Video Poker Online - Best Pay Tables and How to Play Each Variant
Why Pay Tables Are Everything
The difference between a 98.5% return and a 94% return on the same game variant comes down entirely to the pay table posted on screen. Online video Poker variants live or die by the payouts on Full House and Flush hands, which is why experienced players always check those two numbers first. A standard Jacks or Better machine pays 9 coins for a Full House and 6 coins for a Flush per coin wagered. That "9/6" version returns 99.54% over the long run; the watered-down "6/5" version found on many mobile casinos drops to around 95%, costing roughly $4.50 per hundred dollars played.
Pay tables are displayed before every hand. There is no reason to sit down at a machine without confirming you have the best version available.
Hand Rankings Across All Variants
Every online video poker variant starts from the same foundation: standard five-card poker hand rankings. From lowest to highest, the qualifying hands are Jacks or Better (a pair of jacks, queens, kings, or aces), Two Pair, Three of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, Four of a Kind, Straight Flush, and Royal Flush.
Variants add wild cards, bonus multipliers, or extra payouts on specific four-of-a-kind combinations, but the underlying hierarchy never changes. Knowing where each hand sits lets you make hold decisions quickly without second-guessing yourself.
The Royal Flush Target
The Royal Flush (10–J–Q–K–A, all one suit) is the jackpot hand in every version. Standard games pay 800-for-1 at max coin bet. Some Bonus and Double Bonus variants push this to 1,000-for-1, but they trim payouts elsewhere to compensate. Always bet five coins per hand: the jump from 250-for-1 to 800-for-1 on the Royal is what makes max-coin play the only mathematically sound approach.
The Main Online Video Poker Variants Explained
Jacks or Better
Jacks or Better is the baseline variant and still offers one of the best returns in the casino when played on a 9/6 pay table. Strategy is straightforward: hold any paying hand unless you have four cards to a Royal Flush or an open-ended Straight Flush draw that beats it. The average player needs to master roughly 30 decision rules to reach optimal play, and free training tools online will flag every mistake in real time.
Look for 9/6 Jacks or Better at reputable online casinos; the 8/5 and 7/5 versions are significantly worse and not worth the time.
Deuces Wild
Deuces Wild replaces all four 2-cards with universal wild cards, which sounds generous until you notice the minimum qualifying hand rises to Three of a Kind. The Full Pay version, called "Not So Ugly Ducks," pays 100.76% with perfect strategy, making it one of the rare casino games with a player edge. You need a Natural Royal Flush, Four Deuces, Wild Royal Flush, Five of a Kind, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, and Three of a Kind to be paid, in that order.
Strategy in Deuces Wild differs sharply from Jacks or Better. Holding a pair of deuces and drawing three cards is often correct even when you already have a Full House, because Four Deuces pays 200-for-1 or higher.
Bonus Poker
Bonus Poker grafts extra payouts onto specific Four of a Kind hands. Aces pay 80-for-1, 2s through 4s pay 40-for-1, and all other quads pay 25-for-1, versus 25-for-1 for everything in standard Jacks or Better. The trade-off is a slightly lower Full House or Flush payout: the best common version is 8/5, returning about 99.17%.
The strategic impact is real: you will chase low pairs of 2s, 3s, and 4s more aggressively than in standard Jacks or Better because the payoff on hitting quads is double the normal amount.
Double Double Bonus
Double Double Bonus stacks premium payouts even higher: Aces with a 2, 3, or 4 kicker pay 400-for-1, and 2s–4s with an Ace–4 kicker pay 160-for-1. The Full Pay version (9/6) returns 98.98%, but the variance is severe. Bankroll swings of 200–400 units between Royal Flushes are common, so this variant suits players comfortable with longer dry stretches in exchange for larger peak payouts.
Triple Play, Five Play, and Multi-Hand Formats
Multi-hand video poker plays the same base game across 3, 5, 10, or 52 simultaneous hands. You receive one dealt hand, choose your holds, and each active hand draws independently from a fresh deck. The held cards are the same across all hands; the draws differ.
This format amplifies variance dramatically. Holding four cards to a Royal across 10 hands means 10 independent shots at completing it, but also 10 hands of drawing fees per round. Bankroll requirements scale with hand count: a 10-play session needs roughly 10 times the single-hand buffer to survive normal variance.
Best Pay Tables to Seek Out
The table below shows the ideal pay table to look for on each major variant and its theoretical return at perfect play.
| Variant | Target Pay Table | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Jacks or Better | 9/6 | 99.54% |
| Deuces Wild | Full Pay (Not So Ugly) | 100.76% |
| Bonus Poker | 8/5 | 99.17% |
| Double Bonus | 10/7 | 100.17% |
| Double Double Bonus | 9/6 | 98.98% |
Double Bonus at 10/7 and Deuces Wild Full Pay both exceed 100%, meaning the house edge is technically negative for a skilled player. Online casinos are free to offer any pay table they choose, so these versions are less common digitally than in brick-and-mortar card rooms. Search specifically for the pay table numbers, not just the game name.
Strategy Basics That Apply to Every Variant
Five coins per hand is non-negotiable. The Royal Flush payout jump from 250-for-1 to 800-for-1 is where much of the theoretical return lives; skipping max coins throws away the bulk of that edge.
Never break a made paying hand to chase a Straight or Flush draw unless you have four cards to a Royal Flush. A low pair (Jacks or Better) is worth more in expected value than four to an open Straight in every base variant. Wild card games are the exception: wild card combinations can shift this calculus significantly, so use a strategy card specific to that game.
Free play mode is the fastest way to build pattern recognition. Most online casinos offer demo versions of every video poker variant. Play 500–1,000 practice hands before wagering real money; decision speed and accuracy both improve markedly within that range.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Best Video Poker Games to Play?
Jacks or Better on a 9/6 pay table and Full Pay Deuces Wild are the best video poker games for most players. Jacks or Better returns 99.54% with a manageable strategy, while Full Pay Deuces Wild returns over 100% at perfect play. Double Bonus at 10/7 is another strong option. Always confirm the pay table before sitting down, as the game name alone does not guarantee a good return.
What Is the Difference Between Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild?
In Jacks or Better, you need at least a pair of Jacks to receive a payout, and there are no wild cards. Deuces Wild replaces all four 2-cards with universal wild cards, which can substitute for any other card, but the minimum paying hand rises to Three of a Kind. Strategy is significantly different between the two games because the wild cards change the relative value of many hold decisions.
Why Does the Pay Table Matter in Video Poker?
The pay table directly determines the game's theoretical return. For example, Jacks or Better on a 9/6 pay table returns 99.54%, but the same game on a 6/5 pay table drops to around 95%. That difference costs a player roughly $4.50 per $100 wagered. Two machines with the same name can have very different returns depending solely on the Full House and Flush payouts listed.
Should I Always Bet the Maximum Coins in Video Poker?
Yes. Betting five coins per hand is essential because the Royal Flush payout jumps from 250-for-1 to 800-for-1 only at max coin bet. That jump accounts for a substantial portion of the game's theoretical return. Playing fewer coins per hand makes the Royal Flush payout disproportionately small, which significantly lowers your long-term return regardless of strategy quality.
How Do Multi-hand Video Poker Games Work?
In multi-hand formats like Triple Play or Five Play, you receive one starting hand and choose which cards to hold. Each active hand then draws independently from a separate reshuffled deck. You effectively play multiple simultaneous hands from the same initial deal. This increases variance considerably, so your bankroll needs to be proportionally larger, roughly 10 times the single-hand requirement for a 10-hand game.