How video poker works and what to look for
Video poker at a glance
- The handFive cards are dealt, any of them can be held, and the others are replaced once.
- Pay table mattersReturn depends on the pay table, not just the game name. 9/6 Jacks or Better returns about 99.54% with optimal strategy, while the 8/5 version returns about 97.30%.
- Royal flushPays 800 coins per coin on a five-coin bet (4,000 coins), the top prize on the pay table.
- Strategy countsUnlike slots, the cards held change the result. Good play is the difference between the listed return and a lower one.
- Demo playFree credits, no download and no real money.
Reading a pay table
The table shows what each hand pays per coin bet. In Jacks or Better, the numbers after the name, such as 9/6, are the full house and flush payouts. A 9/6 table pays 9 coins for a full house and 6 for a flush, while an 8/5 table pays 8 and 5. Two machines can look identical and still differ in long-run return, so check the table before playing. The Jacks or Better return tables on Wizard of Odds show how small changes alter the return.
Main variants to try
- Jacks or Better The standard game. A pair of jacks or higher is the lowest paying hand, making it the best starting point for learning.
- Bonus Poker Based on Jacks or Better, with higher payouts for certain four-of-a-kind hands.
- Double Double Bonus Larger four-of-a-kind payouts, especially four aces with a matching kicker, balanced by lower pays elsewhere.
- Deuces Wild All four 2s act as wild cards, so strategy changes and the lowest paying hand is usually three of a kind.
- Joker Poker A joker is added to the deck as a wild card, and the pay table is adjusted to match.
- Aces & Faces A Jacks or Better style game with extra payouts for four aces and four face cards.
Using free play to improve
Demo credits allow unlimited practice. Start with one variant and learn which hands to keep, such as holding a made flush over a single high card. Watch the pay table, because the best hold in one variant can be wrong in another. Once the basic holds feel natural, try a second variant and notice how the strategy shifts.
Free play is for fun. Real-money gambling is for adults only; read about responsible gambling.
Video poker is a single-player card game played against a machine. Five cards are dealt, the player holds the cards worth keeping, and the rest are replaced in one draw. The final hand is paid according to the pay table on screen, which lists every winning hand.
Login with your social account