On this page

Video Poker Basics

On this page

Introduction

Video PokerVideo 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:

  1. 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.
  2. After making a wager and press the "deal" button the game will randomly give the player five cards from the deck.
  3. The player chooses which cards to throw away and which ones to keep.
  4. The game replaces the discarded cards with randomly chosen cards from the remaining deck.
  5. The player is paid according to the poker value of his hand and the posted pay table.

Ohio Ohio Recommended Online Casinos View All

UP TO $11,000 BONUS

All US players welcome

Over 200 casino games

Play on PC or Mobile

Read Review Visit

UP TO $3000 BONUS

Casino & Sportsbook

American players only

Play on desktop or mobile

Read Review Visit

UP TO 777$ BONUS

Large welcome bonus

Daily casino tournaments

Popular games

Read Review Visit

Playing Strategy

Conventional video poker:

Quick Quads strategies:

Ultimate X strategies:

Ultimate X Bonus Streak strategies:

Online Video Poker Casino Bonuses View All

Sun Palace Casino
Players rated Sun Palace Casino 4 out of 5 Stars

Bonus Code

WIZARDBONUS
Exclusive Sign Up

Exclusive Sign Up

100% up to
$11000

100% Bonus up to a maximum bonus of $1,000.00. Can be used one time per day. The maximum cash out up to $2,000. The bonus chips are unredeemable and will be removed from the associated cashout. Offer for USA and Canada only.
90xB&D WR
Wager the Bonus & Deposit amount 90 times on Video Poker to Cashout.

Same for Classic Blackjack, Blackjack

  • 40 times on Parlor Games, Slots, Dragon Tiger
Claim
Diamond Reels Casino
Players rated Diamond Reels Casino 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Bonus Code

WIZARD50
Exclusive Sign Up

Exclusive Sign Up

50% up to
$400

200xB&D WR
Wager the Bonus & Deposit amount 200 times on Video Poker to Cashout.

Same for Classic Blackjack, Blackjack

  • 40 times on Parlor Games, Slots, Poker
Claim
Casino Grand Bay
Players rated Casino Grand Bay 1.9 out of 5 Stars

Bonus Code

200CRUISE
Sign Up

Sign Up Bonus

200% up to
$4000

+30 spins

New Customer Offer. T&C’s Apply. 18+. This offer is not available for players residing in Ontario. New Customer Offer. T&C’s Apply. 19+. Plus 30 Free Spins on Sweet Success . Min Deposit: $20. Max bet: $5.Max Cashout:  $1000. Cashable.
600xB WR
Wager the Bonus amount 600 times on Video Poker to Cashout.
  • 60 times on Slots
  • 120 times on Roulette, American Roulette, Poker
  • 240 times on Baccarat
  • 1200 times on Blackjack
Claim
Jupiter Club
Players rated Jupiter Club 2.2 out of 5 Stars

Bonus Code

250JUPITER
Sign Up

Sign Up Bonus

250% up to
$5000

+50 spins

New Customer Offer. T&C’s Apply. 18+. All match bonus offers greater than 100% need to be wagered through 60X by Black Diamond, Ace, King, Queen and Jack Tier players before a player can make any withdrawal, and are subject to a maximum withdrawal amount of $1000. Then get 50 Free Spins on Miami Dice. Bonus Code:  250JUPITER.
600xB WR
Wager the Bonus amount 600 times on Video Poker to Cashout.
  • 60 times on Slots
  • 120 times on Poker, Roulette
  • 240 times on Baccarat
  • 1200 times on Craps, Blackjack
Claim

Return Tables

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:

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)

Online Gambling Software Casinos Reviewed Games Reviewed  
Pragmatic Play 1221 6 View Review
Net Entertainment 1197 16 View Review
Microgaming 1108 20 View Review
BetSoft 1050 19 View Review
Play'n GO 993 14 View Review
Wazdan 908 4 View Review
Habanero Systems 686 10 View Review
Playtech 648 45 View Review
BGAMING 647 19 View Review
Red Rake Gaming 575 8 View Review
GameArt 539 5 View Review
iSoftBet 525 9 View Review
Novomatic 317 6 View Review
Rival 202 13 View Review
Spin Games 188 4 View Review
Real Time Gaming 182 26 View Review
IGT 166 15 View Review
Saucify 160 7 View Review
Concept Gaming 109 7 View Review
SOFTSWISS 108 15 View Review
Espresso Games 89 7 View Review
WM 84 5 View Review
FunFair 82 20 View Review
Arrows Edge 77 10 View Review
BetConstruct 65 7 View Review
Amaya 64 13 View Review
Mobilots 35 2 View Review
FilsGame 20 11 View Review
PureRNG 18 15 View Review
Random Logic 14 9 View Review
Expanse Studios 12 10 View Review
xin-gaming 6 5 View Review
Slotland 4 5 View Review
Gamesys 3 29 View Review
Soft Magic Dice 1 8 View Review

External Links

My Video Poker Offerings

Basic Video Poker Info

Practice / Play Video Poker for Free

Video Poker Calculator

  • Analyze the return for almost any video poker paytable

Other Stuff

Strategies

Full-Pay Jacks or Better:

Full-Pay Deuces Wild:

Quick Quads:

Other Strategies:

Written by: Michael Shackleford