Video Poker Odds and Payouts – Understand Different Games
8 minutes
Last Updated: January 16, 2024
Video poker games are a favorite for many gamblers, mainly because they offer some of the best payout percentages out of any casino game.
While they aren’t as popular as slots or roulette, they are certainly worth your attention, especially if you’re looking for the best value for your bankroll.
But, before playing video poker for real money, it’s crucial to understand the basics. In this regard, odds and payouts of a particular video poker variation are a must-know, no matter which game you pick.
In this comprehensive article, we’ll overview the odds and payouts in different video poker games, look at the house edge and RTP, and discuss other important aspects.
Most importantly, we’ll analyze this information to recommend the best video poker versions you focus on for maximum profit.
Why It’s Essential To Know Video Poker Pay Tables
The role of the paytable in a video poker game is simple. It provides the basic info on how much the game pays for each hand and how these payouts vary depending on how many coins you bet.
There are many arguments why knowing a video poker’s paytable is the most important thing for success. Primarily, understanding all of the paying hands and their payouts enables you to play smart and recognize the risk-to-reward ratio.
Beyond that, knowing the game’s paytable helps you pick the game you want. You can know the RTP (Return To Player) percentages and calculate your long-term results.
In other words, by gauging the paytable, you can avoid games that offer unfavorable payout percentages in the long run.
Of course, to genuinely master this, you should know the different payouts and odds for the variations you play.
Video Poker Payouts for Different Variations
Depending on which video poker game you play, you will find different paying hands. Moreover, by comparing some variants, you will come across vastly dissimilar payouts.
So, to ensure you pick the best one, it’s important to know what each of the popular variations pays out and what the odds of getting a particular hand in each variant are.
To help you in this, below, we’ll cover the odds and payouts for different video poker games. The detailed tables include payouts for a minimum 1-coin bet, a maximum 5-coin bet, as well as the odds for each featured hand.
Jacks or Better Video Poker Payouts
Jacks or Better is the most popular video poker variation. The lowest-paying hand in the game is a pair of Jacks or Better.
If your final hand is weaker than this, you lose the bet. Here are the probabilities and payouts for each winning Jacks or Better hand, starting with the highest-paying one:
| Hand | 1 Coin Bet Payout | 5 Coin Bet Payout | Probability |
| Royal Flush | 250 | 4,000 | 0.002% |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 250 | 0.01% |
| Four-of-a-Kind | 25 | 125 | 0.23% |
| Full House | 9 | 45 | 1.15% |
| Flush | 6 | 30 | 1.1% |
| Straight | 4 | 20 | 1.1% |
| Three-of-a-Kind | 3 | 15 | 7.4% |
| Two Pair | 2 | 10 | 12.9% |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 5 | 21.4% |
Deuces Wild Video Poker Payouts
Deuces Wild follows the previous game as the second-most-popular video poker variation. In fact, it’s the most player-friendly video poker game, as it offers the best payout percentages when compared to any other variation.
Additionally, what separates this game from other poker variations is that the deuces (number two cards) act like wild cards. This means you can line up a more valuable win and get a better payout if you receive one or more of these cards.
Of course, since this feature makes it easier to get better hands, the bar is also set at a bit higher compared to all other variations on this page. More precisely, the lowest-paying hand in this variation is a Three-of-a-Kind one.
Here’s a more comprehensive overview of the payouts and probabilities of each winning hand in Deuces Wild:
| Hand | 1 Coin Bet Payout | 5 Coin Bet Payout | Probability |
| Natural Royal Flush | 250 | 4,000 | 0.002% |
| Four Deuces | 200 | 1,000 | 0.020% |
| Wild Royal Flush | 25 | 100 | 0.17% |
| Five-of-a-Kind | 15 | 60 | 0.32% |
| Straight Flush | 9 | 40 | 0.41% |
| Four-of-a-Kind | 5 | 250 | 6.4% |
| Full House | 3 | 15 | 2.1% |
| Flush | 2 | 10 | 1.6% |
| Straight | 2 | 10 | 5.6% |
| Three-of-a-Kind | 1 | 5 | 28.4% |
Tens or Better Video Poker Payouts
Unlike the Deuces Wild version, which sets the bar high, Tens or Better does the opposite. As the game’s name implies, this variation rewards you for a pair of Tens or Better.
However, the payouts for some bets, mainly Full House and Flush, are lower than with other popular variants. The table below outlines everything you should know about Tens or Better video poker probabilities and odds:
| Hand | 1 Coin Bet Payout | 5 Coin Bet Payout | Probability |
| Royal Flush | 250 | 4,000 | 0.002% |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 250 | 0.01% |
| Four-of-a-Kind | 20 | 125 | 0.23% |
| Full House | 6 | 30 | 1.1% |
| Flush | 5 | 25 | 1.06% |
| Straight | 4 | 20 | 1.2% |
| Three-of-a-Kind | 3 | 15 | 7.4% |
| Two Pair | 2 | 10 | 12.8% |
| Tens or Better | 1 | 5 | 25.4% |
Double Bonus Video Poker Payouts
Double Bonus video poker might not stand out in any particular payout feature or include any unique hands it pays out for. But, it comes with one very important trait.
Besides Deuces Wild, it’s the only video poker variation that offers an RTP of over 100%. With that in mind, here are the payouts and probabilities for Full Pay Double Bonus video poker:
| Hand | 1 Coin Bet Payout | 5 Coin Bet Payout | Probability |
| Royal Flush | 250 | 4,000 | 0.0021% |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 250 | 0.01% |
| Four Aces | 160 | 800 | 0.02% |
| Four-of-a-Kind (2-4) | 80 | 400 | 0.05% |
| Four-of-a-Kind (5-K) | 50 | 250 | 0.16% |
| Full House | 10 | 50 | 1.11% |
| Flush | 7 | 35 | 1.5% |
| Straight | 5 | 25 | 1.5% |
| Three-of-a-Kind | 3 | 15 | 7.2% |
| Two Pair | 1 | 5 | 12.4% |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 5 | 19.2% |
Bonus Poker Video Poker Payouts
Bonus poker is nearly identical to the previous version in many aspects. However, it pays less for all Four-of-a-Kind hands, Full House, and Straight hands.
However, it pays better for a Two Pair hand and generally offers higher winning probabilities on lower-valued hands. Here’s a complete summary of Bonus Poker payouts and probabilities:
| Hand | 1 Coin Bet Payout | 5 Coin Bet Payout | Probability |
| Royal Flush | 250 | 4,000 | 0.003% |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 250 | 0.01% |
| Four Aces | 80 | 400 | 0.02% |
| Four-of-a-Kind (2-4) | 40 | 200 | 0.05% |
| Four-of-a-Kind (5-K) | 25 | 125 | 0.16% |
| Full House | 8 | 40 | 1.15% |
| Flush | 5 | 25 | 1.09% |
| Straight | 4 | 20 | 1.12% |
| Three-of-a-Kind | 3 | 15 | 7.4% |
| Two Pair | 2 | 10 | 12.9% |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 5 | 21.5% |
Aces and Faces Video Poker Payouts
Aces and Faces is one of the most popular takes on the standard Jacks or Better video poker game. That said, looking at the paytable, you can see that this game includes payouts you won’t find in Jacks or Better.
Like the previous two variations, this one separates the Four-of-a-Kind hand into three distinct ones that reward you differently. With several variants available, Aces and Faces makes it easy to find an option with an RTP topping 99%.
Here are the payouts and probabilities you can expect when playing this video poker variation:
| Hand | 1 Coin Bet Payout | 5 Coin Bet Payout | Probability |
| Royal Flush | 500 | 4,000 | 0.003% |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 250 | 0.01% |
| Four Aces | 80 | 400 | 0.012% |
| Four-of-a-Kind (J-K) | 40 | 200 | 0.06% |
| Four-of-a-Kind (2-10) | 25 | 125 | 0.16% |
| Full House | 8 | 40 | 1.15% |
| Flush | 5 | 25 | 1.09% |
| Straight | 4 | 20 | 1.12% |
| Three-of-a-Kind | 3 | 15 | 7.4% |
| Two Pair | 2 | 10 | 12.9% |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 5 | 21.5% |
Video Poker House Edge and RTP
Besides understanding the video poker odds and payouts for the specific variation you’re playing, it’s also useful to know the house edge and RTP (Return to Player). This will enable you to pick the best video poker games and maximize your long-term returns.
The house edge is the built-in advantage the casino has in every game you play. The RTP is the percentage return you can expect from a particular game in the long run. When the two given percentages are combined, they make up a total of 100%. This is the standard rule for all casino games.
In other words, you ideally want the RTP as high as possible. Moreover, in video poker, this percentage can deviate, as it doesn’t always make up 100%, as you’ll see in some examples below.
Keeping that in mind, here’s a detailed table comparing the house edge and RTP for different video poker games:
| Video Poker Game | House Edge | RTP |
| 9/6 Jacks or Better | 0.46% | 99.54% |
| 9/5 Jacks or Better | 1.55% | 98.45% |
| 8/6 Jacks or Better | 1.61% | 98.39% |
| 8/5 Jacks or Better | 2.7% | 97.30% |
| Full Pay Deuces Wild | -0.76% | 100.76% |
| 20/4/4 Deuces Wild | 3.3% | 96.7% |
| Tens or Better 50/20 | 2.1% | 97.9% |
| Tens or Better 50/25 | 0.9% | 99.1% |
| Double Bonus Video Poker 10/7 | -0.17% | 100.17% |
| 8/5 Bonus Poker | 0.9% | 99.1% |
| 7/5 Bonus Poker | 2% | 98% |
| 6/5 Bonus Poker | 3.2% | 96.8% |
| 8/5 Aces and Faces | 0.64% | 99.26% |
| 7/6 Aces and Faces | 0.8% | 99.2% |
| 7/5 Aces and Faces | 1.9% | 98.1% |
As you can see from the table above, there are a couple of popular variations that offer payouts of over 100%. If you want the best returns, your top pick should be Full Pay Deuces Wild, followed by Double Bonus Video Poker (the 10/7 version).
Ready To Play Video Poker?
With the extensive data we provided you with on this page, you can make an informed decision on which video poker variation you want to play.
Understanding the payouts and winning probabilities helps you build strong fundamentals and sets you on the right track to pick an online casino and get started.
But remember, there are also other elements of the game you should master. Keep in mind the information we shared above, make sure to pick a Full Pay variant of a video poker game you select, and have fun!
