Online Video Poker Strategy & Paytables Guide

Master Full-Pay Tables, Understand RTP Beyond 99%, and Apply Optimal Hold Strategy

Video poker delivers some of the highest mathematical return-to-player (RTP) percentages in the online casino. Unlike slot machines, video poker outcomes are governed by transparent paytables and fixed 52-card (or 53-card with Joker) probabilities. By selecting “full-pay” machines and executing optimal hold decisions, you can reduce the house edge to less than 0.50%—or even achieve a theoretical edge on select variations.

Core Mechanics & The Max Coin Rule

Video poker is based on standard Five-Card Draw. You place a wager, receive five initial cards, choose which cards to hold or discard, and draw replacements for your final five-card poker hand.

The 5-Coin Rule (Max Bet): Always play the maximum 5 coins per hand. Standard paytables award a 250:1 payout for a Royal Flush when betting 1 to 4 coins, but jump to 800:1 (4,000 coins) when betting the full 5 coins. Under-betting drops your overall game RTP by more than 1.3%.
Transparent Probability: Because a virtual 52-card deck mirrors a physical deck, the odds of drawing specific ranks, flushes, and straights are mathematically fixed and verifiable.

Jacks or Better: Reading Full-Pay 9/6 Tables

Jacks or Better is the industry standard benchmark for video poker. The nickname “9/6” refers to the per-coin payout for a Full House (9 coins) and a Flush (6 coins):

Hand Ranking	1 Coin	5 Coins (Max Bet)	Standard Payout Ratio
Royal Flush	250	4,000	800:1
Straight Flush	50	250	50:1
Four of a Kind	25	125	25:1
Full House	9	45	9:1 (Full-Pay)
Flush	6	30	6:1 (Full-Pay)
Straight	4	20	4:1
Three of a Kind	3	15	3:1
Two Pair	2	10	2:1
Pair of Jacks or Better	1	5	1:1

Expected RTP: A full-pay 9/6 Jacks or Better machine has an optimal RTP of 99.54%. Avoid “8/5” (97.30% RTP) or “7/5” (96.15% RTP) tables whenever possible.

Key Video Poker Variations

Variant	Key Rule Modification	Full-Pay Optimal RTP
Jacks or Better	Base game; minimum qualifying hand is a pair of Jacks.	99.54% (9/6)
Deuces Wild	All four 2s serve as wild cards. Lowest paying hand is Three of a Kind.	100.76% (Full-pay / “Not-So-Ugly Ducks” ~99.73%)
Bonus Poker	Higher payouts for specific Four of a Kind hands (Aces, 2s, 3s, 4s).	99.17% (8/5)
Double Double Bonus	Aggressive kicker payouts on Four of a Kind hands; high variance.	98.98% (9/6)

Fundamental Jacks or Better Hold Hierarchy

When dealt your starting five cards in standard Jacks or Better, evaluate your hand from top to bottom and hold the highest matching tier:

Four of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush: Hold all 5 cards.
4 to a Royal Flush: Break a completed Straight or Flush to draw for the Royal Flush.
Three of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House: Hold the scoring combination.
4 to a Straight Flush: Hold 4 cards; draw 1.
Two Pair: Hold both pairs; discard the kicker.
High Pair (Jacks, Queens, Kings, Aces): Hold the high pair.
3 to a Royal Flush: Hold the 3 royal cards.
4 to a Flush: Hold 4 cards; draw 1.
Low Pair (2s through 10s): Hold the pair (do not hold an accompanying high card).
4 to an Outside Straight: Hold 4 cards (e.g., 6-7-8-9; open-ended at both ends).
2 Suited High Cards: Hold both high cards (e.g., Q-K of Hearts).
Nothing Matches: Discard all 5 cards and draw fresh.