Most casino games hide their maths in a help file. Video poker prints it on the front of the machine. The paytable shows exactly what each hand pays, and because the game deals from a standard 52-card deck, those payouts fix the return. Two games that look identical can differ by several percentage points depending on a single number in that table. Learn to read it and video poker becomes one of the most transparent games in the casino.
Game mechanics
- Choose your stake, usually as a number of coins (often one to five) and a coin value.
- Receive five cards from a freshly shuffled virtual 52-card deck.
- Choose which cards to hold. This is the decision that matters.
- Draw replacements for the cards you discarded.
- Get paid according to the paytable for your final hand.
You are not playing against other players or a dealer’s hand. The only question is how good your final five cards are, which is why every return figure below assumes optimal hold decisions.
The paytable decides the return
In Jacks or Better, the most common variant, the two lines that vary most between machines are the full house and the flush. Players describe games by those two payouts per coin: “9/6” means a full house pays 9 and a flush pays 6.
| Jacks or Better paytable (full house / flush) | Return with optimal strategy | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| 9/6 (“full pay”) | 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% |
Dropping the full house from 9 to 6 coins costs roughly ten times as much per pound staked as the full-pay game. The cards, the graphics and the name on the screen are the same. Only the paytable tells you which game you are really playing.
Deuces Wild and other variants
In Deuces Wild all four 2s are wild, which changes both the hand rankings and the strategy. The full-pay version returns 100.76% with perfect play, one of the very few casino games with a theoretical return above 100%. Full-pay Deuces Wild is uncommon online, and reduced paytables are far more common, so check the table carefully. Other variants such as Bonus Poker and Double Bonus pay extra for four of a kind and adjust other lines to compensate; each has its own full-pay and short-pay versions.
| Variant | What is different | Strategy impact |
|---|---|---|
| Jacks or Better | Pair of jacks or better is the lowest paying hand | The baseline; easiest to learn |
| Deuces Wild | All 2s wild; lowest paying hand is three of a kind | Strategy revolves around how many deuces you hold |
| Bonus Poker | Higher payouts for certain four of a kind hands | Close to Jacks or Better with small adjustments |
| Double Bonus | Larger four of a kind bonuses, lower two pair payout | More volatile; several decisions change |
Why maximum coins matters
In most video poker games, a royal flush pays 250 per coin for one to four coins but jumps to 800 per coin when you play the maximum five coins. The published returns above assume maximum coins. Playing fewer coins at a higher coin value gives the same stake but a lower return, because you lose the royal flush bonus. If a five-coin game is too expensive at your preferred coin value, drop the coin value, not the number of coins.
Strategy principles for Jacks or Better
Full strategy charts rank dozens of starting hands. These principles capture most of the value:
- Keep paying hands (jacks or better and above) unless you hold four cards to a royal flush.
- Four to a royal flush beats everything except a made royal or straight flush, including a made flush or straight.
- Four to a straight flush ranks above a high pair or two pair in full-pay Jacks or Better, so break the pair to keep the straight flush draw.
- A low pair (twos to tens) is worth keeping over most draws, including four to an outside straight, but four to a flush ranks higher.
- Never hold a kicker alongside a pair. Holding an extra high card reduces your chance of improving.
- With nothing, hold high cards of the same suit where possible, otherwise up to two high cards; if you have none, discard all five.
Most video poker games online let you play for free once your age is verified, which UK rules require before demo play. That is the best place to practise until the decisions feel automatic.
Three hands, worked through
Here is how the principles apply in practice on a full-pay Jacks or Better game.
- Dealt K-K-7-7-2 (two pair). Hold both pairs and draw one card. Two pair already pays, and there is a chance of a full house.
- Dealt 10-J-Q-K of hearts plus a 4 of clubs. Hold the four hearts. Four to a royal flush is worth far more than any alternative, and you could still finish with a flush, straight or high pair.
- Dealt 5-5-J-8-3, with the jack in a different suit. Hold the pair of fives only. A low pair beats a single high card, and holding the jack as a kicker would reduce your chance of improving to three of a kind or better.
How video poker compares
| Game | Typical best-case return | Requires skill? |
|---|---|---|
| Full-pay Deuces Wild | 100.76% | Yes, optimal strategy |
| 9/6 Jacks or Better | 99.54% | Yes, optimal strategy |
| Blackjack, standard rules | About 99.5% | Yes, basic strategy |
| French roulette, even-money with La Partage | 98.65% | No |
| European roulette | 97.30% | No |
The catch for the games at the top of the table is that the published return assumes perfect play. Every strategy mistake gives some of it back.
Volatility
A large share of video poker’s return comes from rare hands. In full-pay Jacks or Better the royal flush appears roughly once in every 40,000 hands, and without it the game returns noticeably less over a typical session. Expect long stretches where the return runs below the published figure, punctuated by occasional large hands. Budget for that.
Video poker at UK-licensed casinos
Video poker is not covered by the online slot stake limits introduced in 2025, so stake ranges are set by the game and the casino. The usual licence protections apply: verification, deposit limits, the credit card ban, GAMSTOP and access to ADR if something goes wrong. For bonus players, video poker is frequently weighted at a reduced rate or excluded from wagering; our bonus wagering guide explains the effect on value. Funding and cashing out are covered in our payment methods guide.
Paytable traps
Some changes to a paytable are easy to miss. A game may keep the 9/6 full house and flush lines but pay less for two pair, or reduce the payout on a straight. Variants with large bonuses for four of a kind often reduce two pair from 2 to 1 to even money, which changes both the return and the right strategy. Compare the whole table against the full-pay version of the same variant, not just the two lines most players know. If you cannot find the return in the game information, assume it is not a full-pay game.
Checklist
- Read the paytable first; in Jacks or Better look for 9/6.
- Play maximum coins at a coin value you can afford.
- Learn the core strategy in free play before staking real money.
- Accept that high returns are long-run figures, driven by rare hands.
Even at 99.54%, video poker has a house edge, and every session can lose. Set a deposit limit before you play, and if gambling stops being enjoyable, call the National Gambling Helpline free on 0808 8020 133. Our responsible gambling page lists more support.