Video poker is one of the casino's best-kept secrets. It looks like a slot machine, but your decisions genuinely change the outcome, and the best machines return over 99% with correct strategy - odds that rival blackjack. The catch is that returns depend entirely on the pay table and your play. Two identical-looking machines can differ by more than 2% in RTP, so knowing what to look for is everything.
How video poker works
You are dealt five cards from a standard 52-card deck. You choose which to keep and which to discard, then draw replacements for the discards. Your final five-card hand is compared against the machine's pay table, and you are paid according to the poker ranking you make. Standard minimum is a pair of jacks; anything lower loses.
Always bet the maximum five coins. The reason is the royal flush bonus: a royal typically pays 250 per coin on bets of 1-4 coins, but jumps to 800 per coin (a 4,000-coin total) when you bet five coins. That bonus is a big chunk of the game's overall return, and skipping it drops your RTP meaningfully. Bet lower denominations if needed, but always bet five coins.
Reading the pay table
Video poker machines are named by their pay table. "9/6 Jacks or Better" means a full house pays 9 coins and a flush pays 6 coins (per coin bet). Those two numbers are the biggest lever on RTP, which is why the game is nicknamed by them.
| Hand | 9/6 (Full Pay) | 8/5 (Reduced) |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 800 | 800 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 50 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 25 |
| Full House | 9 | 8 |
| Flush | 6 | 5 |
| Straight | 4 | 4 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 3 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 1 |
Payouts shown per coin, on a 5-coin max bet. The difference looks tiny - just one coin each on full house and flush - but it swings the RTP dramatically:
- 9/6 Jacks or Better: 99.54% RTP with perfect play (full pay).
- 8/6 Jacks or Better: 98.39% RTP.
- 8/5 Jacks or Better: 97.30% RTP.
- 7/5 Jacks or Better: 96.15% RTP - avoid.
Always hunt for the 9/6 full-pay machine. A 2% swing in RTP is enormous over a session of hundreds of hands.
Basic Jacks or Better strategy
Correct play means keeping the cards that give you the highest expected return. Here is a simplified priority order - hold the highest-ranked situation you have:
- Any made straight flush, four of a kind, or royal flush - hold all five.
- Four cards to a royal flush - break up a made flush or straight to draw for it.
- Full house, flush, straight, or three of a kind - hold.
- Four cards to a straight flush.
- Two pair - hold both, draw one.
- High pair (jacks or better) - hold the pair.
- Three cards to a royal flush.
- Four cards to a flush.
- Low pair (10s or lower) - hold the pair over a single high card.
- Four cards to an outside straight.
- Two or three high cards (jack or higher) - keep the two lowest of them.
- If nothing else, discard all five and redraw.
A key habit: a low pair is worth more than a single high card, but two suited high cards can beat a low pair. When in doubt, keeping a made paying hand (jacks or better) is rarely wrong.
Other video poker variants
- Deuces Wild: All four 2s are wild. Full-pay versions return over 100% with perfect strategy, but the strategy is very different and demanding.
- Double Bonus / Double Double Bonus: Higher four-of-a-kind payouts but lower returns on smaller hands, and a strategy that punishes casual play. Full-pay Double Double Bonus is around 98.98%.
- Bonus Poker: A gentler variant with tiered four-of-a-kind bonuses, typically around 99.17% full pay.
Stick with 9/6 Jacks or Better while you learn - it has the simplest strategy and one of the most forgiving returns.
Why video poker is worth learning
Unlike slots, video poker outcomes are transparent: the pay table is published, the deck is a known 52 cards, and the RNG deals a fair shuffle every hand. That combination of skill and a sub-0.5% house edge on full-pay machines makes it one of the best values in the casino - but only if you find the right pay table and play correctly. Sloppy play or a bad pay table can push the house edge above 3%.
Even at 99.54%, the house still holds a small edge, so set a budget and play within it. If you want to compare where to play video poker online, see our best online casinos list, and keep our responsible gambling tools in reach.