Video poker perfectly bridges the gap between the isolated, fast pace of slot machines and the complex strategy of table games.
If played with absolutely perfect strategy, certain video poker variations offer some of the highest payout percentages in the entire casino.
Why the Paytable is Everything in Video Poker
The casino adjusts its house edge entirely by changing the payouts for specific hands, usually the Full House and the Flush.
A ‘9/6’ machine pays 9 coins for a Full House and 6 coins for a Flush, yielding an incredible 99.54% Return to Player (RTP).
- Always play ‘Max Coins’ (usually 5 coins); the payout for a Royal Flush jumps exponentially when playing the maximum bet
- If you cannot afford to play 5 coins at the $1 level, drop down to the $0.25 level so you can afford the maximum bet
- Never sit down at a ‘6/5’ Jacks or Better machine; the casino has increased its edge dramatically to steal your money
The Importance of Perfect Strategy in Video Poker
Once you find a 9/6 machine, you must play every single hand with mathematical perfection to actually achieve that 99.54% return.
Casinos legally allow you to hold a printed strategy chart in your hand while playing video poker; they do not consider it cheating.
| The Hand Dealt | The ‘Gut’ Decision | The Perfect Math Decision |
|---|---|---|
| High Pair + 4 to a Flush | Keep the guaranteed Pair | Discard the pair, draw for the Flush |
| 3 to a Royal Flush | Keep the high cards | Keep the 3 Royal cards, discard the rest |
Video poker is a game of patience, repetition, and strict adherence to a predetermined mathematical chart.