Video poker is a casino machine game based on five-card draw, and with the right pay table it has one of the lowest house edges in the casino. Full-pay 9/6 Jacks or Better returns 99.54% with perfect strategy, and a few rare games return more than 100%. To play real money video poker online in the US, use a site licensed in your state; offshore sites that take US players are not licensed by any US state regulator.
How video poker works
Every hand follows the same steps, on a casino machine or online:
- Choose a denomination and bet one to five coins. Bet five: the royal flush pays 4,000 coins on a five-coin bet, far more per coin than with fewer coins, and the returns on this page assume a five-coin bet.
- You are dealt five cards from a single 52-card deck.
- Hold the cards you want to keep and press Draw. The others are replaced.
- Your final hand is paid from the pay table on the screen.
Because the cards are dealt from a fresh deck each hand and the pay table is posted, you can work out the exact house edge of any video poker game. That is what makes it different from slot machines, where the return is hidden.
Pay tables: the one thing to check
Two machines with the same game name can pay very differently. In Jacks or Better, the payouts that change are the full house and the flush, so the game is named after them. A “9/6” machine pays 9 for a full house and 6 for a flush. This is the full-pay table:
| Hand | Pays per coin (9/6 Jacks or Better) |
|---|---|
| Royal flush | 800 with a five-coin bet |
| Straight flush | 50 |
| Four of a kind | 25 |
| Full house | 9 |
| Flush | 6 |
| Straight | 4 |
| Three of a kind | 3 |
| Two pair | 2 |
| Jacks or better | 1 |
Small cuts to those two numbers cost a lot. Returns with perfect strategy:
| Jacks or Better table | Return | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| 9/6 | 99.54% | 0.46% |
| 9/5 | 98.45% | 1.55% |
| 8/6 | 98.39% | 1.61% |
| 8/5 | 97.30% | 2.70% |
| 7/5 | 96.15% | 3.85% |
| 6/5 | 95.00% | 5.00% |
An 8/5 machine has almost six times the house edge of a 9/6 machine. Look up the full-pay table for whatever game you play, and skip machines that pay less.
Popular video poker games
Most casinos carry a menu of these games on multi-game machines. Returns are for the best common pay table, with perfect strategy:
| Game | Best common pay table | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Jacks or Better | 9/6 | 99.54% |
| Bonus Poker | 8/5 | 99.17% |
| Bonus Poker Deluxe | 9/6 | 99.64% |
| Double Bonus | 10/7 | 100.17% |
| Double Double Bonus | 10/6 (9/6 is more common, 98.98%) | 100.07% |
| Triple Double Bonus | 9/7/4 | 99.58% |
| Aces and Eights | 8/5 | 99.78% |
| Deuces Wild | Full pay (Not So Ugly Deuces is 99.73%) | 100.76% |
Some notes on the main families:
- Jacks or Better is the original game and the easiest to learn. A pair of jacks or better is the lowest paying hand.
- Bonus Poker games pay extra for certain four of a kinds. The bigger the bonus, the less you get for two pair and the bigger the swings. Double Double Bonus and Triple Double Bonus also pay for the kicker, the fifth card, when you hit four aces or four 2s, 3s or 4s.
- Deuces Wild makes all four 2s wild. Three of a kind is the lowest paying hand. Full-pay Deuces Wild is the famous over-100% game, but it is now very rare: the last bank reported in Las Vegas, at Sam’s Town, was removed in 2023.
- Multi-hand games such as Ultimate X deal your held cards into three, five, ten or more hands at once. Ultimate X adds multipliers for the next hand when you bet extra.
- Other titles you may see include All American Poker, Joker Poker and Bonus Deuces Wild. See our casino games section for more.
Strategy matters
The returns above assume you make the best hold on every hand. Each game has its own strategy, and the right play in Jacks or Better can be a mistake in a bonus game. For example, in Double Double Bonus and Triple Double Bonus you keep three aces and throw away the pair when you are dealt aces full. Learn the strategy for the exact game and pay table you play, using a chart or a trainer, before you play for real money.
Playing video poker in a casino vs online
The game plays the same on a casino floor and on a screen at home. Online versions use the same hold and draw buttons and post the pay table on the game screen or help page. The differences are elsewhere:
- Legality. Real-money online casinos are legal only in the states that have licensed them, such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan. Nevada does not license online casino games. Check which options exist in your state before you play.
- Pay tables. Online casinos set their own pay tables, just as land casinos do. Read the help screen and compare it with the full-pay tables above.
- Rewards. In a casino, insert a players card or your play is not tracked. Online, play is tracked through your account automatically.
- Stakes. Online games often take lower stakes than casino machines, which suits learning a new game.
Offshore sites
Offshore sites such as Bovada and Café Casino carry video poker and accept US players, but they are not licensed by any US state regulator, so you have none of the protections of a state-licensed site. Bovada’s terms bar players in 19 states and Washington, DC, and Café Casino’s bar players in Delaware, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey and New York. For details, open the Bovada and Café Casino pages, or see our online casino section for more.
Progressive video poker
Some machines add a progressive jackpot to the royal flush. Part of each bet feeds a meter, and the royal pays whatever the meter shows when you hit it. When the meter climbs high enough, a game that normally returns under 100% can return more, but only in theory: you still need to hit a royal, which takes about 40,000 hands on average in Jacks or Better with perfect play. Progressive machines also tend to carry weaker base pay tables, so compare them before you sit down.
Use a players card
Even the best common games return a little under 100%, so cash back, free play and comps from a players card are part of your return. Sign up at the rewards center before you play and put the card in every time.
A short history of video poker
Video poker grew out of Nevada’s slot business in the 1970s. Si Redd, a jukebox and pinball distributor for Bally Manufacturing, moved into the Reno market in 1967 and acquired the rights to video poker. He founded SIRCOMA in 1975, and the company later became International Game Technology (IGT), still one of the biggest names in video poker. Redd also owned the Oasis in Mesquite, Nevada, from 1976 to 2001, and was inducted into the Gaming Hall of Fame in 1991. He died in 2003.
Video poker FAQ
What video poker game has the best odds?
Full-pay Deuces Wild returns 100.76% with perfect play, but it is very hard to find. Among common games, 9/6 Jacks or Better (99.54%), 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe (99.64%) and 8/5 Aces and Eights (99.78%) are strong choices.
Why should I bet five coins?
The royal flush pays 4,000 coins on a five-coin bet, which is much more per coin than on smaller bets. The published returns for every game assume five coins.
Is online video poker legal in the US?
Only in states that have licensed online casinos. Offshore sites accept players from many other states, but they hold no US state licence.
Can you win at video poker in the long run?
Only on the rare games that return more than 100%, with perfect strategy, often with players card benefits added. On most machines the house keeps a small edge.
Please gamble responsibly. In the US, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is 1-800-MY-RESET (call or text).