Welcome to the ultimate Casinogy.com guide to video poker. In the vast universe of casino gaming, few offerings command the same respect and loyal following as video poker. It occupies a unique space, masterfully blending the high-speed thrill of a slot machine with the calculated skill of five-card draw poker. This isn't just a game of pure luck; it's a game where your decisions directly impact your success.
For players who enjoy a mental challenge and want to face some of the best odds in the casino, this comprehensive guide is your starting point. We will cover everything from the basic rules and rich video poker history to advanced strategies that can help you win on video poker. We'll dissect paytables, explore different game types, and show you how to leverage a video poker bonus at the best online casinos. Whether you're a complete novice or a seasoned player looking to refine your skills, prepare to elevate your game.
What is Video Poker?
At its core, video poker is a computerised casino game based on five-card draw poker. You play on a digital console, similar in appearance to a slot machine. The goal is simple: to build the strongest possible five-card poker hand. Unlike traditional poker, you aren't competing against other players. It's just you against the machine, which means no bluffing, no tells to read—just pure statistical strategy.
The game begins when you place a bet and are dealt five virtual cards. You then have one opportunity to improve your hand by choosing which cards to keep (“hold”) and which to discard. The discarded cards are replaced with new ones from the same virtual deck, and your final five-card hand determines your payout according to the game's paytable. This element of choice is what separates video poker from slots and makes it a beloved card game for thinkers and strategists.
History of Video Poker
Video poker might seem like a modern invention, but its roots stretch back to the late 19th century. The first poker-based “slot machine” was developed by Sittman and Pitt in 1891. It featured 50 card faces on five mechanical drums. Players would insert a nickel and pull a lever, and payouts for good poker hands were typically awarded by the establishment in the form of cigars or free drinks.
The true birth of modern video poker, however, is intertwined with the rise of personal computing. In the mid-1970s, a visionary named William “Si” Redd, then working for Bally Gaming, pitched the idea of a computerised poker game. While his bosses weren't convinced, Redd was so confident that he founded his own company, SIRCOMA (which later became the powerhouse International Game Technology or IGT), to produce it.
In 1979, his first creation, Draw Poker, hit casino floors. Initially, it struggled to gain traction as players were wary of a computerised card game. But by the early 1980s, video poker had exploded in popularity. Players realised it offered better odds than slot machines and was less intimidating than sitting at a traditional poker table. The game became a staple in Las Vegas, and its evolution continued with new variants offering exciting twists and bonus payouts.
Today, the video poker history continues its digital chapter. The game has seamlessly transitioned to the online world, allowing players to access hundreds of variants from their desktops or on the go with video poker on mobile. This accessibility has introduced a new generation of players to one of the most rewarding games a casino has to offer.
How to Play Video Poker
Learning how to video poker is remarkably straightforward. The interface is intuitive, and the gameplay loop is easy to grasp. Let's walk through a typical hand.
The Game Screen: When you load a video poker game, you'll see a few key elements:
- The Paytable: Usually displayed prominently at the top of the screen, this shows you how much each winning poker hand pays out.
- Card Display: The main area where your five cards will be dealt.
- Betting Controls: Buttons to select your bet size (“Bet One” or “Bet Max”).
- Deal/Draw Button: The primary action button to start the hand and draw new cards.
- Credit/Balance Display: Shows your current funds.
Playing a Hand:
- Fund Your Game: At a video poker casino, you'll either insert cash into a physical machine or deposit funds into your online casino account.
- Choose Your Bet: You can typically bet between 1 and 5 “coins” per hand. It is almost always strategically correct to bet the maximum of 5 coins. This is because the payout for the top hand, a Royal Flush, receives a significant bonus on a 5-coin bet (usually jumping from 250-to-1 per coin to 4000-to-1 for 5 coins). We'll cover this in more detail later.
- Click “Deal”: The machine deals you an initial five-card hand from a standard 52-card deck (or 53 for Joker Poker, etc.).
- Analyze and Hold: This is where skill comes into play. Evaluate your five cards and decide which ones have the potential to create a winning hand. Click the “Hold” button beneath each card you wish to keep.
- Click “Draw”: After making your selections, press the “Draw” button again. The cards you did not hold will be discarded and replaced with new cards from the deck.
- Get Paid: Your final five-card hand is now locked. The machine automatically checks it against the paytable. If you have a qualifying hand (e.g., a pair of Jacks or Better in the most common variant), you win! The winnings are automatically added to your credits.
That's it! You're now ready to play another hand. The initial challenge is knowing which cards to hold. As you play more, especially if you use a video poker demo game to practice, these decisions will become second nature.
Video Poker Paytable
The single most important piece of information on any video poker machine is the paytable. It is the DNA of the game, telling you not only how much you can win but also revealing the game's video poker RTP (Return to Player) and video poker house edge.
Let's look at the classic “Jacks or Better” paytable. The name itself tells you the minimum winning hand: a pair of Jacks. A common paytable for a 1-coin bet looks like this:
Full-Pay” vs. “Short-Pay” Machines
While the game might be called “Jacks or Better,” not all machines are created equal. Casinos can adjust the payouts for certain hands to increase their house edge. The key hands to check are the Full House and the Flush.
The table above is from what is known as a “9/6 Jacks or Better” machine, or a “full-pay” game. This is because it pays 9 coins for a Full House and 6 coins for a Flush. This version, when played with perfect strategy, offers an outstanding RTP of 99.54%.
However, you will often find variations with reduced video poker payouts:
- 8/5 Jacks or Better: Pays 8 for a Full House, 5 for a Flush. The RTP drops to approximately 97.30%.
- 9/5 Jacks or Better: Pays 9 for a Full House, 5 for a Flush. The RTP is 98.45%.
- 7/5 Jacks or Better: Pays 7 for a Full House, 5 for a Flush. The RTP is about 96.15%.
A difference of 1 or 2 coins might seem small, but it has a massive impact on your long-term expected returns. A savvy player will always hunt for the “full-pay” machines. This is your first and most important strategic decision, made before you even play a hand.
The Max Bet Bonus
As mentioned earlier, betting the maximum of 5 coins is crucial. Let's revisit our 9/6 paytable, but this time see the payout for a 5-coin bet:
Notice that every payout is simply 5 times the 1-coin payout, except for the Royal Flush. At 1-4 coins, it pays 250 per coin. But at 5 coins, it pays 4,000 coins—an enormous bonus of 2,750 coins! Playing anything less than the max bet means you are drastically lowering the game's overall RTP and giving away your chance at the jackpot. If a 5-coin bet is too expensive for your bankroll, you should move to a lower denomination machine, not reduce your number of coins.
Video Poker Types
While Jacks or Better is the quintessential video poker game, casinos offer a rich variety of alternatives. Each variant has unique rules, paytables, and strategies. Here are some of the most popular video poker types you'll encounter.
Jacks or Better
- The Classic: This is the foundation of almost all other video poker games.
- Best for Beginners: The strategy is relatively easy to learn, and the variance is low, meaning your bankroll will last longer.
- Key Feature: The simplest rule set. You need at least a pair of Jacks to get paid. Look for the 9/6 “full-pay” version for the best odds (99.54% RTP).
Deuces Wild
- Wild Cards: As the name implies, all four “2s” (Deuces) in the deck are wild and can substitute for any other card to create the best possible hand.
- Different Hands: The inclusion of wild cards makes hands like Five of a Kind possible and a Natural Royal Flush (without a deuce) extremely valuable. The minimum paying hand is typically Three of a Kind.
- High RTP: A “full-pay” Deuces Wild game is one of the few casino games that can offer an RTP over 100% (100.76%) with perfect strategy, meaning a skilled player has a slight edge over the house. Strategy is more complex than Jacks or Better.
Joker Poker (or Joker's Wild)
- The 53-Card Deck: This game uses a standard deck plus one Joker, which acts as a wild card.
- Gameplay: It's a middle ground between Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild. The minimum paying hand is often a pair of Kings or better. The top hands include Five of a Kind and a Jokeless Royal Flush.
Bonus Poker & Its Derivatives
- For Quad Lovers: These games are built on the Jacks or Better framework but offer premium payouts for different Four of a Kind hands.
- Bonus Poker: Offers a bonus for four Aces.
- Double Bonus Poker: Gives even bigger bonuses for four Aces, and smaller bonuses for four 2s, 3s, or 4s.
- Double Double Bonus Poker: The most popular variant, it offers huge payouts for four Aces with a 2, 3, or 4 kicker, as well as other quads.
- Increased Variance: These games are more volatile. The bonus payouts are funded by reducing the payout for Two Pair (from 2-to-1 down to 1-to-1), meaning you'll have more losing streaks, but your big wins will be much larger. This makes them exciting for players seeking bigger jackpots.
Video Poker Strategy
This is how to win on video poker. Unlike slots, your decisions matter on every single hand. The goal is to always make the play with the highest long-term Expected Value (). This means choosing the cards to hold that, over thousands of hands, will return the most money.
While each game variant has its own unique strategy chart, some universal principles apply.
General Strategic Principles
- Always Bet Max Coins: We've covered this, but it cannot be overstated. Playing fewer than 5 coins is a fundamental error.
- Consult a Strategy Chart: Don't guess. The mathematically optimal play for every possible starting hand has been calculated by computers. You can find these charts online. Print one out or keep it open on another screen while you play online.
- Never Break a Made Winner for a Long Shot: A common beginner mistake is discarding a paying hand like a Full House to chase a 4-card Royal Flush draw. A Full House is a guaranteed 45-coin win (on a max bet). The chance of hitting the 1-in-47 shot for the Royal Flush is not worth giving up a sure thing. The exception is breaking a low-paying hand (like a pair of Jacks) if you have 4 cards to a Royal Flush.
Simplified Strategy for 9/6 Jacks or Better
To master the game, you need to memorize a hierarchy of hands. When you're dealt your initial five cards, you look for the highest-ranking combination on the list below and hold those cards.
Hold Hand Rankings (from best to worst):
- Made Hand: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House. (Never break these).
- 4 to a Royal Flush: (e.g., A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 3♥ – Hold the four spades).
- Made Hand: Straight, Flush, Three of a Kind.
- 4 to a Straight Flush: (e.g., 7♦ 8♦ 9♦ T♦ K♣ – Hold the four diamonds).
- Two Pair.
- High Pair: (Jacks, Queens, Kings, Aces).
- 3 to a Royal Flush.
- 4 to a Flush.
- Low Pair: (Tens or lower).
- 4 to an Outside Straight: (e.g., 7 8 9 T).
- 2 Suited High Cards: (e.g., K♥ Q♥).
- 3 to a Straight Flush.
- 2 Unsuited High Cards: (e.g., K♠ Q♥). If you have 3, hold the lowest two.
- Suited T-J, T-Q, or T-K.
- One High Card.
- Nothing. If your hand contains none of the above, discard all five cards.
By consistently applying this hierarchy, you can achieve the optimal 99.54% RTP.
Strategy Adjustments for Other Games
Remember, this strategy is ONLY for 9/6 Jacks or Better.
- In Deuces Wild, a Deuce is the most powerful card. You should never discard a deuce unless you're being dealt five of them for a Royal Flush.
- In Double Double Bonus, the strategy shifts to prioritize draws for Four of a Kind, especially four Aces, due to their massive bonus payouts. You might hold a single Ace over a low pair, a move you would never make in Jacks or Better.
RTP, Bonuses, and Bankroll Management
A winning video poker strategy goes beyond just holding the right cards. It involves choosing the right environment and managing your money wisely.
Video Poker RTP and House Edge
Return to Player (RTP) is the theoretical percentage of all wagered money that a game will pay back to players over time. A game with a 99.54% RTP has a house edge of just 0.46%. This is astronomically better than most slot machines (which can be 90-96%) and even better than games like American Roulette (5.26% house edge).
Full-Pay Game RTPs (with perfect strategy):
- 9/6 Jacks or Better: 99.54%
- Full-Pay Deuces Wild: 100.76%
- 10/7 Double Bonus Poker: 100.17%
- 9/6 Jacks or Better is the most common high-RTP game you will find at a video poker casino. Games with an RTP over 100% are rare but represent a positive expectation wager for the player.
Leveraging a Video Poker Bonus
Online casinos frequently offer welcome bonuses or reload bonuses. While these are often geared towards slots, many can be used for video poker. However, you must read the terms and conditions.
- Wagering Contribution: A casino might require you to wager a bonus amount 30 times (30x) before withdrawal. Slots might contribute 100% to this requirement, but due to video poker's low house edge, it might only contribute 10% or 20%. This means you'd have to wager significantly more to clear the bonus.
- Is it Worth It? Even with lower contribution rates, a good video poker bonus can effectively erase the house edge and even give you a mathematical advantage during the playthrough period.
Bankroll Management
- Variance is Key: Low-variance games like Jacks or Better will provide a steadier stream of smaller wins, requiring a smaller bankroll. High-variance games like Double Double Bonus will have longer dry spells punctuated by very large wins, requiring a much larger bankroll to weather the swings.
- Set Your Limits: Decide on a budget for your session and stick to it. Never chase losses.
- For High Rollers: Players with large bankrolls can comfortably play high-variance, high-denomination games, hunting for the massive quad payouts and Royal Flushes.
- For Casual Players: Stick to lower-denomination Jacks or Better to make your money last while enjoying the strategic element of the game.
The Gamble / Double-Up Feature
Many video poker machines offer a “Double or Nothing” feature after any win. You'll be shown one card face-up and four face-down. If you pick a face-down card that is higher than the dealer's, you double your win. In most games, this is a true 50/50 bet with a 100% RTP and zero house edge.
Should you use it? It depends on your goal. If you're trying to turn a small win into a significant amount, it's a high-variance but fair bet. If you are playing to preserve your bankroll and grind out a profit, it's best to avoid it and book your wins.
Video Poker Demo Game
Before you risk a single dollar of your hard-earned money, the smartest thing you can do is practice. Here at Casinogy.com, we offer a wide range of free-play casino games. Using a video poker demo game is an invaluable tool for several reasons:
- Risk-Free Learning: Master the rules and the flow of the game without any financial pressure.
- Strategy Practice: Play with a strategy chart next to you. Drill the correct holds for every hand until it becomes automatic.
- Find Your Favorite: Try out Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, and Double Double Bonus to see which style of play and variance level you enjoy most.
Just as you can try roulette free play to learn the difference between inside and outside bets, our video poker demo game selection lets you master the strategy charts before you wager a single cent at the best online casinos.
Video Poker Mobile Version
The modern casino experience is no longer tethered to a desktop computer or a physical casino floor. Video poker on mobile has become incredibly popular, offering the ultimate in convenience and accessibility. The top online casinos have invested heavily in creating responsive websites and dedicated apps that provide a seamless mobile gaming experience.
When choosing a mobile video poker platform, look for:
- A Clean Interface: The buttons should be large and easy to press on a smaller screen.
- Game Variety: Ensure your favorite video poker variants are available.
- Stable Performance: The game should run smoothly without crashes or glitches.
Top Online Casinos for Video Poker
Not all online casinos are created equal for the discerning video poker player. Here's what to look for when choosing where to play:
- Game Selection: The best sites offer a deep library of titles from multiple software providers like IGT, NetEnt, and Microgaming.
- Full-Pay Versions: This is the most critical factor. Seek out casinos that offer full-pay (e.g., 9/6 Jacks or Better) machines. Many casinos hide these gems, so it's worth searching.
- Fair Bonuses: Look for a good video poker bonus with reasonable wagering contributions for the game.
- Reputation and Security: Only play at licensed and regulated casinos with a strong reputation for fair play and timely payouts. Check reviews here on Casinogy.com to find the top online casinos.
FAQ about Video Poker
Is video poker better than slot machines?
From a strategic and odds perspective, absolutely. Video poker has a significantly lower house edge (higher RTP) and rewards skill. Slots are entirely based on luck. If you want to have a better chance of winning and enjoy using your brain, video poker is the superior choice.
Can you actually beat the casino at video poker?
Yes, but it's rare. By finding a “full-pay” game with an RTP over 100% (like Full-Pay Deuces Wild or 10/7 Double Bonus) and playing with perfect strategy, a player has a small mathematical edge over the casino in the long run. Combined with casino bonuses, it becomes even more achievable
What is the best video poker game for a beginner?
9/6 Jacks or Better. Its strategy is the easiest to learn, and its low variance means your bankroll won't experience wild swings, making for a more enjoyable learning experience.
Should I always bet the maximum number of coins?
Yes, 100% of the time. The enhanced payout for a Royal Flush on a 5-coin bet is the single most important feature of the game's paytable. Playing fewer coins is a major strategic mistake.
Is online video poker rigged?
No. Reputable online casinos use a Random Number Generator (RNG) to ensure that every card dealt is completely random and independent of previous hands. These systems are regularly audited by third-party agencies to guarantee fairness.
What's the difference between video poker and table poker?
In video poker, you play against a machine and a fixed paytable. Your goal is simply to make a qualifying hand. In table poker (like Texas Hold'em), you play against other people. This introduces complex elements like bluffing, reading opponents, and pot odds, which do not exist in video poker.
Summary
You now have a complete video poker guide at your fingertips. We've journeyed from the game's humble beginnings to the complex strategies that can turn the odds in your favor.
The key takeaways are simple but powerful:
- Choose Wisely: Always seek out the machines with the best paytables (“full-pay” games).
- Bet Max: Never short-change yourself on the Royal Flush bonus.
- Learn the Strategy: Use a strategy chart for your chosen game variant until the correct plays are second nature.
- Practice for Free: Use a video poker demo game to hone your skills without risk.
- Play Responsibly: Manage your bankroll, set limits, and most importantly, have fun.
Video poker offers a rare and beautiful synthesis in the gambling world—a game of chance that genuinely rewards intelligence, discipline, and skill. Armed with this knowledge, you are no longer just another player clicking a button; you are a calculated strategist ready to take on the machine. Good luck, and enjoy the game!