Ultimate Video Poker Guide: Rules, Paytables, Strategy and Odds

How to play Video Poker, identify full-pay games, choose the best cards to hold, understand RTP and manage a bankroll online or in a land-based casino.

Written by Stephen Tabone for Global Casino Games. Last reviewed: 25 July 2026.

Quick Answer

Video Poker is a five-card draw game played against a fixed paytable. After receiving five cards, the player chooses which cards to keep and replaces the others. Full-pay 9/6 Jacks or Better can return approximately 99.54% with optimal strategy and the qualifying Royal Flush wager. Weaker paytables, incorrect holds, rapid play and additional feature wagers can reduce the practical return or increase bankroll swings.

I studied Video Poker for months because it initially looked much simpler than it was.

Five cards appear. I keep the cards I want, discard the rest and receive replacements. If the final hand appears on the paytable, the machine pays the listed amount.

Those are the mechanics.

The real game begins with the holding decision.

Every choice changes:

• The available replacement combinations.
• The probability of each final hand.
• The frequency of receiving a payout.
• The value of the possible awards.
• The average return from the draw.

A hand that looks close to a Flush or Straight is not automatically the best option.

The strongest hold is the one that produces the greatest average mathematical value across all possible replacement draws.

What Is Video Poker and How Do You Play?

Video Poker is an electronic five-card draw game in which the player competes against a fixed paytable rather than another person. The player receives five cards, retains any useful cards and draws replacements for the remaining positions.

A standard round follows this sequence:

1. Select the game and coin denomination.
2. Choose the number of credits to wager.
3. Press Deal to receive five cards.
4. Mark the cards you intend to keep.
5. Press Draw to replace the unheld cards.
6. Compare the completed hand with the paytable.
7. Collect any qualifying award.

Unlike live poker, there is no opponent to bluff and no shared pot.

Unlike a conventional slot, the player makes a meaningful strategic choice after seeing the initial cards.

The objective is not simply to complete any paying hand. It is to identify the hold with the greatest expected value.

Are Video Poker Machines Fair and Random?

A regulated Video Poker machine or online game should generate cards through an approved random process and follow its displayed rules and paytable.

The machine should not worsen the result because the player:

• Increased the denomination.
• Recently won.
• Recently lost.
• Changed machines.
• Used a strategy chart.
• Played more quickly.
• Had not received a Royal Flush for a long time.

Official technical standards in regulated markets require random results to satisfy the applicable randomness requirements. Conventional Video Poker standards also require the replacement draw to remain unresolved until the player has selected the cards to hold and initiated the draw.

The holding decision therefore determines which positions require new cards.

Fairness does not mean the player and casino have equal odds.

It means the machine operates according to its published rules, random process and payout schedule.

For a wider discussion of random casino outcomes and claims that results are “due,” see my criticism of casino betting systems.

Can a Video Poker Machine Be Hot, Cold or Due to Pay?

A short run can look remarkably generous or exceptionally poor without revealing anything reliable about the next deal.

A regulated game does not owe compensation because:

• It has not paid recently.
• Another player lost heavily.
• Four of a Kind has appeared less frequently than expected.
• A Royal Flush has not appeared for many hours.
• The previous player won a large jackpot.
• The machine has accepted several banknotes without a major payout.

Changing machines does not repair the earlier result.

The new game has no awareness of money lost elsewhere.

I would switch only for a measurable reason, such as a stronger paytable, a more affordable denomination, a better progressive value or quieter playing conditions.

How Did Video Poker Machines Develop?

Video Poker developed from early mechanical poker devices and later electronic draw-poker machines.

Poker-style gaming machines appeared during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Later versions allowed players to retain selected cards and replace others.

Electronic Draw Poker became commercially important during the 1970s as processors and video displays became practical for casino machines.

Video Poker then spread through:

• Casino floors.
• Casino bars.
• Clubs and licensed gaming venues.
• Multi-game terminals.
• Amusement-style locations where local laws permitted them.
• Online casinos.
• Mobile platforms.

Manufacturers such as IGT helped establish modern Video Poker cabinets and later introduced multi-game terminals, multi-hand formats, progressive jackpots and multiplier features.

The equipment has changed considerably.

The essential decision has not:

Which combination gives this deal its best long-term value?

Jacks or Better Video Poker: Rules and Beginner Guide

I use Jacks or Better as the foundation because its qualifying hands are relatively easy to understand.

A final pair of:

• Jacks
• Queens
• Kings
• Aces

normally returns one credit for every credit wagered.

A pair of tens or lower does not qualify as a completed paying hand. However, a low pair can still be one of the strongest starting holds because it can improve to Two Pair, Three of a Kind, a Full House or Four of a Kind.

The name Jacks or Better does not prove that every machine offers the same return.

Inspect every payout line before deciding whether the game is favourable. Familiar figures such as 9/6 do not necessarily reveal a reduction elsewhere in the schedule.

What Is Full-Pay Video Poker? 9/6 Paytables Explained

In this guide, full-pay describes the benchmark payout schedule traditionally used when comparing versions of the same Video Poker game.

In Jacks or Better, 9/6 means:

• Nine credits per credit wagered for a Full House.
• Six credits per credit wagered for a Flush.

Full-pay 9/6 Jacks or Better has a calculated return of approximately 99.5439% with optimal play.

Its corresponding casino advantage is:

100% − 99.5439% = 0.4561%

At £1,000 of total turnover:

Figures in this table are rounded. A calculation using the full 99.5439% return is slightly more precise than one based on the displayed two-decimal percentage.

A one-credit reduction on a common Full House or Flush may appear minor.

Across thousands of hands, it materially increases the expected cost.

My casino house-edge comparison explains how RTP, house edge and turnover interact across other casino games.

Why a 9/6 Label Does Not Always Prove Full Pay

The Full House and Flush rows are not the only payouts that matter.

I also check:

• Royal Flush payout.
• Straight Flush payout.
• Four-of-a-Kind payout.
• Straight payout.
• Whether five credits qualify for the enhanced Royal.
• Whether changing denomination changes the schedule.
• Whether an optional feature requires another credit.

A machine could display 9 for a Full House and 6 for a Flush while altering another significant award.

The overall return is determined by the complete schedule, not two selected rows.

How Is Video Poker Expected Return Calculated?

Video Poker return is calculated by combining the probability and payout of every possible final hand.

In simplified form:

Expected return = the sum of each outcome probability multiplied by its payout

The house edge is:

House edge = 100% − RTP

The same principle applies to an individual holding decision.

For every legal hold, a strategy calculation examines:

1. The cards retained.
2. Every possible replacement combination.
3. The probability of each completed hand.
4. The payment attached to that result.
5. The average return across the full set of draws.

The hold with the greatest expected value is mathematically preferable.

Player errors create an additional cost.

If a game theoretically returns 99.54%, but repeated mistakes reduce the practical return by one percentage point, the effective return becomes approximately:

99.54% − 1.00% = 98.54%

The payout schedule has not moved. The extra disadvantage comes from mistakes in the player’s holding decisions.

Does a 99.54% RTP Mean You Receive £99.54 From £100?

No.

RTP is a long-term mathematical average, not a guaranteed refund for an individual session.

The quoted figure assumes:

• The correct 9/6 schedule.
• The qualifying Royal Flush wager.
• Optimal holding decisions.
• A very large number of hands.
• Rare premium hands eventually occurring near their expected frequencies.

Someone can wager £100 and lose the entire amount.

Another player can wager £100 and finish substantially ahead.

A low house edge reduces the average long-term cost.

It does not restrict the size of a short-term loss.

Is Video Poker a Game of Skill or Luck?

Both matter, but they control different parts of the game.

What Video Poker Skill Controls

Skill influences:

• Game selection.
• Paytable selection.
• Cards held.
• Strategy accuracy.
• Denomination.
• Number of active hands.
• Optional features.
• Session length.
• Playing speed.

What Luck Controls

Luck determines:

• The initial five cards.
• The replacement cards.
• Whether a mathematically correct draw succeeds.
• When premium hands appear.
• The short-term result.

A correct hold can lose.

An incorrect hold can occasionally produce a large payout.

The outcome of one hand does not establish whether the decision was sound.

Jacks or Better Video Poker Strategy Chart

A strategy chart compresses thousands of card calculations into an order that players can use at the machine.

The player begins at the top and applies the first category matching the cards.

This is a broad framework rather than a complete Video Poker cheat sheet.

Close decisions can depend on:

• Suits.
• Rank gaps.
• High cards.
• Competing draws.
• Penalty cards.
• Paytable differences.
• Wild cards.
• Bonus awards.
• Progressive values.

Even a promising combination such as a suited Jack and Ten can change in value when other high cards, Straight possibilities or penalty cards are present.

That complexity is why instinct cannot settle every close decision.

Are Video Poker Strategy Cards and Cheat Sheets Allowed?

A strategy chart helps the player choose between legitimate hold options already offered by the game.

It does not change the machine or interfere with the random process.

A chart must match:

• The precise variant.
• The exact paytable.
• The number of credits.
• Any progressive value.
• Any multiplier or special feature.

A 9/6 Jacks or Better chart should not automatically be used for Deuces Wild, Double Bonus, Joker Poker or a progressive game.

Individual land-based casinos may set rules concerning books, phones or electronic aids. I would check the venue’s rules before using any device beside a machine.

Can You Cheat at Video Poker?

There is a clear difference between mathematical play and interference with a game.

Legitimate methods include:

• Selecting a stronger paytable.
• Using accurate strategy.
• Comparing progressive values.
• Practising before playing.
• Using lawful casino rewards.
• Choosing an affordable denomination.
• Avoiding poor-value features.

Cheating can include:

• Tampering with equipment.
• Altering hardware or software.
• Using prohibited devices.
• Accessing confidential machine information.
• Deceptively exploiting a malfunction.
• Colluding to interfere with the game.

Historical cases involving defective machines or compromised systems were not ordinary playing strategies.

They relied on faults, deception or unauthorised access.

There is no lawful secret button sequence that converts a regulated machine into a guaranteed winner.

Why Is a Low Pair Often a Strong Video Poker Hold?

A pair of twos through tens does not pay as a completed Jacks or Better hand.

It can still outrank several attractive-looking draws.

Holding the pair creates routes to:

• Two Pair.
• Three of a Kind.
• Full House.
• Four of a Kind.

A clean low-pair hold can return close to 82% of the amount attached to that particular decision, although the precise value changes with the other cards, paytable and competing draws.

Most replacement draws will still fail to produce a paying hand.

This demonstrates why payout frequency and expected value must be considered separately.

A frequently paying hold can still be worth less on average than another available choice.

Should You Hold Two Pair in Jacks or Better?

In standard Jacks or Better, always retain both pairs.

Keeping both pairs secures the Two Pair payout and leaves one replacement card with which to complete a Full House.

Breaking one pair surrenders the existing award and produces a lower expected return.

Other Video Poker variants can use different paytables and strategy rules, so this instruction should not automatically be transferred to wild-card or specialist bonus games.

Are Open-Ended Straights Always Worth Holding?

Four cards to an open-ended Straight provide eight rank-based completing cards.

For example, holding:

5–6–7–8

allows any 4 or 9 to complete the Straight.

An inside Straight normally has only four rank-based completing cards.

However, Video Poker strategy is not determined by the number of outs alone.

A high pair, low pair, four-card Flush, three-card Royal or Straight Flush draw may have greater expected value depending on the precise cards and paytable.

This is why instructions such as “always hold an open-ended Straight” need qualification.

Common Video Poker Hold-or-Discard Examples

The following hands were constructed specifically for this guide. They illustrate the type of conflict a player may encounter without reproducing examples from the source articles.

Low Pair vs Suited High Cards

Suppose the opening cards are:

7♣ 7♦ 9♠ J♠ Q♠

This hand contains a pair of sevens and three spades.

The suited cards may look promising, but 9-J-Q contains a gap and does not provide the same value as a stronger three-card Straight Flush combination. Holding the sevens leaves three replacement positions and creates several routes to Two Pair, Three of a Kind, a Full House or Four of a Kind.

In standard Jacks or Better, retain the pair of sevens.

High Card vs Inside Straight Draw

Suppose the opening cards are:

3♦ 5♣ 6♥ 7♠ Q♦

Holding 3-5-6-7 creates an inside Straight draw that requires a 4.

Retaining the Queen instead creates opportunities to form a qualifying high pair and may contribute to other completed hands.

In full-pay Jacks or Better, the Queen has the greater expected value.

Four cards that appear connected are not automatically superior to a single high card.

Four Cards to a Royal Flush

Suppose the opening cards are:

A♣ J♣ Q♣ K♣ 8♦

The four suited Royal cards should be retained, leaving one replacement position.

Only the ten of clubs completes the Royal Flush, giving a one-in-47 chance on that draw. Other club replacements can produce a Flush, while a ten of another suit completes a Straight.

Four cards to a Royal Flush therefore form one of the strongest draws available in standard Jacks or Better.

What Are the Odds of Winning at Video Poker?

There is no single Video Poker winning percentage.

It depends on:

• The variant.
• Paytable.
• Cards held.
• Strategy.
• Number of active hands.
• What is counted as a win.

A high pair in Jacks or Better usually returns the original stake.

It is a listed paying hand, but it does not create a net profit.

Three measurements should therefore be separated.

Video Poker Hit Frequency

How often any listed paytable award appears.

Stake-Return Frequency

How often the original wager is merely returned.

Net-Win Frequency

How often the award exceeds the amount wagered.

Claims that Jacks or Better pays on roughly 45% of hands often include high-pair outcomes that simply return the stake.

They do not mean the player profits on 45% of all hands.

What Are the Odds of a Royal Flush?

A complete Royal Flush on the initial five-card deal has a probability of:

4 ÷ 2,598,960 = 1 in 649,740

That is not the overall playing frequency because many Royals are completed after drawing to partial Royal combinations.

Under suitable Jacks or Better strategy, the long-term interval is broadly:

One Royal Flush per 40,000 hands

The precise figure varies slightly with the paytable and strategy.

It is an average rather than a deadline.

A player can receive two Royals close together.

Another player can continue far beyond the average interval without receiving one.

Why a Near-Miss Does Not Make the Next Royal More Likely

Holding four cards to a Royal Flush and drawing the wrong card can make the jackpot feel extremely close.

Once that hand ends, however, the unsuccessful draw gives the next independent deal no additional Royal Flush probability.

The chance on the next hand depends entirely on the new cards dealt and the holds they create.

The often-quoted interval of roughly one Royal per 40,000 optimally played hands is a long-term average. It is not the fixed probability attached to every individual hand.

Should You Always Play the Maximum Credits?

Traditional machines often enhance the Royal Flush payout at five credits.

The first four levels return 250 Royal credits for every credit wagered.

Five credits may return 800 per credit.

That bonus contributes materially to the quoted full-pay RTP.

However, “always play maximum credits” is incomplete advice.

My rule is:

Choose a denomination at which the full qualifying wager remains affordable.

Five 20p credits may be more appropriate than one £1 credit, provided the lower denomination offers the same paytable.

How Do You Choose the Best Video Poker Game?

I compare:

1. Paytable.
2. Theoretical return.
3. Strategy difficulty.
4. Variance.
5. Denomination.
6. Cost per deal.
7. Rewards.
8. Personal playing objective.

The game with the highest quoted RTP is not automatically the best practical choice.

A slightly lower-return game may be more suitable when:

• Its strategy is easier.
• I make fewer mistakes.
• The denomination is affordable.
• The variance is lower.
• The game can be played more slowly.
• The rewards have genuine usable value.

Graphics and jackpot size come after the mathematics.

Why Video Poker Returns Can Vary So Widely

Two players can use the same strategy on the same paytable and obtain completely different short-term results.

One may receive several Four-of-a-Kind hands and a Royal Flush.

The other may play thousands of hands without either.

The expected return does not arrive in a steady stream.

It is assembled from:

• Frequent small payments.
• Stake-returning high pairs.
• Less common Full Houses and Flushes.
• Rare Four-of-a-Kind hands.
• Extremely rare Royal Flushes.

Because part of the return is concentrated in rare outcomes, session results can remain far above or below expectation for long periods.

What Is Video Poker Variance and Volatility?

Variance measures how widely results move around the expected average.

A lower-variance game places more value in frequent moderate payments.

A higher-variance game concentrates more return in rare premium hands.

A high RTP does not guarantee low volatility.

Return and bankroll movement must be assessed separately.

How Much Bankroll Do You Need for Video Poker?

No single figure suits every player.

Bankroll requirements depend on:

• Denomination.
• Credits per deal.
• RTP.
• Variance.
• Playing speed.
• Session length.
• Number of active hands.
• Progressive or multiplier features.
• Acceptable risk of losing the bankroll.

That does not mean £13.68 is an adequate bankroll.

Short-term losses can be many times larger because a significant part of the return comes from rare premium hands.

Why There Is No Universally Safe Video Poker Bankroll

Bankroll recommendations are estimates rather than guarantees.

The amount required depends on the game’s variance, denomination, playing speed, number of hands and the level of risk the player accepts.

A lower-variance Jacks or Better game generally requires less capital than a bonus variant that places more of its return in rare Four-of-a-Kind combinations.

Even a large bankroll can be exhausted during an unusually long losing period.

I therefore treat bankroll figures as planning ranges rather than protection against loss.

Should Video Poker Players Use a Stop-Win?

A stop-win sets a profit level at which the session ends.

For example, someone starting with £200 may decide to stop if the balance reaches £300.

This can preserve a particular session profit.

It cannot change the expected return of future hands.

Problems arise when players assume:

• A stop-win creates a mathematical advantage.
• Every session will reach the target.
• A winning machine is about to become cold.
• Leaving while ahead defeats the house edge.

A player may never reach the stop-win.

Another may reach it early and leave before a much larger win.

The value of a stop-win is behavioural. It supplies a defined exit point and may prevent earlier gains from being returned through prolonged play.

What Is the Best Video Poker Mindset?

The most useful mindset is centred on decisions rather than immediate outcomes.

Before playing, I want to decide:

• Which game I will play.
• Which strategy applies.
• What one completed deal costs.
• How much I am prepared to lose.
• How long I will play.
• What will end the session.
• Whether I am still making accurate decisions.

I do not want one losing draw to make me abandon the strategy chart.

Nor do I want a large win to convince me that the machine has entered a predictable hot cycle.

The cards determine the result of one hand.

My preparation determines whether I surrender additional expected value.

How Should You Practise Video Poker?

During practice, I judge the quality of my holding decisions rather than whether a simulated credit balance happens to rise.

My routine would be:

1. Choose one game and paytable.
2. Learn the principal strategy categories.
3. Use software that identifies mistakes.
4. Record repeated errors.
5. Repeat difficult hands.
6. Build speed only after accuracy.
7. Recreate realistic session conditions.
8. Stop when concentration declines.

A practice balance can rise because of favourable cards despite poor decisions.

The important question is whether the selected hold offered the greatest expected value.

Online Video Poker vs Land-Based Casino Machines

The mathematical return should be the same when the online and land-based versions use the same rules, paytable and card-draw model.

The practical experience can be very different.

Does Every Poker-Style Machine Use a 52-Card Model?

Not necessarily.

Traditional draw Video Poker models outcomes from a deck of cards and allows the holding decision to affect the replacement draw.

Some lottery-based, centrally determined or alternative-classification products may use a poker-style display to reveal an outcome created under a different underlying system.

Before applying a conventional strategy chart, check the game rules and help screen.

They should explain whether the game uses:

• Standard card-draw mechanics.
• A centrally determined result.
• A lottery-style prize model.
• Another underlying game structure.

The label VLT alone does not establish how a particular game determines its outcome.

How Do Progressive and Feature Games Change Video Poker?

Modern versions include:

• Progressive Royals.
• Deuces Wild and Joker Poker.
• Double Bonus and Triple Double Bonus.
• Multi-hand games.
• Ultimate X.
• Super Times Pay.
• Quick Quads.
• Shockwave.
• Multiplier and future-hand features.

These games retain the five-card hold-and-draw foundation but can change:

• The total wager.
• Paytable.
• Strategy.
• Number of active hands.
• Variance.
• Value of selected Four-of-a-Kind hands.
• Value carried into the next deal.

A feature may raise the theoretical RTP.

It may also require an additional credit and place more of the return in rare multipliers or premium outcomes.

The relevant questions are:

• What does the feature cost?
• What is the return with the feature active?
• Does the optimal strategy change?
• How much does volatility increase?
• Can the bankroll support the larger swings?

An optional feature is not free merely because it appears on the same screen.

Its extra credits must be included in the total stake and return calculation.

Can Casino Rewards Remove the Video Poker House Edge?

Rewards can reduce the effective cost.

Their value should be converted into a percentage:

Reward rate = usable reward value ÷ qualifying turnover

For example, £1 of usable rewards from £5,000 of wagering equals:

£1 ÷ £5,000 = 0.02%

That is far smaller than the difference between a 99.54% and 97.30% paytable.

A weak game should not automatically be selected merely because it earns points.

The Video Poker Tips That Matter Most

• Identify the exact game.
• Inspect the complete paytable.
• Confirm the Royal Flush qualification.
• Use strategy matched to that version.
• Practise difficult hands before wagering.
• Choose an affordable denomination.
• Compare RTP and variance separately.
• Calculate the full cost of multi-hand play.
• Include optional feature credits in the wager.
• Do not treat machines as hot, cold or due.
• Do not chase losses by switching games.
• Treat rewards as a percentage of turnover.
• Use stop limits as behavioural controls, not prediction systems.
• Stop when tiredness or boredom creates mistakes.
• Never interfere with a machine.

What I Learned After Studying Video Poker for Months

My main conclusion is that Video Poker rewards preparation more than improvisation.

Before playing, I want to know:

• What exact game is this?
• Is the paytable full-pay or short-pay?
• What is the Royal Flush qualification?
• Which strategy applies?
• What does one deal cost?
• How volatile is the game?
• How many hands are active?
• Is a feature increasing the wager?
• What genuine value do the rewards add?
• Can the bankroll survive a long premium-hand drought?

The machine makes no allowance for using the wrong strategy.

A correct Jacks or Better hold can be wrong in Deuces Wild.

A suitable single-hand bankroll can be inadequate for Ten Play.

A progressive jackpot can alter close Royal Flush decisions.

A high RTP cannot protect someone who selects a weak paytable, plays too quickly or repeatedly makes incorrect holds.

My process is:

Identify the game.
Inspect the paytable.
Match the strategy.
Practise the difficult hands.
Calculate the complete wager.
Control speed and turnover.
Judge decisions by expected value rather than one result.

Luck determines which cards arrive.

Skill determines how much unnecessary advantage I give away.