Video Poker Strategy: Paytables, RTP and the Real Edge

Video poker is the rare casino game where the player can identify the exact return of a machine before placing a single coin, and where correct play can push the house edge below half a percent. The catch is that two machines sitting side by side can differ by more than two percentage points of return based on a single line of the paytable. Video poker strategy begins and ends with reading that paytable correctly.

Quick answer: A full-pay Jacks or Better machine — paying 9 coins for a full house and 6 for a flush per coin bet — returns 99.54% with optimal play. The same game paying 8/5 returns roughly 97.3%. That two-point gap means the machine you choose matters more than every strategy decision you will make on it.

Why Video Poker Is Different

Slot machines conceal their return. You cannot inspect a slot's paytable and calculate its RTP, because the reel weightings are hidden inside the software. Video poker uses a standard 52-card deck with known probabilities, so the entire return distribution can be computed from the payout schedule alone.

That transparency is the game's core appeal. It also means video poker rewards preparation in a way that almost no other casino game does. For a broader look at how house edge works across games, see our casino strategy hub.

Reading a Paytable

Video poker paytables are named by their full house and flush payouts per coin. In Jacks or Better:

• 9/6 (full pay) — 9 for a full house, 6 for a flush → 99.54% RTP
• 9/5 — 98.45% RTP
• 8/6 — 98.39% RTP
• 8/5 — 97.30% RTP
• 7/5 — 96.15% RTP
• 6/5 — 95.00% RTP

Each single-coin reduction in the full house payout costs roughly 1.1% of return; each reduction in the flush payout costs about 1.1% as well. Over a session of 500 hands at $1.25 per hand, the difference between 9/6 and 6/5 is about $28 in expected loss — on identical-looking machines.

Always Bet Max Coins

The single most costly mistake in video poker is playing fewer than five coins. The royal flush payout is disproportionately larger on the fifth coin: typically 250 coins each for one through four coins, then 4,000 coins for five. That jump is worth roughly 1.4% of total return.

If a five-coin bet at your preferred denomination exceeds your comfort level, drop to a lower denomination and still bet max. Playing three coins on a dollar machine is strictly worse than five coins on a quarter machine.

Core Strategy Principles

Optimal video poker strategy is a ranked list of hand categories. Full charts run to 30+ lines, but the majority of your expected value comes from a handful of rules:

• Never break a made straight or flush to draw at a royal, unless you hold four to the royal.
• Four to a flush beats a low pair. Draw to the flush.
• A low pair beats four to an outside straight. Keep the pair.
• Never hold a kicker with a pair. Discard three cards, always.
• Three to a royal beats a made flush only in some variants — check the specific game's chart.
• Discard everything and draw five rather than holding a single unsuited low card.

These six rules capture most of the difference between casual play and near-optimal play. The remaining chart lines are worth perhaps 0.2% combined.

Variants Worth Knowing

Deuces Wild pays up to 100.76% on the full-pay version, technically making it a positive-expectation game with perfect play. Full-pay Deuces is now extremely rare and requires a substantially different strategy chart, since all four deuces are wild.

Double Bonus Poker offers enhanced four-of-a-kind payouts at the cost of a reduced two-pair payout. The variance is much higher and the strategy diverges meaningfully from Jacks or Better.

Double Double Bonus is the most popular variant in US casinos and the most volatile, with kicker-dependent quad payouts that create dramatic swings. Its base RTP on the best available paytable sits near 98.98%, but the distribution is far more top-heavy.

Beginners should start with Jacks or Better. Its strategy is the simplest, its variance the lowest, and its full-pay version the easiest to find.

Variance and Bankroll

A 99.5% RTP does not mean a comfortable session. Video poker's return is heavily concentrated in rare hands — the royal flush alone accounts for roughly 2% of total return and occurs about once every 40,000 hands. Between royals, the practical return is closer to 97.5%.

That means a realistic bankroll for a serious session is 200-300 max-coin bets. On a quarter machine at $1.25 per hand, that is $250-$375. Players who sit down with 40 bets and expect the machine's advertised RTP to protect them are misreading how the math works.

Comps and the True Return

Because video poker generates high coin-in relative to theoretical loss, it produces generous loyalty points at many properties. A player earning 0.2-0.3% back in comps on a 99.5% machine is playing at an effective return above 99.7% — which is as close to break-even as casino gambling gets.

Online, the equivalent is bonus and cashback structures. Terms vary widely, and many online casino bonuses exclude or heavily discount video poker toward wagering requirements. Read the fine print carefully before assuming a bonus improves your return; our breakdown of the best casino bonuses covers which game contributions actually count.

Finding Good Machines Online

Online video poker paytables are often less generous than the best land-based machines, but they are easier to survey — you can check dozens of paytables in minutes without walking a casino floor. Some regulated US operators offer 9/6 Jacks or Better; many do not.

Compare offerings across licensed sites in your state. Our rankings of the top online casinos and reviews of DraftKings Casino and FanDuel Casino note which platforms carry competitive video poker paytables.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best video poker paytable?

For Jacks or Better, 9/6 — nine coins for a full house and six for a flush per coin bet — is the standard full-pay version, returning 99.54% with optimal strategy. Anything less than 9/6 costs you at least one percentage point of return.

Can you beat video poker?

A handful of full-pay variants such as 100.76% Deuces Wild theoretically return more than 100% with perfect play, but these machines are now very rare and typically limited to low denominations. Combined with comps, the best available games can approach break-even, though sustained profit is difficult.

Should I always bet five coins?

Yes. The royal flush pays disproportionately more on the fifth coin — usually 4,000 coins versus 250 per coin below that — which is worth roughly 1.4% of total return. If five coins is too expensive, move to a lower denomination rather than reducing coins.

Is video poker better than slots?

On return, generally yes. A good video poker machine returns 98-99.5% with correct play, while typical slot machines return 88-96%. The trade-off is that video poker requires learning strategy, whereas slots require none.

The Bottom Line

Video poker rewards two habits: finding the right machine and playing it correctly, in that order of importance. Learn to read a paytable at a glance, always bet max coins, master the six core strategy rules, and size your bankroll for the variance. Explore more game-by-game breakdowns at our casino strategy hub.