When choosing an online casino game, one of the most important factors to consider is the RTP (Return to Player) percentage. It indicates the potential long-term return of the game. The higher the RTP, the better the potential return you can expect, meaning that some games may offer a greater long-term profit than others.
The average RTP of casino games varies depending on the type of game. Usually, slots tend to have the lowest RTPs among all casino games, whereas table games such as blackjack and poker can achieve higher RTPs, especially when players use optimal strategies. If you are exploring casino blogs to decide which casino game to play, you will often see casino experts recommend video poker because of its high RTP.
Even though video poker cannot compare in popularity with slots, it is a casino game that can still offer plenty of fun and great potential returns. In fact, some video poker variations can deliver a theoretical return that can reach, or even exceed, 100%. If you are wondering which video poker games offer such a high RTP and whether you can find them online, we suggest you continue reading.
Video Poker Variations with Positive Expected Value
In the 1980s and 1990s, video poker was one of the most rewarding casino games, with professional players enjoying highly profitable sessions. One reason for this was the variety of available games and the different coin denominations.
The full-pay version of Deuces Wild, which has an RTP of 100.76%, had a coin denomination of one dollar, allowing players to wager up to $5 on a single hand. Let us assume that you can still find a full-pay Deuces Wild game online, allowing you to bet up to $/£5 per hand by making a five-coin wager. It is estimated that you could theoretically win about $/£38 per hour, and that figure does not even include any VIP benefits players enjoyed at the time.
Unfortunately, nowadays, video poker variants that offer a positive expected value (EV) are not easy to find. That said, there are several software providers that have developed full-pay video poker games you can play online. To recognise such variants, however, you need to learn the full-pay paytables of the different video poker games. Combine this knowledge with an optimal strategy and you may be able to play with an RTP that exceeds 100%.
Which Video Poker Variations Can Offer Over 100% RTP?
Virtual casinos, just like their land-based counterparts, ensure they always make a profit, which is why casinos seek to maintain an edge over the players. Almost every casino game has a house edge that guarantees the operator a profit in the long run. For that reason, most games are considered unbeatable, as players cannot overcome the house advantage, no matter what strategy they use.
While this is true of most casino games, there are a few video poker variations that tilt the balance towards the player. One thing to remember, however, is that the highest possible RTP in the video poker games discussed below is achievable only when players are using perfect strategy. The few video poker options with over 100% RTP include:
- Full-pay Deuces Wild – 100.76% RTP
- 10/7 Double Bonus – 100.17% RTP
- 10/6 Double Double Bonus – 100.07% RTP
If you are wondering what full-pay video poker means, here is a simple explanation. The full-pay version of a specific video poker game offers the best possible payout for certain winning hands. These top payouts ensure the RTPs listed above, provided players employ perfect strategy. However, even a small tweak to the payout of one winning hand can significantly affect the RTP of the game, ultimately reducing the potential long-term return.
Keep in mind that, although full-pay video poker versions sound appealing, they are very difficult to find online. That said, some virtual casinos may feature full-pay Deuces Wild, so keep an eye out for the best possible paytable for this variation.
| Full-Pay Deuces Wild Paytable | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand | 1 coin | 2 coins | 3 coins | 4 coins | 5 coins |
| Natural Royal Flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1000 | 4000 |
| Four Deuces | 200 | 400 | 600 | 800 | 1000 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 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 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Full House | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Flush | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Straight | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Three of a Kind | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
How Paytables Affect RTP in Video Poker Games
As mentioned earlier, there are different variations of video poker, and the payouts for winning hands vary between them. While each variant can have a full-pay version that offers the best possible payouts, in most cases the pay-off for certain hands is adjusted. Even if the difference between a full-pay version and an adjusted paytable appears small, it can still have a considerable impact on the long-term potential return of the game.
Let us take, for example, a full-pay variant of Jacks or Better, also known as 9/6 Jacks or Better. In this version, the payout for a Full House is 9 to 1 and a Flush pays 6 to 1. Many of the versions you will find online reduce the Flush payout to 5 to 1. Even though the Full House payout remains unchanged, this seemingly small, one-coin reduction lowers the RTP from 99.54% on the full-pay version to 98.45% on the 9/5 variant. Furthermore, there are 8/5 versions of Jacks or Better that also reduce the Full House payout, bringing the RTP down to 97.3%.
As you can see, finding a video poker version with the best possible paytable is crucial, as it will allow you to enjoy the highest potential return in the long run. Even if you cannot find a full-pay video poker game online, be sure to choose the next best-paying version.
Low Variance in Video Poker Contributing to Fruitful Outcomes
Even if you come across a video poker variation with an extremely high RTP, this means little if the game has high volatility. Slots demonstrate this point: even titles with a 98% RTP cannot guarantee generous short-term returns because of their high variance.
The situation with video poker is different, as it is a casino game with relatively low volatility. Combining a high RTP with low variance means that a large proportion of your hands are likely to be winners. For instance, if you play Jacks or Better, provided you use the correct strategy, you will win 45.46% of the time. Meanwhile, perfect-strategy play on Bonus Poker will yield a winning hand in 45.51% of cases.
Choosing a less volatile game will also allow you to play for longer, as you will deplete your bankroll more slowly. Video poker also offers decent chances of landing a big win, especially if you hit a Royal Flush. If you have wagered five coins, a Royal Flush pays 4,000 coins.
Can You Beat Online Casinos by Playing Video Poker?
Although video poker games with over 100% RTP sound enticing, they are rarely available at online casinos. You might encounter a few video poker machines with positive EV in certain Las Vegas land-based casinos. Even so, you should not expect to make a huge profit simply by playing video poker, but you can certainly enjoy some payouts while having fun.
To maximise your chances of winning, you must apply the correct video poker strategy. This means making the optimal move for every starting hand. Because each video poker variation is different, the optimal decision can also differ, so players must use the strategy that corresponds to the specific variant they are playing.
While there are currently no online video poker variants that offer more than 100% RTP, several options come very close. Casinos running on the Microgaming platform may offer a variant called All Aces with a 99.92% RTP. Meanwhile, Real Time Gaming casinos often feature Aces and Eights, which has a 99.78% RTP. Even if the casino you play at does not offer these versions, many virtual venues host 9/6 Jacks or Better. Provided you use the correct strategy, you will be playing with a 99.54% RTP.
Conclusion
Video poker is one of the casino games that give players some of the best winning chances, provided they use the correct strategy. As you may know, RTP is one of the main factors players consider when choosing which games to play. While the casino usually holds the edge, with video poker you can find variants with an RTP of over 100%.
Because video poker combines a high RTP with low variance, players have a good chance of enjoying fruitful sessions. Unfortunately, video poker options with an RTP higher than 100% can be found only in a handful of Las Vegas brick-and-mortar casinos. That said, there are a few online video poker games that can deliver an RTP of more than 99%.
The most common full-pay video poker version available online is 9/6 Jacks or Better. If you make sure that the game offers the proper payouts for a Full House and a Flush, and you use the correct strategy, you can play with a 99.54% RTP, which, while not 100%, still leaves the house with almost no edge. If you intend to use a strategy when playing video poker, ensure that it is the correct one. To make things easier, you can print a strategy card and refer to it while playing online. Doing so will help you make the optimal decision on every hand and improve your winning chances in the long run.
