When Is Video Poker the Best Choice in a Casino and When It Isn’t

Video poker is widely known as one of the highest-paying casino games. With that said, many gamblers want to know if it features the best odds in the casino.

Video poker has lots of competition from other high-paying games. Nevertheless, it can provide the best chance to win under the right circumstances.

I’m going to discuss when video poker pays the best among all casino games. First, though, I’ll go over the intricacies of video poker odds and how they can vary greatly.

Video Poker RTP Varies From Game to Game

When most players think of casino odds, they’re really thinking about return to player (RTP). The RTP measures your long-term chances of winning. If a game offers 99% RTP, for example, then it will pay back $99 for every $100 wagered.

Video poker payout percentages vary based on the game. Some variations deliver over 99% RTP, while others offer less than 98% or even 97% payback.

Even a variation with 97% RTP isn’t terrible in the grand scheme of gaming. This payout percentage is almost on par with European Roulette (97.30%), for example.

If you’re looking for the best odds, though, you don’t want to settle for a game with 97% RTP. Instead, you want variants with payback worth almost 100% or even higher.

Below, you can see a list of the highest-paying video poker games:

Deuces Wild – 100.76% RTP
Joker Poker – 100.65%
10/7 Double Bonus – 100.17%
10/6 Double Double Bonus – 100.07%
All Aces (Microgaming online) – 99.92%
Aces and Eights (Real Time Gaming online) 99.78%
Not So Ugly Ducks (Deuces Wild variation) – 99.73%
9/6 Jacks or Better – 99.54%
8/5 Bonus Poker – 99.17%

Pay Tables Also Affect RTP

Each video poker game offers different pay tables. These pay tables usually differ by just a couple of payouts.

9/6 Jacks or Better (JoB), for example, pays nine coins for a full house and six for a flush. 9/5 JoB delivers nine coins for a full house and five for a flush.

The one-coin difference in flush payouts doesn’t seem like much. However, it lowers the payback from 99.54% on the 9/6 version to 97.3% on the 8/5 table.

In the previous section, I listed the best-paying video poker variations. Of course, you need to find the right pay tables to ensure that you’re getting these lofty payout percentages.

It’s imperative that you know the top paytable (a.k.a. full-pay version) for any given variation. Otherwise, you’ll be dealing with a low-paying game and not enjoy the top odds.

Video Poker Has Fairly Low Volatility

High RTP doesn’t mean as much when the volatility is also high. You can definitely see this on slot machines with 98% payback or better. Slots are so unpredictable that you never know what payout percentage you’ll be dealing with in the short run.

Video poker differs in this matter, though, because it’s not as volatile. You’ll win a large percentage of hands, especially on games like Jacks or Better or Bonus Poker.

Provided you use correct strategy, you’ll get a winning hand in Jacks or Better 45.46% of the time. Meanwhile, you’ll have a winner in Bonus Poker on 45.51% of the hands.

With that said, you can better preserve your bankroll when playing video poker versus slots and other volatile casino games. At the same time, you still have a chance to win a big payout with the royal flush.

Assuming you’re betting five coins per hand, you can win 4,000 coins with the royal. If the coin size is a quarter, you’d haul in $800 on just a $1.25 bet.

Video Poker Can Offer the Best Odds

Outside of advantage play like card counting, no other casino game offers over 100% RTP. Casinos take care to ensure that they always have the edge. They don’t normally offer games with over 100% payback.

Video poker is the exception to the norm. As covered before, full-pay Deuces Wild, Joker Poker, Double Bonus, and Double Double Bonus all offer 100% RTP.

The catch, though, is that these games are only available in Nevada casinos. For full-pay Deuces Wild and Joker Poker, you’ll have to head to Las Vegas specifically.

Assuming you can’t make it to the Silver State any time soon, you might be able to find 9/6 Jacks or Better in your local casino. 8/5 Bonus Poker is also a definite possibility.

Online video poker offers some outstanding games too. Microgaming’s All Aces and Real Time Gaming’s Aces and Eights feature 99.92% and 99.78% RTP, respectively. If you can’t play at a Microgaming or RealTime casino, then you can find 9/6 Jacks or Better pretty much everywhere online.

You Have to Be Selective About Games

You can’t pick just any video poker game and expect to experience success. Instead, you must choose the right full-pay variations.

The games discussed here are all great targets to pursue. You don’t necessarily have to live in or around Nevada just to enjoy great odds.

Instead, you can find variations that offer 99.5%+ payback in land-based and online casinos all over. You might not always be dealing with the absolute best odds, but you’ll at least enjoy some of the top odds.

On the other hand, video poker can also be among the worst-paying casino games. A bad pay table can easily lead to low payback.

6/5 Jacks or Better, for instance, only offers 95.0% RTP with perfect strategy. This payout percentage is more in line with slot machines, where you don’t need to use any strategy to achieve the listed RTP.

The Most Realistic Scenario When Playing Video Poker

Ideally, you’d be able to play full-pay Deuces Wild or Joker Poker every session. The reality, though, is that these games are only available in limited locations.

Therefore, you have to think about what’s realistic. Full-pay Jacks or Better is the most-commonly available high-paying game. You want to look for pay tables that deliver nine coins for a full house and six for a flush.

Assuming you can’t find 9/6 JoB, then you should look for 8/5 Bonus Poker. Also commonly available, this game delivers a respectable 99.17% RTP.

When playing online video poker, you’ll have easier access to high-paying variations. You don’t have to drive to specific land-based casinos just to enjoy favorable payback.

Almost every online casino offers 9/6 Jacks or Better. In some cases, like the Microgaming and Real Time games, you can look forward to even higher RTP.

Tips for Video Poker Success

Unlike some casino games, video poker requires you to work for the best-available RTP. The following tips will help you improve your winnings.

Pick the Right Games and Pay Tables

This post is mainly about choosing the right variations to enjoy the best RTP. You really want to be mindful of the exact game and pay table you’re dealing with.

You can only do so much with a game that offers up to 97% RTP. Considering that video poker involves strategy, you definitely want to avoid these games.

If you’re going to play video poker, then you might as well choose the highest-paying variations. This way, you’ll benefit from the work that goes into mastering strategy.

Learn the Appropriate Strategy

Continuing off the last point, you need to use correct strategy to benefit from high video poker payback. The challenge, though, is that video poker is difficult to master.

Each game requires various intricacies. Strategy for Bonus Poker, for example, won’t completely apply to Deuces Wild.

You need to focus specifically on your game of choice. If you’re playing Bonus Poker, for example, you need to find resources that covers this exact game.

Speaking of which, you can learn strategy through one of two main ways:

Strategy chart
Training program

Strategy charts show which made and unmade hands you should keep in order of importance. You can find these charts available for the most popular games.

Training programs point out any mistakes you make while playing a particular game. Many free video poker trainers exist across the internet.

Assuming you can’t find a trainer that covers your favorite variation, then you might consider purchasing one. The trainers for sale allow you to customize pay tables and practice any given video poker game.

Cash in on Comps

You certainly want to take advantage of rewards whenever they’re available. That said, you should always sign up for the loyalty program in any casino.

Luckily, you’ll already be signed up whenever you join a gaming site. After registering, you just need to make a deposit and begin playing real money casino games.

Land-based casinos do require you to sign up for their loyalty program. You can check the casino’s website to see if you’re able to just sign up online.

Afterward, you’ll receive a loyalty card that can be used with slot machines and table games to rack up points. You use these points to purchase comps within the casino.

Our Final Thoughts

Video poker has the ability to offer the best odds under the right circumstances. However, you must know these circumstances to boost the RTP.

Only certain games deliver extremely high payback. Additionally, you need to make sure you’re on the best pay table for any given game.

Video poker also requires you to master strategy for each variation to achieve the top payback. You can learn strategy for specific games through either a trainer or strategy chart.

Assuming you take all of the necessary steps, then you’ll enjoy the best odds that a casino has to offer. Even if you can’t find the absolute highest-paying games, you’ll still be able to enjoy high payback.

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