Video poker is popular among casino enthusiasts because it offers a simplified take on traditional table poker, making it the perfect option for players who lack the experience and knowledge required to play the classic skill-based game. The game resembles video slots to some extent, although it does not rely purely on chance.
Based on the well-known five-card draw variation of poker, video poker requires a certain degree of involvement on the players’ part because they can choose which cards to hold and which to replace in order to form a higher-ranking hand. Furthermore, the game is beatable, provided that players follow an optimal strategy while they play.
One of the main attractions of video poker is the low house edge it offers. Many variations of the game provide a rather high payback percentage that usually exceeds 99%. It is even possible to find online video poker games that give players a positive expectation, as their theoretical return exceeds 100%.
The good thing about video poker is that players can determine whether certain variations are worthwhile by checking the payouts for winning hands listed in the paytable.
Paytables are good indicators of value, as all payouts are based on traditional poker hand rankings. The probability of receiving a specific hand is easily calculable because it mirrors the odds of a standard deck of cards.
That is why the only way for casinos to alter the edge of video poker games is by adjusting the payouts awarded for qualifying hands. Thus, not all video poker games are equally profitable and some offer a lower return than others. Even small modifications to a game’s paytable can have a significant impact on players’ overall success and profitability.
In the following article, we explain how to distinguish between full-pay and short-payback video poker games and introduce four commonly played variations that offer the highest payout percentages.
Low Variance Video Poker
When you are on the lookout for the video poker variation that will bring you the best payouts in the long run, you should opt for games with a low variance. They enable you to play with a smaller bankroll, and you will experience more reasonable losses when playing video poker.
In comparison, when you play a high-variance video poker option, you can expect generous wins but also significant losses before you reach the profitable stage of the game. This is why video poker games with low volatility are recommended to players who are looking for a steady climb.
While opinions vary on what qualifies as low variance, video poker games with a variance of about 30 or lower are generally regarded as low-variance options. Among the games worth considering for a profitable experience are Jacks or Better (20), Aces & Faces (21), Aces & Eights (22), Bonus Poker (21), Double Jackpot Poker (22) and more.
Not only will low-variance games give you the opportunity to play longer with a smaller bankroll, but you will also be able to play with a simpler strategy. Video poker options with low variance have strategy charts with fewer lines, making them much easier to memorise and apply.
Medium Variance Video Poker
- The pro – more excitement thanks to the extra bonus payouts
- The con – higher bankroll requirements and more complicated strategies
Low-variance games are easier to play correctly because of their simpler strategies. They also require a smaller bankroll, but the benefits end there. Their biggest disadvantage is that they tend to become boring quickly in the absence of high-paying hands. The good news is that software developers have addressed this issue by creating medium-variance variants that deliver more excitement without exposing your bankroll to substantial risk.
They accomplish this by adding several bonus payouts for specific hands, as in Bonus Poker, where you can earn extra for quads of aces, deuces, 3s, and 4s. But it does not end there. Next came Double Bonus Poker, where players receive double the payouts for these special four-of-a-kind hands. Video poker continued to evolve with the introduction of Double Double Bonus Poker.
The variant retained the payout structure of Bonus Poker for regular quads but added extra hands that award higher pays. Quads of deuces, 3s, and 4s with kickers 2, 3, or 4 offer the same payout (160 to 1) as four aces in Double Bonus Poker. On top of that, game manufacturers introduced extra payouts (400 to 1) for aces with kickers 4, 3, or 2, further increasing the excitement (and variance) of Double Double Bonus Poker.
There are a couple of things to consider before you look up these variations at your favourite online casinos. First, their increased variance calls for a larger bankroll, and second, they require a more complex strategy compared with low-variance games.
High Variance Video Poker
- The pro – plenty of excitement due to the higher bonus payouts
- The con – more demanding on your bankroll (and your nerves)
Today, you can find high-variance video poker variants at many online casinos. Such games typically feature very enhanced payouts for additional hands like five of a kind or wild royal flushes. High-variance games offer thrills in spades, but their massive swings render them unsuitable for the faint-hearted.
The extra-high payouts come at the cost of reduced odds for the lower portion of the paytable. Hands such as paired jacks and two pair are absent from the paytable, as is the case in Bonus Deuces Wild. The lowest qualifying hand in such variants is three of a kind (a set), which pays at shorter, even-money odds.
By contrast, a set in low-variance games like Jacks or Better yields a payout of 3 to 1. A similar tendency is observed with straights – they also return even money in games like Bonus Deuces Wild, whereas the payout in Jacks or Better is higher at 4 to 1.
Most of the overall theoretical return of these games derives from the few bonus-paying hands. It makes sense that under-bankrolled players should avoid them, as the likelihood of quickly parting with one’s entire session budget is extremely high.
High-variance variations are less abundant at online casinos because they have not really caught on with players. On a more positive note, such games typically require a less complex playing strategy than their medium-variance cousins.
Odds in Video Poker
While it is true that video poker resembles slots, players can often enjoy a positive expected return when playing certain variations. This means that some games can offer a long-term expected return of over 100%. Such a feature is rarely found in other casino games.
Even though video poker can be profitable, some options have better odds than others. This is why players should strive to play the variations with the best odds. In addition, to further improve their winning chances, players should learn the correct strategy and use it.
If you wish to enjoy a video poker option with the best possible odds, pay close attention to the paytable. The so-called full-pay games will give you the best odds, especially when combined with an optimal strategy. When you come across a full-pay version and use the correct strategy, you can enjoy odds of over 100%. This will tilt the scales in your favour, offering you profitable play in the long run.
Full-Pay vs. Short-Payback Video Poker Games
Video poker games can be divided into two types: full-pay and short-payback. A full-pay game simply offers the best odds to players. Whether a specific game is full-pay is determined by the payouts for certain hands in its paytable. In widespread variants such as the popular Jacks or Better, players need to check the number of credits they can potentially receive for a Full House and a Flush.
Full-pay Jacks or Better games pay 9 credits for a Full House and 6 credits for a Flush when only one credit is wagered. These variations are often referred to as 9/6 games. Provided that players adopt optimal strategy and sensible bankroll management, they will enjoy a high theoretical return of 99.54%, meaning the casino’s edge is less than 0.50%.
You may come across Jacks or Better variations that offer lower payouts for the Full House and Flush – for instance, 8/6, 8/5, 7/5 or, occasionally, even 6/5. It is advisable to avoid such games because the payout reductions, minor as they may appear, cut the players’ advantage by several per cent.
Such games are called short-payback games because they offer a smaller theoretical return, even with perfect strategy. An example is 7/5 Jacks or Better, where the average payback percentage stands at only 96.15% when optimal strategy is used. As you can see, the discrepancy in the payback percentages of 9/6 and 7/5 is anything but insubstantial.
Video Poker Cards Generator
Expected Value and Expected Return
What Video Poker Games Pay Best
Tens or Better Video Poker
Jacks or Better
Apart from the payouts on the Full House and Flush, players are also advised to check the odds for the two-pair hand in Jacks or Better variations. In a full-pay game, players receive two credits for two pair when one credit is wagered.
This is very important because two pair is an instant winner after the deal, occurring roughly 5% of the time in video poker. If a Jacks or Better game offers you even money on two pair, you should probably abstain from betting on it.
Another popular variation is Deuces Wild. This game is also played with a standard 52-card deck, similarly to Jacks or Better, but the key difference is that all four Deuces are wild cards. In other words, the Deuces can substitute for any other card and help players form a winning hand in near-miss situations.
A full-pay Deuces Wild game rewards players with five credits (per one-credit wager) for Four of a Kind and fifteen credits (per one-credit bet) for Five of a Kind. Lower payouts, such as four credits for Four of a Kind, indicate that the game is a short-payback version.
The one-credit reduction for this particular hand leads to a sizeable drop in the game’s theoretical payback percentage to 94.30%. In comparison, full-pay Deuces Wild is a positive-expectation game since its player return stands at 100.76%.
You may also encounter Joker Poker variations online. Such games are played with a 53-card deck, as there is an additional joker, which is wild and helps players make winning hands. Before playing, inspect the paytable to see what the lowest-ranking hand is – if it is anything other than Kings or Better (i.e. a pair of kings), the game is not worth your while. Avoid Joker Poker variations where the lowest-paying hand is Aces or Better, as they offer poor value.
A full-pay Joker Poker game is easy to spot. You only need to look at the payouts for Four of a Kind, a Full House and a Flush. In full-pay Joker Poker they should be 20 to 1, 7 to 1, and 5 to 1 respectively.
Reductions usually occur in the payout for Four of a Kind, with some games offering only 17 or even 15 credits per unit wagered. Logically, such games are a no-go. A 20/7/5 Joker Poker variation, on the other hand, gives you a positive expected value and a theoretical return of 100.65% with optimal strategy.
Video Poker Games Offering the Highest Payouts
Below, we provide brief overviews of four video poker games that will give players excellent value for money in the long run. Three of them are positive-expectation games, provided you choose the full-pay versions. The other, full-pay Jacks or Better, is notable because it offers an extremely low house edge of about 0.50% or less.
Deuces Wild
Deuces Wild is one of the most common variations and is favoured by many video poker fans because wild cards are in play, helping to create qualifying winning hands. The game is played with a standard deck of 52 cards; only the Deuces (the twos) are wild. The lowest-ranking qualifying hand is three of a kind, so winning with two pair or a single pair is impossible.
The full-pay version offers 5 to 1 payouts for Four of a Kind, as opposed to 4 to 1 in short-payback versions. Players who opt for the full-pay version enjoy a positive expectation, as the average return is estimated at 100.76%.
One important point to remember is that Deuces Wild is among the most volatile variations of video poker. Winning streaks are frequent, but so are losing streaks. However, with four wild cards working in their favour and full-pay payouts, players can weather a bad run even without hitting a Royal Flush. Moreover, it is precisely this high variance that many fans find appealing – the element of surprise means you can play Deuces Wild for hours without getting bored.
Joker Poker
Many avid video poker fans enjoy Joker Poker because it comes with an interesting twist – instead of the standard deck, the game utilises 53 cards, as an additional joker is in play. The joker acts as a wild card, boosting the number of winning hands players can form per session.
The joker can also help complete a unique hand in this variation, namely Five of a Kind, which ranks higher than a Royal Flush. The best-paying combination is usually the natural Royal Flush, in which the joker is not used.
The addition of the joker makes it easier to form high-ranking hands and sometimes leads to reduced payouts for certain hands to balance out the players’ advantage. When choosing a Joker Poker game, check the payouts for Four of a Kind, Full House and Flush – a full-pay game offers 20, 7 and 5 credits per unit wagered for these hands, giving a theoretical return of 100.65% with perfect strategy.
Please note that you may also come across this game under the name Joker Wild, but the rules and hand rankings are the same.
Jacks or Better
Jacks or Better is arguably the most popular member of the video poker family. It gives players good value, provided they choose a full-pay game that rewards them with 9 to 1 and 6 to 1 payouts for forming a Full House and a Flush, respectively. If the paytable shows anything less, do not bother with that game.
The game utilises a standard 52-card deck, and no jokers are in play. It is possible to form nearly 2.6 million different combinations with such a deck, with Royal Flushes offering the top prize of 4,000 credits for five-credit bets. Games with 9/6 payouts for the Full House and Flush have a high average return of 99.54%. In comparison, 8/5 and 7/5 variations offer no more than 97.30% and 96.15% in the long run.
Double Double Bonus Poker
Double Double Bonus Poker resembles Double Bonus Poker, with one essential difference – an extra bonus payout is awarded to players who form Four of a Kind with Aces and a kicker ranked 2, 3 or 4. The lowest-ranking hand is typically Jacks or Better, though this may vary. Other than that, the game is played with a regular 52-card deck and includes no wild cards or jokers.
Because the additional bonus disadvantages casinos, some operators lower the payouts for the Full House and Flush by one credit, increasing the house edge. The full-pay variations you should seek offer 10 credits for a Full House and 6 credits for a Flush. This schedule yields a 100.07% theoretical return, provided you employ optimal strategy and bet five credits per hand. In comparison, a 9/6 Double Double Bonus Poker variation offers only 98.98%, which is why players should avoid it.
Aces and Eights
Aces and Eights is another video poker variation that can provide a very good return. To enjoy the best payouts, look for a version that pays 25 to 1 for a Four of a Kind and 8 to 1 for a Full House.
You should also monitor the payouts for a Straight Flush and Four Aces or Four Eights, as these can be altered. The full-pay version offers 50 to 1 and 80 to 1 respectively for these hands. Even if you encounter an option that awards higher payouts for them, you will notice reduced payouts for the Full House and Four of a Kind, which drastically lowers the expected return.
This variation provides bonus payouts for special Four-of-a-Kind hands formed either by four Aces or four 8s. If you find a full-pay version and use the correct strategy, you can enjoy an expected return of 99.78%.
