Video poker is widely known as one of the highest paying casino games. For this reason, many players want to know if it has the best chances in the casino.
Video poker has a lot of competition from other high-paying games. Still, under the right circumstances, it can provide the best chance of winning.
I’m going to discuss when video poker pays the best among all casino games. First, however, I will discuss the intricacies of video poker odds and how they can vary.
RTP in Video Poker varies from game to game
When most players think of casino odds, they actually think of return to player (RTP). RTP measures your long-term chances of winning. If a game offers a 99% RTP, for example, it will return $99 for every $100 you bet.
Video poker payouts vary from game to game. Some variations provide more than 99% RTP, while others offer less than 98% or even 97% return.
If you’re looking for the best odds, you don’t want to settle for a game with 97% RTP. Instead, you want payback variants 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%.
- All Eights (Real Time Gaming online) – 99.78%
- Not So Ugly Ducks (Deuces Wild variant) – 99.73%
- 9/6 Jacks or Better – 99.54%
- 8/5 Bonus Poker – 99.17%
Salary tables also affect the RTP
Each video poker game offers different pay tables. They usually differ in only a few payouts.
For example, 9/6 Jacks or Better (JoB) pays out nine coins for a full house and six for a flush. 9/5 JoB pays out nine coins for a full house and five for a flush.
The one-coin difference in payout for a color 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 varieties of video poker. Of course, you need to find the right pay tables to ensure those high payout percentages.
It’s imperative that you know the best payout table (e.g. the full-pay version) for the variety. Otherwise, you’ll be dealing with a low-payout game and won’t be able to enjoy the best odds.
Video Poker may offer the best odds
Other than advantage play, such as card counting, no other casino game offers more than 100% RTP. Casinos make sure that they always have an advantage. They usually do not offer games with more than 100% payback.
Video poker is an exception to this norm. As we have already mentioned, full-pay Deuces Wild, Joker Poker, Double Bonus and Double Double Bonus offer 100% RTP.
The problem, however, is that these games are only available at casinos in Nevada. To get a full payout on Deuces Wild and Joker Poker, you will have to go to Las Vegas.
Assuming you can’t make it to the Silver State anytime soon, you may be able to find 9/6 Jacks or Better at your local casino. 8/5 Bonus Poker is also a definite possibility.
Online video poker also offers some excellent games. Microgaming’s All Aces and Real Time Gaming’s Aces and Eights have 99.92% and 99.78% RTP, respectively. If you can’t play at a Microgaming or RealTime casino, you can find 9/6 Jacks or Better pretty much anywhere online.
The most realistic scenario when playing Video Poker
Ideally, you would be able to play Deuces Wild or Joker Poker with a full payout during each session. However, the reality is that these games are only available in limited locations.
Therefore, you need to think about what is realistic. Full-pay Jacks or Better is the most common high-payout game available. You should look for pay tables that give nine coins for a full house and six for a flush.
If you can’t find 9/6 JoB, then you should look for 8/5 Bonus Poker. Also widely available, this game provides a respectable 99.17% RTP.
Playing video poker online gives you easier access to high-paying varieties. You no longer have to travel to specific land-based casinos to enjoy favorable payouts.
Almost every online casino offers 9/6 Jacks or Better. In some cases, like Microgaming and Real Time games, you can expect an even higher RTP.
Tips for success in Video Poker
Unlike some casino games, video poker requires you to work for the best RTP available. The following tips will help you increase your winnings.
Choose the right games and pay tables
This post is mainly about choosing the right varieties to enjoy the best RTP. You need to keep in mind which game and paytable you are dealing with.
If you’re going to play video poker, you might as well go for the highest paying varieties. That way you will benefit from the work that goes into mastering strategy.
Learn the right strategy
Following on from the last point, you need to use the correct strategy to take advantage of the high returns from video poker. The challenge, however, is that video poker is difficult to master.
Each game requires different intricacies. The strategy for Bonus Poker, for example, will not be completely applicable to Deuces Wild.
You need to focus on the game of your choice. If you are playing Bonus Poker, for example, you need to find resources that cover that 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 for the most popular games.
Training programs point out any mistakes you make when playing a particular game. There are many free video poker trainers on the Internet.
Assuming you can’t find a trainer that covers your favorite variation, then you might consider buying one. The trainers available for purchase allow you to customize your pay tables and practice any video poker game.
Our final thoughts
Video poker is able to offer the best odds under the right circumstances. However, you need to know those circumstances to increase your RTP.
Only certain games provide exceptionally high payback. Additionally, you need to make sure you are on the best paytable for the game.
Video poker also requires you to master strategies for each variation to achieve the highest payback. You can learn the strategy for each game through a trainer or strategy table.
Assuming you take all the necessary steps, you will enjoy the best odds the casino has to offer. Even if you don’t manage to find the absolute best paying games, you will still be able to enjoy a high payback.