Video Poker
- How to Play Video Poker
- Pay Schedules
- Video Poker Strategy
- Play Video Poker Online
- Video Poker Books
- Video Poker Software
- Video Poker Links
Next to slots, video poker is the most popular game in the casino. Video poker offers fun, fast-paced action, even for low rollers. When playing full-pay machines with optimal strategy, video poker is also one of the few games in the casino that is truly beatable.
How to Play Video Poker
The gameplay of video poker is obvious to anyone familiar with the classic card game Five Card Draw. The objective is simply to draw the highest five card poker hand. There are a wide variety of video poker machines, from wild card games to progressive jackpots to the new multi-play games, but all share the same basic gameplay.
Video poker is generally played with 1 to 5 coins or credits, in denominations ranging from a penny up to $5 or more. Some newer multi-play machines can take up to 100 credits per play. A pay schedule will be posted on the machine, showing the payout for each hand based on the number of coins bet.
Notice that on a typical machine, a natural royal flush (the highest hand) will payout at least 4000 coins for a 5 coin bet, compared to only 1000 for a 4 coin bet. To achieve the highest possible long-term payout, always play the maximum number of coins to get the maximum jackpot on a natural royal flush! If 5 coins on a quarter machine is too large of a bet for you, play 5 coins on a nickel machine instead.
To play, deposit money into the machine and select how many coins to play for the current hand. A Bet Max button is conveniently provided to bet the maximum number of coins. Most newer machines accept bills, or use a ticket system to track and pay out winnings. Hit the Deal/Draw button, and five cards will be dealt on the screen. Use the Hold buttons to select which cards you'd like to hold on to, or on newer machines, simply touch the cards on the screen. Hit the Deal/Draw button again, and the remaining cards will be drawn. If you've made a hand, you will be paid according to the pay schedule posted on the machine. After play, the Cash Out button will pay out your winnings.
Video Poker Pay Schedules
Not all video poker machines are alike. To earn the greatest profit from video poker, it is essential to play only the games that offer little or no house advantage. There are video poker machines that boast a 100%+ maximum payout when played with optimal strategy, and many more that payout over 99%.
The pay schedule is used to determine a game's payout percentage. Identical machines can have different pay schedules and vastly different payout percentages. The games that offer payouts near or over 100% are called full-pay machines.
The tables below show the highest payouts available for common video poker games found in Las Vegas casinos. Make sure the machine you're playing has the exact same pay schedule listed, or else the true payout percentage may be lower. All payout amounts assume that the 5 coin maximum is being played for every hand.
Joker's Wild offers the best payouts in video poker. The 4700 coin royal flush jackpot has a payout of 101% – the highest available in the casino! The full-pay schedule (FP) offers a payout of 100.65%
| Joker's Wild | 4700 FP | FP |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Royal Flush | 4700 | 4000 |
| 5 of a Kind | 1000 | 1000 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 500 | 500 |
| Straight Flush | 250 | 250 |
| 4 of a Kind | 100 | 100 |
| Full House | 35 | 35 |
| Flush | 25 | 25 |
| Straight | 15 | 15 |
| 3 of a Kind | 10 | 10 |
| 2 Pair | 5 | 5 |
| Kings or Better | 5 | 5 |
| Payout | 101% | 100.65% |
Deuces Wild offers several excellent payout rates. The full-pay schedule offers an impressive 100.76% maximum payout. "Loose Deuces" (LD), a variant that offers a higher payout for 4 deuces, pays 100.15% "Not so ugly ducks" (NSUD) pays 99.7%, but can be profitable with casino comps.
| Deuces Wild | FP | LD | NSUD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Royal Flush | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 |
| 4 Deuces | 1000 | 2500 | 1000 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 125 | 125 | 125 |
| 5 of a Kind | 75 | 75 | 80 |
| Straight Flush | 45 | 40 | 50 |
| 4 of a Kind | 25 | 20 | 20 |
| Full House | 15 | 15 | 20 |
| Flush | 10 | 10 | 15 |
| Straight | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 3 of a Kind | 5 | 5 | 5 | Payout | 100.76% | 100.15% | 99.7% |
The 9/6 Jacks or Better "full-pay" schedule (so named because of the 9 and 6 bet payouts for flush and straight) is the best commonly available payout for this popular machine. Several online casinos offer this game – see the recommended casinos listed below. With generous comps, this machine is quite playable.
| Jacks or Better | 9/6 FP |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 4000 |
| Straight Flush | 250 |
| 4 of a Kind | 125 |
| Full House | 45 |
| Flush | 30 |
| Straight | 20 |
| 3 of a Kind | 15 |
| 2 Pair | 10 |
| Jacks or Better | 5 |
| Payout | 99.5% |
Double Bonus video poker is a variant of Jacks or Better that offers increased payouts for 4 of a kind, while decreasing the payouts for smaller hands. 10/7 Double Bonus and 10/6 Double Double Bonus (10 for full house, 6 or 7 for flush) are two varieties that pay out over 100%.
| Double Bonus | 10/7 DB | 10/6 DDB |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 4000 | 4000 |
| Straight Flush | 250 | 250 |
| 4 Aces + 2-4 | 2000 | |
| 4 Aces | 800 | |
| 4 Aces + 5-K | 800 | |
| 4 of a Kind 2-4 + A-4 | 800 | |
| 4 of a Kind 2-4 | 400 | |
| 4 of a Kind 2-4 + 5-K | 400 | |
| 4 of a Kind 5-K | 125 | 250 |
| Full House | 50 | 50 |
| Flush | 35 | 30 |
| Straight | 25 | 20 |
| 3 of a Kind | 15 | 15 |
| 2 Pair | 5 | 5 |
| Jacks or Better | 5 | 5 |
| Payout | 100.17% | 100% |
There are several other full-pay games available – check the recommended links at the bottom of the page for more pay schedules. To determine the payout rate for any given machine, software is available to calculate video poker statistics. See the recommended software links below.
Video Poker Strategy
Once you've found a full-pay or high payout video poker machine, the optimal strategy must be played to achieve the maximum possible payout. The optimal strategy will differ for each game, so it is necessary to find a strategy chart for the particular game and pay schedule you are playing.
Here is a strategy chart for 9/6 Jacks or Better, a common high-pay video poker machine available in many land-based and online casinos. (See the pay schedule above.) To use this chart, simply keep the highest hand on the chart and drop the remaining cards. For example, if your hand is 5,5,K,Q,J, the proper strategy would be to keep the pair of 5s and drop the high cards.
| 9/6 Jacks or Better Strategy | |
|---|---|
| 1. | Royal Flush |
| 2. | Straight Flush |
| 3. | 4 of a Kind |
| 4. | 4 card Royal Flush |
| 5. | Full House |
| 6. | Flush |
| 7. | 3 of a Kind |
| 8. | Straight |
| 9. | 4 card Straight Flush |
| 10. | Two Pair |
| 11. | One Pair (Jacks or Better) |
| 12. | 3 card Royal Flush |
| 13. | 4 card Flush |
| 14. | Low Pair |
| 15. | 4 card Open-ended Straight |
| 16. | 3 card Open-ended Straight Flush |
| 17. | 2 High Cards (suited) |
| 18. | 4 card Inside Straight |
| 19. | 3 card Inside Straight Flush (1 gap) |
| 20. | King, Queen, Jack |
| 21. | Queen, Jack |
| 22. | Jack, Ten (suited) |
| 23. | King with Queen or Jack |
| 24. | Queen, Ten (suited) |
| 25. | Ace with King, Queen or Jack |
| 26. | King, Ten (suited) |
| 27. | One high card |
| 28. | 3 card Inside Straight Flush (2 gaps) |
| 29. | Nothing (draw again) |
Video poker strategy charts can easily be found online, in many casino strategy books, and even in casino gift shops. For more video poker strategy charts, see the recommended books, software and links below.
Video poker can be profitable over the long run if you remember to follow these tips:
- Always play full-pay machines, preferably those that pay out over 100%.
- Always play the optimal basic strategy for your game. Take a strategy card or printed strategy chart along to the casino with you.
- Always play the maximum number of credits to get the highest payoff when you hit a royal flush.
- Always use your players card when gambling to take advantage of casino comps and cash back.
Play Video Poker Online
It's a good idea to practice your strategy on your favorite game before hitting the casino. Listed below are the best online casinos for video poker that we've been able to find. They offer the widest variety of video poker games with the lowest house advantage – as well as creative and generous bonus offers. Be sure to read the terms and conditions of any bonus offers you attempt to claim, as there may be restrictions on video poker play.
- Fortune Room Online Casino - Fortune Room offers a wide variety of video poker, including several multi-play games – up to 100 play! They have 9/6 Jacks or Better and several other games that pay out over 99%, including Aces & Faces, Tens or Better, Deuces & Joker Wild and multi-play Deuces Wild. The software even coaches you on the best strategy! Get a minimum 100% match bonus with just a $35 deposit!
- Vegas Red - Vegas Red offers attractive software and authentic games. They have 9/6 Jacks or Better – Aces & Faces and Two Way Royals also pay out over 99%! Receive up to $888 in bonuses by playing at Vegas Red today!
Video Poker Books
- Video Poker: Optimum Play
by Dan Paymar - A great tutorial to optimal video poker play.
- The Video Poker Answer Book: How to Attack Variations on a Casino Favorite
- How To Gamble At The Casinos Without Getting Plucked Like A Chicken
- See all video poker books at Amazon.
Video Poker Software
- BVS Video Poker - A video poker simulator with 39 video poker games, cutomized pay schedules, custom card sets, strategy training and statistics. Free download.
- Video Poker Coach - This attractive video poker trainer emulates dozens of games and pay schedules, tracks your progress and alerts you to strategy errors. Free download.
- Video Poker Calculator - Calculates detailed statistics and pay schedules for dozens of video poker variants. Free download.
- Frugal Video Poker - The latest, greatest commercial video poker trainer on the market combines gameplay, statistical analysis, and a strategy chart generator!
- Gambling Tools - Free java applets including a video poker analysis program and a video poker trainer. Analysis applet also mirrored here at Wizard of Odds.
Video Poker Links
- Jeff Lotspiech's Video Poker Page - Features printable strategy charts in PDF format.
- I Love Video Poker - Strategy cards for online casino play.
- Wizard of Odds - Detailed strategies for Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild, as well as dozens of pay schedules.
- vpFREE - Homepage for active Yahoo group has a wealth of video poker information, including a updated database of the best video poker nationwide, pay schedules and much more.
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