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Video Poker Basics
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Introduction
Video poker made its entry to the casino in the seventies; and is today one of the most popular forms of gambling. For the player who likes a game of skill, a low house edge, the possibility of large wins, and the anonymity of playing alone there is nothing else that can compare to video poker. The rules of video poker are simple; you play 1 to 5 coins, the machine give you five cards, you choose which to hold and which to discard, the machine replaces your discards and pays you off according to the value of your hand.
You may have heard the adage that the "house always has the advantage." Video poker is an exception to that rule. If you look for the most liberal pay tables, and play them properly, you can have a thin advantage. Some pay tables, which are slightly in the machine's favor, can return over 100%, if you factor in incentives such as cash back, free play, mailers, and other comps.
Rules
Following are the rules for standard video poker:
- Most video poker games are played with a standard 52-card deck. Obviously, joker wild games will include one or more jokers in the deck.
- After making a wager and press the "deal" button the game will randomly give the player five cards from the deck.
- The player chooses which cards to throw away and which ones to keep.
- The game replaces the discarded cards with randomly chosen cards from the remaining deck.
- The player is paid according to the poker value of his hand and the posted pay table.
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Playing Strategy
Conventional video poker:
- 9-6 Jacks or Better simple strategy (99.46%)
- 9-6 Jacks or Better intermediate strategy (99.52%)
- 9-6 Jacks or Better optimal strategy (99.54%)
- 9/5 Jacks or Better (98.44%)
- 8/6 Jacks or Better (98.39%)
- "Not So Ugly Ducks" (Deuces Wild) intermediate strategy
- Full-Pay Deuces Wild simple strategy (100.71%)
- Full-Pay Deuces Wild optimal strategy (100.76%)
- 20-12-9 Deuces Wild (98.94%)
- 9/4/4 Bonus Deuces (99.45%)
- 13/4/3 Bonus Deuces (98.80%)
- 8/5 Bonus Poker basic strategy
- 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe (99.64%)
- 10/7 Double Bonus basic strategy (100.17%)
- 9/7/5 Double Bonus basic strategy (99.11%)
- 10/6 Double Double Bonus (100.07%)
- 9/6 Double Double Bonus (98.98%)
- 8/5 Super Aces Bonus Poker optimal strategy (99.94%)
Quick Quads strategies:
- 9/6 Jacks or Better Quick Quads
- 8/5 Bonus Poker Quick Quads
- 9/7 Double Bonus Quick Quads
- 9/6 Double Double Bonus Quick Quads
- 8/5 Triple Bonus Quick Quads
Ultimate X strategies:
Ultimate X Bonus Streak strategies:
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Bonus Code
Same for Classic Blackjack, Blackjack
- 40 times on Parlor Games, Slots, Dragon Tiger
Bonus Code
Same for Classic Blackjack, Blackjack
- 40 times on Parlor Games, Slots, Poker
Bonus Code
- 60 times on Slots
- 120 times on Roulette, American Roulette, Poker
- 240 times on Baccarat
- 1200 times on Blackjack
Return Tables
- 2 Ways Royal
- 2nd Chance Royal
- 3-Way Action
- 4-5 Bonus Poker
- Ace & Deuce Bonus Poker
- Ace Invaders
- Ace on the Deal
- ACE$ Bonus Poker
- Aces and Eights
- Aces and Faces
- Acey Deucey Poker
- All Aces Video Poker
- All American
- American Poker
- Anything's Wild Video Poker
- Atomic Fever
- Barnyard Poker
- Big City 4s
- Big Split Poker
- Big Times Draw Poker
- Big Win Poker
- Black Jack Bonus Poker
- Bonus Deuces Wild
- Bonus Poker
- Bonus Poker Deluxe
- Bonus Poker Plus
- Bonus Royals Video Poker
- Bonus Video Poker
- Build a Wheel Poker
- Chase The Royal
- Color Match Royals
- Deal or No Deal Poker
- Deuce on the Deal
- Deuces and Joker Wild
- Deuces Wild
- Deuces Wild Double Double Bonus
- Dice Fever
- Double Aces and Faces
- Double Big Wheel Poker
- Double Bonus
- Double Bonus Deuces Wild
- Double Bonus Poker Plus
- Double Deuces
- Double Double Aces & Faces
- Double Double Bonus
- Double Double Bonus Poker Plus
- Double Double Jackpot
- Double Draw Aces
- Double Draw Poker
- Double Jackpot Poker
- Double Joker
- Double Pay Poker/Deal Draw Poker
- Double Super Times Pay
- Draw 6 Poker
- Draw Poker with Dream Card
- Draw Poker with Match Card
- Dream Card Poker
- Dual Action Poker
- Extra Action Poker
- Extra Draw Frenzy
- Extreme X Poker
- Face Card Frenzy
- Faces n' Deuces
- Fast Fours
- Fever Aces
- Fire Poker
- Five Aces Poker
- Five Joker Poker
- Flex Change Poker
- Flip & Pay Poker
- Flush Fever
- Flush Fever - Nevada Variant
- Fortune X Poker
- Full House Bonus Poker
- Full House Plus Wheel Poker
- Going for Fours
- Good Times Pay
- Haywire Poker
- Hot Roll Poker
- Hyper Bonus Poker
- Jackpot Poker
- Jacks or Better
- Joker Poker (Kings or better)
- Joker Poker (two pair or better)
- Joker Wild (aces or better)
- Keno Draw Poker
- Look Ahead Poker
- Loose Deuces
- Lucky 8's Wheel Poker
- Lucky Quads Wheel Poker
- Lucky Stud Draw Poker
- Lucky Suit
- Lucky Suit Poker
- Magic Deal
- Major Multipliers
- Match Card Video Poker
- Max Action
- Max Out Poker
- Movin' On Up Poker
- Moving Multipliers
- Multi-Hand Ultimate 4 of a Kind Bonus
- Multi-Streak Poker
- Multi-Strike Poker 16X
- Multi-Strike Video Poker
- Multipliers Rising Poker
- Mystery Bonus
- Nevada Bonus Poker
- No Risk Double Up
- Number Bonus
- One-Eyed Jacks
- Pay the Aces Video Poker
- Peek and Play Poker
- Pick 'em Poker
- Pick a Multiplier Poker
- Poppin' Multipliers Poker
- Power Quads
- Power Stacks Poker
- Powerhouse Poker
- Pyramid Bonus Poker
- Pyramid Poker
- Quick Quads
- Rack 'Em Up Poker
- Red Black Double Double Bonus Poker
- Reversible Royals
- Royal Aces Bonus Poker
- Royal Bonus Poker
- Royal Court
- Royal Deal Poker
- Royal Draw
- Royal Hunt Poker
- Sequential Royal
- Sevens and Joker Wild
- Sevens Wild
- Shockwave
- Sneak Peek Video Poker
- Spin Fever
- Spin Poker
- Split Card Poker
- Stack 'em High Poker
- Stack 'em Poker
- Stack the Deck Poker
- Straight Flush Bonus
- Stud Choice Poker
- Suit Yourself
- Super Aces Bonus
- Super Bonus Deuces Wild
- Super Double Bonus
- Super Double Double Bonus Poker
- Super Draw 6 Poker
- Super Draw Poker
- Super Hand Poker
- Super Hot Roll
- Super Look Ahead Poker
- Super Peek and Play
- Super Times Pay
- Super Times Pay Super Stacks
- Super Triple Bonus
- Super Video Hold 'Em
- Tens or Better
- Three Card Draw Poker
- Trade Up Poker
- Triple Bonus
- Triple Bonus Poker Plus
- Triple Deuces Wild - Odds
- Triple Double Bonus Poker
- Triple Play Keno Draw Poker
- Triple Triple Bonus Video Poker
- Triple Trouble
- Turbo Poker
- Turbo Video Poker
- Ultimate 4 of a Kind Bonus Poker
- Ultimate Aces Poker
- Ultimate X -- Multi-Line
- Ultimate X (single line)
- Ultimate X Gold
- Ultimate X Poker Bonus Streak
- Ultimate X Wheel Poker
- Ultra Bonus Poker
- Video Hold 'Em
- Video Poker with Replacement
- Wheel Poker
- Wheel Poker Deluxe
- Wheel Poker with Quick Quads
- White Hot Aces
- Wild! Wild! Wild!
- Winning Streak Poker
- Without Wheels Video Poker
- World Poker Tour Multi-Strike Super Video Hold 'Em
- World Series of Poker
- Xtra Card
Can't find the game or pay table you're looking for?
Video Poker Help Starts Here also carries lots of return tables.
Cheat Sheets
For just the pay tables and returns of major games and pay tables see these documents:
- Video Poker Cheat Sheet — version 1. HTML. Does include Triple Bonus Poker Plus. Returns to two decimal points.
- Video Poker Cheat Sheet — version 1. One PDF page. Does not include Triple Bonus Poker Plus. Returns to one decimal point.
- Video Poker Cheat Sheet — version 2. Five PDF pages. Does include Triple Bonus Poker Plus. Returns to two decimal points.
Play for Fun
Practice over a dozen video poker games on my new and improved video poker game, available in both single-hand and multi-play.
Five-Card Hand Calculator
My free video poker analyzer will calculate the best way to play any hand and any pay table for most video poker games.
Game Return Calculator
My video poker analyzer will calculate the return for just about any video poker game in seconds.
Strategy Maker
I'm very proud to offer the only free video poker strategy maker. Enter any common game and then the pay table and the calculator will produce a near-optimal strategy. Here is an example of the output for 9-6 Jacks or Better.
Miscellaneous Advice and Comments
- Always play the maximum coins. I have never seen a machine that didn't offer a bonus on the highest hand for five coins played. If you are uncomfortable playing five coins, then drop down to a lower coinage.
- The cards are chosen at random and the games are fair. There is no switch inside the machine that can make the machine loose or tight. Do not be fooled by Pull Tabs, which are not real video poker games.
- A royal flush can come along at any time with equal probability. A machine is never "overdue" in the sense that it becomes more likely to hit. Theories such as that a machine will get tight right before hitting a royal are simply not true.
- Always use a slot club card if there is one, and there usually is. This is free money for playing, and can often make the difference in having an edge or not.
- When you put your slot club card in make sure the game can read it. Every few minutes check to ensure the connection isn't lost.
- Do research on where the most generous machines are. The best source in my opinion is VP insider, a subscription based site costing $20 for the first three months, and $15 for each additional three months. The best free source in my opinion is VP Free.
- Some games offer a double-up feature. This, and the odds in craps, are the only bets you can make with no house edge. Whether you make the double-up bet should depend on your reason for playing. If you want low volatility, with long "time on device", you should decline it. If you are playing a 100%+ game, you should decline it. If you want high volatility, you should accept it. If you want to maximize return, including money bet on the double, then you should accept it. If you should take, up to what point, you may ask? That is something you can decide for yourself, according to how much you value risk vs. reward.
- Tipping in video poker, as well as any game, is a matter of much debate. I think a good rule of thumb is to tip 0.5% to 1.0% on any jackpot requiring a hand pay. The smaller the jackpot, the larger the percentage. An exception can be made for games in which you get hand pays frequently, like $5 10-play. In this case, tipping on just big wins, or at the end of the session is acceptable. If you lost badly, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't tip.
Video Poker in San Diego
In November 2008 I did a video poker survey of the 11 casinos in San Diego County.
Video Poker in Macau
For a detailed explanation of the video poker scene in Macau, please visit my companion site, Wizard of Macau.
Expected Values of Bonuses in Video Poker
Often Internet casinos will match a deposit with free money. However, to withdraw you have to complete a lengthy play requirement. My page on Bonus Expected Values in Video Poker will show you your probability of completing the play requirement and how much you can expect to have left.
Taxable Return from Video Poker
Effective in 2018, any win covered by a W2G form will be taxable for many more Americans, due to an increase in the standard deduction, which will cause many more filers to not itemize and thus not be able to deduct offsetting losses. I show how much of your video poker wins will be $1,200 or more in my page on Taxable Return from Video Poker.
Video Poker Speed Records
The Wizard of Odds hosts the world records for the fastest video poker player. Separate records are kept for both a single machine and playing two at once. For all the details and videos, please visit Video Poker Speed Records.
Top Software for Video Poker (35)
External Links
- Wizard of Vegas for a more simplified explanation of video poker.
- Video Poker Strategy Master by Tom Ski.
- Video Poker for Winners by Bob Dancer.