Online Video Poker Odds
Contrary to the opinion that Video Poker is strictly chance-based, there's a good amount of skill at play with this game. Seasoned bettors know that Video Poker odds are some of the best at the casino, and odds are very crucial to skill-based games. They help you make better wagering decisions, and more importantly, these odds can be influenced with the right gameplay strategy.
However, before you can begin increasing your winning chances, you need to understand the odds. Luckily, this feature will let you in on the odds available in this game, as well as the house edge, payouts, and more.
Payback on Video Poker
This game is considered one of the most generous betting options at the casino because of its low house edge. At land-based casinos, different machines are designed to pay out differently. The best-paying machines are called "full pay" machines or "9/6."
The reason why it’s called 9/6 is that these machines payout 9: 1 for the Full House and 6: 1 for Flush. Other lower-paying machines will bring a higher house edge. For instance, an 8/5 machine would have a 2.70% house edge, 7/5 machines 5.85%, and 6/5 machines 5%.
On the online casino, the Video Poker house edge also depends on the variation of the game. The most popular variant is Jacks or Better and the house advantage here is 0.46%. This almost rivals that of Blackjack, which goes as low as 0.36%.
Video Poker Payout Chart
The Video Poker payout chart or paytable is often displayed on top of the game screen, so you can look over at the hand rankings while you play.
The payouts you'll get for a 1 coin bet on a standard full pay Jacks or Better machine are:
- Royal Flush – 250
- Straight Flush – 50
- Four of a Kind – 25
- Full House – 9
- Flush – 6
- Straight – 4
- Three of a Kind – 3
- Two Pair – 2
- Jacks or Better – 1
The game uses a single 52-card deck, so the Video Poker odds on each outcome is a probability of landing that precise hand combination from the 52 cards available. This puts Royal Flush Video Poker odds at 1 in 649,740, with Jacks or Better at 1 in 7.69. Naturally, the higher paying hand has much longer odds.
However, these are your chances of winning on the come-out deal. Odds on the draw are exponentially more favourable since you may already have 2 or more cards on hold. For example, when you have four cards to a Royal Flush on hold, the chances of completing it on the draw are only 1 in 47.
Payouts vs. Odds
If you play perfectly using proper strategy, some Video Poker games are designed with payout percentages that put the casino at a disadvantage. Deuces Wild comes with a 100.76% payback, while Double Bonus Poker is set at 100.17%.
Of course, that's only theoretical. In practice, casinos wouldn't just sit back and lose.
Every Video Poker game has a house edge, and this is the difference between the odds and the payout. If you consider that the chances of the Royal Flush coming out on the deal are 1/649,740, the payback of 250 is much less than what you should get for such astronomical odds.
As explained earlier, Video Poker odds are a lot more favourable on the draw. Hence on a draw win, the payouts get closer to reflecting your true chances.
Improving the Odds
Video Poker is one of those games where you can turn a potentially losing hand into a winning one if you've got good skills and a working strategy. Strategizing is all about knowing the right cards to hold and discard, and you can take a look at our Video Poker strategy guide for more on how to improve your odds.
Apart from this, there are a couple of other tips to help you boost your Video Poker odds. They include the following:
- Make sure you play full-pay machines
- Play Deuces Wild or Bonus Poker where available
- Only bet at licensed and regulated online casinos like the ones we recommend. These sites will ensure a safe and fair gaming experience.