Casinos were filled with high-paying video poker games a few decades ago. You could walk into a Vegas casino and find various machines that offered over 100% return to player (RTP). One game even delivered 103.2% RTP!
However, times have changed greatly in this regard. High-paying video poker machines are much harder to find these days.
The following guide discusses the highest-paying video poker games that are available today. It also provides some advice for how to locate these machines.
1 – Deuces Wild
Deuces Wild is named for the fact that deuces are wild in this game. It gives you the opportunity to form unique hands, including four deuces and five-of-a-kinds.
This game can offer up to 100.76% RTP, which is the best payback in the video poker world today. However, you must find the full-pay version to benefit.
Here’s the pay table you need to look for to achieve the optimal 100.76% RTP:
| Hand | 1 Coin | 2 Coins | 3 Coins | 4 Coins | 5 Coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural royal flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1,000 | 4,000 |
| Four deuces | 200 | 400 | 600 | 800 | 1,000 |
| Wild royal flush | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 |
| Five of a kind | 15 | 30 | 45 | 60 | 75 |
| Straight flush | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
| Four of a kind | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Full house | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Flush | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Straight | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Three of a kind | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
2 – Joker Poker (Kings or Better)
Joker Poker, also called Joker Wild, adds a joker wildcard to the deck, making for a 53-card deck. It has similar qualifying hands to Deuces Wild because of the wild joker.
It also differs, however, because it only features one wildcard—not four wild deuces. Therefore, the minimum qualifying hand is easier to obtain in Joker Poker.
The version covered here pays for a pair of kings or higher. Joker Poker Kings or Better delivers 100.64% RTP under ideal circumstances.
You can see the optimal Joker Poker Kings or Better pay table below:
| Hand | 1 coin | 2 coins | 3 coins | 4 coins | 5 coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural royal flush (w/o joker) | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1,000 | 4,000 |
| Five of a kind | 200 | 400 | 600 | 800 | 1,000 |
| Wild royal flush (w/ joker) | 100 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 500 |
| Straight flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Four of a kind | 20 | 40 | 60 | 80 | 100 |
| Full house | 7 | 14 | 21 | 28 | 35 |
| Flush | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Straight | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Three of a kind | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Two pairs | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Kings or better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
3 – 10/7/5 Double Bonus
Double Bonus offers larger payouts for certain four of a kind hands. As seen below, it gives out bonuses for four aces and four 2s through 4s.
The best Double Bonus version pays 10 coins for a full house, 7 for a flush, and 5 for a straight. This variation offers 100.17% RTP with perfect video poker strategy.
You can see the 10/7/5 Double Bonus pay table below:
| Hand | 1 coin | 2 coins | 3 coins | 4 coins | 5 coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1,000 | 4,000 |
| Straight flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Four aces | 160 | 320 | 480 | 640 | 800 |
| Four 2s-4s | 80 | 160 | 240 | 320 | 400 |
| Four 5s-Ks | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Full house | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 |
| Flush | 7 | 14 | 21 | 28 | 35 |
| Straight | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Two pairs | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Jacks or better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
4 – 10/6 Double Double Bonus
This game takes the bonus payouts to an even bigger level. It provides larger bonuses for four aces plus a kicker (2-4) and four 2s through 4s plus a kicker (A-4).
The 10/6 Double Double Bonus version, which pays 10 coins for a full house and 6 for a flush, is the best of the bunch. It offers 100.07% RTP under the best pay table.
Here’s the 10/6 Double Double Bonus pay table:
| Hand | 1 coin | 2 coins | 3 coins | 4 coins | 5 coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1,000 | 4,000 |
| Straight flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Four aces + 2-4 | 400 | 800 | 1,200 | 1,600 | 2,000 |
| Four 2s-4s + A-4 | 160 | 320 | 480 | 640 | 800 |
| Four aces | 160 | 320 | 480 | 640 | 800 |
| Four 2s-4s | 80 | 160 | 240 | 320 | 400 |
| Four 5s-Ks | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Full house | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 |
| Flush | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 |
| Straight | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Two pairs | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Jacks or better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
5 – All Aces
Developed by Microgaming, All Aces is similar to Double Bonus. The big difference, though, is that it pays more for the bonuses. You can look forward to 400 coins for four aces.
The All Aces RTP is 99.92%, making it the highest-paying online video poker game. You can only find it at online casinos that carry Microgaming software.
Here’s a look at the All Aces pay table:
| Hand | 1 Coin | 2 Coins | 3 Coins | 4 Coins | 5 Coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1,000 | 4,000 |
| Straight flush | 60 | 120 | 180 | 240 | 300 |
| Four aces | 400 | 800 | 1200 | 1,600 | 2,000 |
| Four 2s-4s | 100 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 500 |
| Four 5s-Ks | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Full house | 7 | 14 | 21 | 28 | 35 |
| Flush | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Straight | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Two pair | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Jacks or better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
6 – Aces and Eights
This game offers bonus payouts specifically for four aces or eights. Four sevens, meanwhile, delivers a normal four of a kind payout. All other four of a kinds pay less.
RealTime Gaming (RTG) offers the highest-paying Aces and Eights game available. Their version delivers 99.78% RTP.
The RTG Aces and Eights pay table is available below:
| Hand | 1 Coin | 2 Coins | 3 Coins | 4 Coins | 5 Coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1,000 | 4,000 |
| Straight flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Four aces or eights | 80 | 160 | 240 | 320 | 400 |
| Four sevens | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Other four of a kinds | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 |
| Full house | 8 | 16 | 24 | 32 | 40 |
| Flush | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Straight | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Two pair | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Jacks or better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
7 – Not So Ugly Ducks (NSUD)
Technically, Not So Ugly Ducks is just another Deuces Wild pay table. However, it has developed its own identity thanks to the cool nickname.
NSUD doesn’t quite live up to full-pay Deuces Wild regarding payback. Nevertheless, it still delivers a very respectable 99.73% RTP.
The NSUD pay table is listed below:
| Hand | 1 Coin | 2 Coins | 3 Coins | 4 Coins | 5 Coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural royal flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1,000 | 4,000 |
| Four deuces | 200 | 400 | 600 | 800 | 1,000 |
| Wild royal flush | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 |
| Five of a kind | 16 | 32 | 48 | 64 | 80 |
| Straight flush | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 |
| Four of a kind | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Full house | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Flush | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Straight | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Three of a kind | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Tips for Finding the Highest Paying Video Poker Games
Knowing the best video poker games is only part of the battle. You also need to find these machines and understand how to take advantage of them. The following tips will help you do exactly this.
Know How to Spot Differences in Pay Tables
You can refer to the pay tables covered earlier to find the highest-paying variations of each game. Even still, video poker pay tables can be tricky.
With Double Double Bonus, for example, you should concentrate on the full house and flush payouts to ensure that they offer 10 and 6 coins, respectively.
Other games, such as Deuces Wild, involve more payout discrepancies. The key is that you know what to look for to avoid accidentally choosing a lesser-paying version.
Learn Proper Strategy
You can’t achieve any of the lofty payout percentages covered throughout this guide without learning strategy. The tough part, though, is that strategy varies from one game to the next.
You can’t use Joker Poker strategy to beat Double Bonus and vice versa. With that said, you should target one or two games and learn them well. If you’re going to Las Vegas to play video poker and are set on playing Deuces Wild, then you should learn the full-pay strategy.
The two best ways to study video poker strategy include:
- Strategy charts
- Trainers (software programs)
Few of the games covered here feature readily available strategy charts. You’ll need to use a free or custom trainer.
A custom video poker trainer costs money. However, it also allows you to set up custom pay tables and practice them. This aspect is helpful if you want to master a game that’s not covered by strategy charts or free trainers.
Start Looking in Las Vegas
Las Vegas is king when it comes to video poker. It’s the only place where you’ll find machines that offer over 100% RTP.
Assuming you don’t know where to begin looking, then you can use the vpFREE2 guide. This site covers where you can find the best-paying video poker machines.
If you’re seeking a quick tip, you should head to Sam’s Town, Arizona Charlie’s Boulder or Arizona Charlie’s Decatur. These are currently the only three casinos that offer full-pay Deuces Wild.
Check Out Online Video Poker Games
You don’t necessarily have to be in 
Las Vegas just to find quality video poker. Instead, certain casino game developers also provide high-paying video poker games online.
Again, Microgaming features the absolute best-paying internet video poker game in All Aces. This variation delivers 99.92% RTP.
If you’re in a country that can’t access Microgaming casinos, then you can opt for Real Time Gaming’s Aces and Eights. This game features 99.78% RTP under the best pay table.
Our Conclusion About These Video Poker Games
You won’t find any real money video poker games that offer 103.2% RTP these days. However, you can still enjoy some that deliver really high payback.
The seven games covered here are the highest-paying variations available today. Four of them even provide more than 100% payback with optimal strategy.
Of course, you do need to visit Las Vegas to locate these machines. If you’re already planning a future Las Vegas adventure, though, these games can help you cover some of the trip expenses.
Even if you aren’t going to Sin City any time soon, a couple of high-paying online video poker games exist too. These are nice fallback options that almost offer 100% RTP.