Short answer, friend: the best video poker odds come from full-pay Deuces Wild (up to 100.76% RTP — one of the only casino games that can cross 100%) and 9/6 Jacks or Better (99.54%, the beginner foundation). Video poker is a skill game — your hold/discard decisions change the return — so the way you lower the edge is: play the full-pay paytable and follow the optimal-hold chart. Do both and you’re playing one of the best gambles in the casino, better than any slot.
Now the two brutal catches, because they decide everything. (1) The paytable. Casinos increasingly hide the full-pay machines behind short-pay versions (8/5 or 7/5 instead of 9/6) that quietly gut the return below 97% — the game looks identical, the maths is butchered. (2) Perfect play. That headline RTP assumes flawless chart decisions over thousands of hands; miss either and your “100% game” is a 96% game. So the #1 rule before you press a button: check the paytable. If it’s not full-pay, don’t bother.
How Video Poker Works — and the Skill Element
Video poker is five-card draw against a paytable, not against other players. You’re dealt five cards, you choose which to hold and which to discard, the discards are replaced, and you’re paid on the final hand per the paytable (in Jacks or Better, you need a pair of Jacks or higher to get anything back). There’s no bluffing and no dealer — just you and the maths.
The skill is entirely in the hold decision. Every five-card deal has one mathematically optimal set of cards to keep, and it’s often counterintuitive (breaking a paying pair to chase a royal, keeping a lone high card over a low pair). This is what separates video poker from slots: a slot’s RTP is fixed no matter what you do, but video poker’s RTP is only reachable if you make the right hold every time. That’s also why, like blackjack, it rewards study and punishes winging it.
The Variants and Their Full-Pay RTP
| Variant | Full-pay RTP* | Full-pay marker | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacks or Better | 99.54% | 9/6 (full house/flush) | Low–medium |
| Deuces Wild (Full Pay) | 100.76% | “NSUD” 25/15/9/5/3/2 pay | High |
| Double Bonus | up to 100.17% | 10/7 | High |
| Double Double Bonus | ~100.07% | 9/6 | High |
| Bonus Poker | ~99.17% | 8/5 | Medium |
| Joker Poker | 98.47–100% | Kings+ full pay | High |
*Every figure assumes the full-pay paytable and mathematically perfect play. That’s the fine print that matters: most Deuces Wild machines online run 97.69–98.91%, not the 100.76% full-pay unicorn, and the “+100%” bonus variants need both the exact paytable and a flawless chart. Treat anything above 100% as “theoretically possible for a perfect player on a rare machine,” not a promise. Even the realistic target — 9/6 Jacks or Better at 99.54% — beats every slot; our high-RTP slots guide shows how far ahead that is, and our RTP explained guide covers the concept.
Why the Paytable and Max Coins Matter Most
The paytable is everything. Jacks or Better is called “9/6” because full-pay pays 9 coins for a full house and 6 for a flush (per coin). Drop those to 8/5 and the RTP falls from 99.54% to about 97.3%; 7/5 drops it further. The machine looks the same, the odds are wrecked. Always read the full house and flush payouts on the screen before you sit — this single check is the difference between the best gamble in the house and a mediocre one.
Then, always bet max (5 coins). The royal flush pays 250x per coin on 1–4 coins, but at 5 coins it jumps to a 4,000-coin payout (an 800x-equivalent) — a huge bonus that’s a core part of the game’s full RTP. Betting fewer than 5 coins throws away that boost and drops your effective return. If 5 coins at your chosen denomination is too much for your bankroll, drop to a lower denomination and still bet 5 coins — never bet 5-coin value at 1–4 coins.
Basic Hold Strategy by Variant
Each variant has its own optimal-hold chart, but the foundation is Jacks or Better, and its priority order covers most decisions. When your five cards contain more than one option, keep the one higher on this list:
- Royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind (keep, obviously)
- 4 to a royal flush — break almost anything to chase it
- Three of a kind, straight, flush, full house
- 4 to a straight flush
- Two pair
- High pair (Jacks or better)
- 3 to a royal flush
- 4 to a flush
- Low pair (keep over a single high card)
- 4 to an outside straight; 2 suited high cards; then lone high cards
Two rules that trip up beginners: keep a low pair over a single high card, and break a paying high pair to draw to a royal only when you have 4 to the royal. Deuces Wild plays very differently — all four 2s are wild, so you hold any deuce and the strategy re-centres on wild-card combinations. Learn the chart for the specific variant you play; the wrong chart on the right machine still bleeds return. Practice free in a regulated casino’s demo mode before betting.
Video Poker Strategy — FAQ
Which video poker has the best RTP?
Full-pay Deuces Wild, at up to 100.76% with perfect play — one of the only casino games that can exceed 100%. But those machines are rare online. The reliable pick is 9/6 Jacks or Better at 99.54%, which still beats every slot.
What does 9/6 Jacks or Better mean?
It’s the full-pay paytable: 9 coins per coin bet for a full house and 6 for a flush. That’s 99.54% RTP. Short-pay versions (8/5, 7/5) look identical but drop the return below 97.3% — always check these two payouts before playing.
Why should I always bet max coins?
Because the royal flush pays 250x per coin at 1–4 coins but jumps to a 4,000-coin (800x-equivalent) payout at 5 coins. That bonus is baked into the full RTP, so betting fewer than 5 coins lowers your return. If 5 coins is too pricey, drop the denomination and still bet 5.
Does video poker strategy guarantee wins?
No. Perfect play plus a full-pay paytable gets you close to (or just over) 100% RTP in theory, but that’s a long-run average across thousands of hands with high variance. Any session can lose. It’s the best value available, not a guaranteed profit.
Jacks or Better vs Deuces Wild — which should I play?
Jacks or Better (9/6) is lower-variance and easier to learn — the best starting point. Full-pay Deuces Wild has a higher ceiling (100.76%) but higher variance and a different strategy, and full-pay machines are scarce online. Learn Jacks or Better first.
Is video poker better than slots?
On odds, easily — a full-pay video poker game (99.5%+) beats even the best slots (~96%), and it rewards skill. But only if you verify the paytable and play the chart. For a casual presser who does neither, the effective return is no better than a slot.
The Monkey’s Take
Video poker is the closest a casino gets to a fair fight — the only category where a disciplined player can nudge past 100% — but it hands you nothing for free. The whole edge lives in two habits: verify the paytable (9/6 or better, never 8/5), and play the chart, at max coins, every hand. Do that and you’re getting more value than any slot and most table games. Skip either and the “100% game” collapses into a 96% one, indistinguishable from the machine next to it. It’s a game for methodical players; if you just want to press a button, you’ll do no better here than on slots. And even played perfectly, treat that razor-thin edge as entertainment, not income. Full context on how it ranks: our casino games best odds guide, and where to play in our best online casinos USA guide.
18+ (21+ where required) · Play responsibly. Even a full-pay machine is high-variance and no session is guaranteed. Problem gambling? Call 1-800-GAMBLER, or the National Council on Problem Gambling helpline at 1-800-522-4700.