When trying to understand the monetary value of the return – look at it this way:
If you were comparing two different games, one of which had an estimated return of 87.54% ($875.40), then you would realize that you stand to theoretically lose approximately $120 more between that game – compared to the jacks or better variant.
The odds are different between video poker games primarily because of the paytable structure and whether there are any specific differences in the number of cards used in the deck/shoe.
With certain games featuring higher payouts for particular hands than others – then it is evident that one game would be more lucrative than the other.
The same can be said about the difficulty in obtaining certain winning hands. Bonus poker variants centered around four of a kind with a face card will feature a higher payout, but getting this combination is much more challenging.
Below you will find the average odds of pulling off a miraculous outcome by scoring one of the big jackpot wins or any winning combination. In a typical video poker game, the odds of these combinations are:
Winning Combination | Odds |
Royal flush deal initially | 1/650,000 |
Royal flush in final hand | 1/40,000 |
Four of a kind | 1/423 |
Four aces | 1/5,761 |
Four aces with a kicker | 1/1,6236 |
Four deuces | 1/4,909 |
Twos, threes, or fours | 1/2,601 |
Twos, threes, or fours with a kicker | 1/6,984 |
Full house | 1/90 |
Flush | 1/85 |
Straight | 1/80 |
Straight flush | 1/9,150 |
Below you will find a table that sets out the odds that players have of improving or completing their initially dealt hand into one of the set winning combinations. These include:
Improving pairs | Odds |
Turning one pair into two pairs | 1/6 |
Turning one pair into three of a kind | 1/9 |
Turning two pair into a full house | 1/12 |
Turning one pair into a quad | 1/360 |
Improving three of a kinds | |
Turning three of a kind into a full house | 1/16 |
Turning three of a kind into a quad | 1/24 |
Completing a flush | |
Drawing one card to make a flush | 1/5 |
Drawing two cards to make a flush | 1/24 |
Completing straights | |
Drawing one card into an open ended straight | 1/6 |
Drawing two cards into an open ended straight | 1/23 |
Drawing a single card to make an inside straight | 1/12 |
Completing a straight flush | |
Drawing one card to an open ended straight flush | 1/24 |
Drawing one card to a royal flush | 1/47 |
As you can see above, even the odds of finalizing a winning hand can be difficult for the more lucrative winning hands.
In this third chapter, we focus on the bankroll and how size matters when it comes to maximizing your potential for enjoyment and winnings. We take it further by exploring the risk of ruin too; you’ll find some interesting data about the odds of getting the big wins and how much it’ll cost you.
Contrary to popular belief, bankroll does matter. While many sites and casinos will often look to convince players that you can hit it big with a small minimum bet. This is possible, but it’s far more unlikely to happen.
As you’ll come to realize throughout this guide, the odds of hitting the big jackpots are not the best. Which means you’ll need to play quite a few hands to get there.
Later in this chapter, we show you a little more about how your bankroll will differ with playing video poker games and going bust, but this section, we are focusing more on the money aspect.
Players that play frequently make it easy to get caught in using the same methods and bets. This is fine, if certain factors like your bankroll don’t change.
For example, if you often play for three hours on a Friday night using a bankroll of $500 and place $5 bets, this will allow you to play 100 hands before going bust – provided you don’t win at all.
Now, think of this scenario, if your bankroll was only $300 and you continued to play at your usual pace, then you will quickly find out that your bankroll won’t work as well as it usually does. Continuing with your $5 bets will only allow you to play 60 bets instead, which is 40% less than usual.
So, as you can see – bankroll size does matter. This won’t just affect your cash because as you get low in funds, you will go through a worrying mental state that you need to do something to catch your losses. This is where irresponsible gambling comes into play.
We all have varying degrees of money available to enjoy our gambling games. However, we suggest that you think big picture with your bankroll. Don’t just see it as a wad of money. Instead, think about how many hands you can play with your bankroll and consider whether it meets the smart goals and limits you’ll set for your session.
Aim always to ensure that your bankroll can support at least 50 games/hands. You may need to reduce your total bet per hand amount to ensure that your bankroll gets you over the line.
The risk of ruin is a concept that offers insight into the probability that players will go bust and lose their bankroll. This risk of ruin concept is detailed further in the remainder of this chapter. In particular, we have included examples of the bankroll requirements for three of the popular variants.
These bankroll requirement tables outline the number of bets required according to a range of components, including the game, the inclusion of cashback, and a specified percentage for the risk of ruin.
When you read the tables, the first column outlines the target risk of ruin percentage. Each of the five preceding columns will feature the cashback percentage on each play. The figures within the table’s body are how many hands that players can play for the necessary risk of ruin – at which point there is a probability of going bust entirely.
What is important to note is that these tables are calculated over an infinite number of plays – so, no unexpected terminating event that some other sites include in their risk of ruin analysis.
If you are still struggling to understand the tables and why knowing the risk of ruin is critical, remember this – these tables are used as a tool to consider when setting yourself with a bankroll for ‘seemingly endless’ gameplay.
Below you will find our risk of ruin bankroll requirements table for full-pay variants of the jacks or better video poker game. This game has an approximate return of 99.54%, with a standard deviation of 4.42.
Risk of Ruin | 0.5% CB | 0.75% CB | 1% CB | 1.25% CB | 1.5% CB |
50% | 15254 | 2150 | 1092 | 700 | 496 |
40% | 20165 | 2843 | 1444 | 926 | 656 |
30% | 26496 | 3735 | 1897 | 1216 | 862 |
20% | 35419 | 4993 | 2536 | 1626 | 1152 |
10% | 50674 | 7143 | 3628 | 2326 | 1648 |
7.5% | 57005 | 8036 | 4081 | 2616 | 1854 |
5% | 65928 | 9293 | 4720 | 3026 | 2144 |
2.5% | 81182 | 11444 | 5812 | 3726 | 2640 |
1% | 101347 | 14286 | 7256 | 4652 | 3296 |
0.5% | 116602 | 16436 | 8348 | 5352 | 3792 |
0.25% | 131856 | 18587 | 9440 | 6052 | 4288 |
0.1% | 152021 | 21429 | 10883 | 6978 | 4944 |
0.05% | 167275 | 23580 | 11975 | 7678 | 5440 |
0.025% | 182529 | 25730 | 13067 | 8378 | 5936 |
0.01% | 202694 | 28572 | 14511 | 9304 | 6591 |
This table is applicable to the 10/7 paytable games of double bonus poker. These games pay ten for a full house and seven for a flush. The return on this game is 100.17%, with a standard deviation of 5.32.
Risk of Ruin | 0.0% CB | 0.25% CB | 0.50% CB | 0.75% CB | 1.0% CB |
50% | 5579 | 2222 | 1361 | 967 | 742 |
40% | 7376 | 2937 | 1799 | 1279 | 981 |
30% | 9691 | 3859 | 2364 | 1680 | 1289 |
20% | 12955 | 5159 | 3160 | 2246 | 1723 |
10% | 18534 | 7380 | 4521 | 3213 | 2464 |
7.5% | 20850 | 8303 | 5086 | 3615 | 2772 |
5% | 24114 | 9602 | 5882 | 4181 | 3206 |
2.5% | 29693 | 11824 | 7243 | 5148 | 3948 |
1% | 37069 | 14761 | 9042 | 6426 | 4929 |
0.5% | 42648 | 16983 | 10403 | 7394 | 5671 |
0.25% | 48228 | 19204 | 11764 | 8361 | 6413 |
0.1% | 55603 | 22141 | 13563 | 9640 | 7393 |
0.05% | 61183 | 24363 | 14924 | 10607 | 8135 |
0.025% | 66762 | 26585 | 16285 | 11574 | 8877 |
0.01% | 74138 | 29522 | 18085 | 12853 | 9858 |
This table outlines the bankroll requirements for the number of hands to avoid the probability of going bust when playing full-pay variants of deuces wild video poker. This game features an estimated return to player of 100.76% when appropriately played, including a standard deviation of 5.08.
Risk of Ruin | 0.0% CB | 0.25% CB | 0.50% CB | 0.75% CB | 1.0% CB |
50% | 1061 | 2222 | 1361 | 480 | 397 |
40% | 1402 | 2937 | 1799 | 634 | 524 |
30% | 1843 | 3859 | 2364 | 834 | 689 |
20% | 2463 | 5159 | 3160 | 1114 | 921 |
10% | 3524 | 7380 | 4521 | 1594 | 1318 |
7.5% | 3964 | 8303 | 5086 | 1793 | 1482 |
5% | 4585 | 9602 | 5882 | 2074 | 1714 |
2.5% | 5646 | 11824 | 7243 | 2554 | 2111 |
1% | 7048 | 14761 | 9042 | 3188 | 2635 |
0.5% | 8109 | 16983 | 10403 | 3668 | 3032 |
0.25% | 9170 | 19204 | 11764 | 4148 | 3429 |
0.1% | 10572 | 22141 | 13563 | 4782 | 3953 |
0.05% | 11633 | 24363 | 14924 | 5262 | 4350 |
0.025% | 12694 | 26585 | 16285 | 5742 | 4746 |
0.01% | 14096 | 10246 | 7926 | 6376 | 5271 |
In the fourth chapter of this video poker odds guide, we are exploring strategy and specifically looking at the differences in expected odds between playing with optimal strategy instead of using basic methods.
You might be surprised at the overall result, but it is crucial to consider the differences. As is often the case with video poker games – success comes in the smaller details.
Follow through with the strategies and discussions we share in this chapter, as they will compliment your overall gaming experience.
There are many ways that video poker strategies are developed. These will depend mainly on the specific outcome that the player wants, however, the best part about video poker strategy is that the games give players all the information.
Everything a player needs to know is displayed within the paytable for each game. So, as you’ve learned so far in our first two chapters – the paytable is the key to having success when playing video poker.
Typically a strategy will involve linking a hierarchy of preferred video poker hands with a strategy chart to implement a particular way of playing. Some strategies are developed to win higher value hands, whereas others are focused on grinding out wins wherever possible to play more hands.
A strategy chart is likened to a cheat sheet for video poker players. These charts can feature many different layouts and designs but will always follow the same premise – most rewarding payout or focused hand at the top of the chart, with the hierarchy of hands to follow in succession below.
Strategy charts are simple to use, which is primarily why video poker has become as popular as it is today. New players can effectively play with the same ability as experienced players – when using a strategy chart.
As we mentioned, although they may look different, most strategy charts are somewhat similar:
These charts will depend on the game and paytable (full or short-pay, etc.), but that is pretty much everything you need to know.
When using a strategy chart, you’ll follow a similar process to this once your hand is drawn:
In video poker, it is important to play with the optimal strategy in mind if you hope to maximize your potential for picking up winnings along the way. However, it is not a guaranteed requirement of playing.
It might come as a surprise, but in most video poker games, there is not a lot of breathing room between the expected returns when playing with an optimal strategy instead of a basic strategy.
Our next section will give you a bare-bones video poker strategy that you can use in your gameplay immediately. However, here we wanted to show you just how close things can be with our analysis of the expected returns for the following video poker variants:
Playing with an optimal strategy is considered a strategy targeted for a specific variant of video poker. Whereas using basic strategy is using whichever strategy you know or are comfortable with – regardless of the game you are playing.
An example of this would be using 9/6 jacks or better strategy that you have down pat and implementing it while playing full-pay jacks or better game. That would be an optimal strategy, whereas using that same strategy in a 10/7 double bonus poker game would be not optimal as the game plays slightly differently.
The below table sets out the expected returns for each of the listed games when using each game’s optimal strategies in the columns. The table shows how the strategy relates when using a particular game (the rows) against each of these highlighted variants (the columns).
Game | Optimal RTP | 9/6 Jacks or Better | 8/5 Bonus Poker | 10/7 Double Bonus Poker | 9/6 Double Double Bonus Poker |
9/6 Jacks or Better | 99.54% | 99.54% | 99.54% | 98.94% | 98.51% |
9/5 Jacks or Better | 98.45% | 98.44% | 98.45% | 97.44% | 97.38% |
8/6 Jacks or Better | 98.39% | 98.39% | 98.39% | 97.82% | 97.43% |
8/5 Bonus Poker | 99.17% | 99.16% | 99.17% | 98.20% | 98.37% |
7/5 Bonus Poker | 98.07% | 99.76% | 98.01% | 97.08% | 97.29% |
10/6 Double Double Bonus | 100.07% | 98.61% | 99.76% | 99.57% | 100.07% |
9/6 Double Double Bonus | 98.98% | 97.51% | 98.61% | 98.45% | 98.98% |
9/5 Double Double Bonus | 97.87% | 96.36% | 97.52% | 96.96% | 97.84% |
8/5 Double Double Bonus | 96.79% | 96.63% | 96.37% | 95.84% | 96.76% |
10/7/5 Double Bonus | 100.17% | 99.63% | 99.61% | 100.17% | 99.86% |
9/7/5 Double Bonus | 99.11% | 98.48% | 98.46% | 99.05% | 98.77% |
9/6/5 Double Bonus | 97.81% | 97.38% | 97.37% | 97.56% | 97.63% |
9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe | 99.64% | 99.61% | 99.60% | 99.29% | 99.37% |
9/7 Triple Double Bonus | 99.58% | 97.71% | 97.69% | 98.24% | 98.49% |
While the table above shows the expected return rates for using the various strategies, the below table outlines that difference (more clearly) between the optimal strategy and the games in the top column:
Game | 9/6 Jacks or Better | 8/5 Bonus Poker | 10/7 Double Bonus Poker | 9/6 Double Double Bonus Poker |
9/6 Jacks or Better | 0.00% | 0.01% | 0.61% | 1.03% |
9/5 Jacks or Better | 0.01% | 0.00% | 1.01% | 1.07% |
8/6 Jacks or Better | 0.00% | 0.01% | 0.57% | 0.97% |
8/5 Bonus Poker | 0.01% | 0.00% | 0.96% | 0.79% |
7/5 Bonus Poker | 0.06% | 0.05% | 0.99% | 0.78% |
10/6 Double Double Bonus | 0.30% | 0.31% | 0.50% | 0.00% |
9/6 Double Double Bonus | 0.37% | 0.37% | 0.53% | 0.00% |
9/5 Double Double Bonus | 0.36% | 0.35% | 0.92% | 0.03% |
8/5 Double Double Bonus | 0.43% | 0.42% | 0.95% | 0.03% |
10/7/5 Double Bonus | 0.54% | 0.56% | 0.00% | 0.32% |
9/7/5 Double Bonus | 0.63% | 0.65% | 0.05% | 0.34% |
9/6/5 Double Bonus | 0.43% | 0.43% | 0.25% | 0.17% |
9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe | 0.03% | 0.04% | 0.35% | 0.28% |
9/7 Triple Double Bonus | 1.86% | 1.88% | 1.34% | 1.09% |
In this table, you can see that if you are looking to learn one strategy and use it across multiple games, then your best bet is to focus on the traditional jacks or better strategy (you can find that here in detail or below for a quick recap) as it has the lowest cost of errors.
We’ve covered the differences between playing with basic strategies and with an optimally focused strategy. As we outlined above, the 9/6 jacks or better strategy offers a lower cost of error exposure overall.
With that in mind, below is a quick recap of a basic video poker strategy for the jacks or better game variants. The hand ranking hierarchy below features the hands that you are ideally looking for:
Video poker is one of the most enjoyable casino gambling games available. For the most part, this variant is based on the five-card draw poker series and has been widely popular among players going back to the 1970s.
Throughout this guide, we’ve looked at the more detail-oriented odds and paytables side of playing video poker. Now we share with you six of our top actionable tips that you can start using immediately!
First and foremost, when playing a new game or even something that you’ve enjoyed previously – you must know the game like the back of your hand. This is the case with any variation of video poker.
It’s not as easy as it appears because there are hundreds of different games to choose from. Some of the most well-known games include:
Now, there can be a ton of changes or slight differences between these variations. If you aren’t keeping up with what you are playing, then you will risk making silly mistakes and losing plenty of real money.
We recommend learning the paytable, the game’s differences, and the best strategy for that particular game.
Everyone wants to win the most money possible each time they play gambling games like video poker. There’s nothing wrong with that either; however, there is one critical aspect that you need to stick to if you want to get the most out of your wins.
That is that you always need to be playing the maximum coin bet; this will allow you to receive the highest possible payout on any royal flush or smaller wins.
If you remember from earlier, the paytables have a considerably higher payday comparison on royal flushes for five-coin instead of four-coin bets.
Take our word, the last thing you want is to hit the big time with a royal flush, only to realize your jackpot is 4500 credits lower than it could have been! It is a massive mood killer!
If you cannot afford to play the five-coin bets on the game of choice, don’t reduce your coin bet. Instead, look for a lower denomination game and play that one at five-coins.
Just as you need to ensure that you understand the game rules, you must familiarize yourself with the game’s paytables. If you know the paytable, you will be better placed to decide which hand to go for with your initial draw.
If you are unsure about the paytable, you might drop a larger win in favor of a smaller one.
That’s not all that could be at stake, though, while you need to know the paytables – you also must double-check before you start playing. This is a safety precaution to stop you from inadvertently playing short-pay video poker games.
If possible, you always want to be playing the full-pay games; otherwise, you are shortchanging yourself.
Outside of understanding how to play smartly, practicing your gameplay and the specific game rules are the best way to improve your winning chances. Practicing can be as easy as dealing yourself hands from a typical 52-card deck and familiarizing yourself with the game.
This is fine for most players; however, there is a much better way to practice – using online casinos. Hundreds of secure and reputable online casinos offer video poker games, and we feature a ton of them here on our site.
Practicing video poker with online casinos allows you to enjoy the same benefits and flexibility of playing online – with the added bonus of risk-free gambling with free video poker games.
We strongly recommend practicing with free games online – it’s flexible and easier than ever to get started.
We’ve touched on this aspect in chapter three of this guide. Managing your bankroll is a critical factor in determining how much you can do with video poker games. There are many tactics and best-practices that you can use to manage your cash, some of them include setting limits and goals with how much you want to win, afford to lose, and how long you are looking to play.
You can find a detailed breakdown of the techniques and methods for managing your bankroll like an expert with our video poker guide showing you how to increase your winning chances.
Whether you play at traditional casinos or enjoy online gambling sites, there is a lot of value for players through the VIP club and loyalty rewards programs. These offers allow players to earn passive status points and bonuses that complement their gambling experience.
While the rewards will look a little different when comparing online to offline options, both options are worth the sign-up.
However, the best online casinos featuring video poker games have truly awesome rewards for grabs, including the following:
Just remember always to read the terms and conditions, and for online play – you must read the wagering requirements for playing with bonuses.
The sixth and final chapter of this guide is where we give you our recommendations for the video poker games with the best payouts! We give you a summary of what we love about each of these variants too.
This is a popular choice among gamblers because of its virtually non-existent house edge – the return here is a 100.76%.
In deuces wild, the deuces (twos) act as the wild cards, meaning these four cards can be used to substitute another card in your hand to create a winning combination.
Make sure that you play full-pay games because they offer 9/6 on the full house and flush for single-coin bets or 45/30 for five-coin bets on the same.
This variant of video poker is a little less common nowadays, but it is a great choice because of the lucrative potential for scoring much larger wins. Players are often drawn to the alternative playstyle of pick ‘em poker too.
The return on these titles is about 99.95%, but you’ll need to learn a different game style if you are to play this one.
Jacks or better is the most commonly played video poker game available. The expected player return is about 99.54%, which is impressive for the barebones game.
There are numerous short-pay versions of the game, which is where casinos try to get players caught by leaving money on the table. Always be sure to look for the full-pay machines, noted by the 9/6 payout for the full house and flush.
This bonus poker variant is based on the jacks or better gameplay and focuses its big wins around matching four of a kind with certain kicker cards. The return here is high for a higher volatility bonus-orientated game at 98.98%.
Playing double double bonus poker is always great fun, and the additional large jackpots make for exciting gameplay.