What are the odds of video poker and keno games? Video poker has excellent odds. This can be over 99% at some casinos. As with the table games, you need to know the correct strategy to get the best returns. Mistakes, for example splitting a pair at the wrong time to draw to a stronger hand, will give extra money to the house.
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Video poker is not the easiest game to play in the casino, but it is certainly one that offers the player a great chance to win. There are many different variations of this classic online casino game and the odds vary between them.
Picking the game with the best Return To Player (RTP) is key if you intend to play video poker and you want the best chance to win.
- With video poker, most of the versions have an RTP well into the high 90s. Here's a look at some of the video poker games with the best odds that you can play here at LuckyStar Casino. Jacks or Better. This is the most common version of video poker you'll find at online casinos.
- Video poker is also one of the best games that casinos have to offer when it comes to odds of winning. Video Poker odds calculator The most respected online casinos allow players to compare different games of this type, get familiar with them without risking play money, learning about the best Video Poker odds, and even using a special.
- Video poker payout odds can be different depending on the game, but a Jacks or Better game played with a perfect strategy can give the player a 99.54 percent return on their money. Even if you don't know perfect video poker strategy and you only make the occasional mistake, that average return will only drop down to 99.52 percent.
By doing this and using basic strategy, you can ensure the casino has the lowest house edge possible and, in some instances, in theory at least, the expected RTP can actually go beyond 100%.
This, believe it or not, means that on average the player can expect to win, not lose; a position you will rarely – if ever – find on any other game in the casino world.
Video Poker: The Basics
We said that video poker is not the simplest game around and that in order to maximise your odds of winning, a little skill or (more accurately) knowledge, is required. That is because, no matter which variant of this game you opt for, in order to maximise the RTP you need to make sure you play basic/optimal, strategy.
Unlike roulette, slots, and many other popular betting options in a casino, when it comes to video poker there are decisions the player must make and these choices impact returns. Mastering basic strategy is easy enough though, not least because you can simply consult a guide as you play.
So, assuming you make the right calls at the table, if you choose the right game as well, you will be playing one of the best games in the casino as far as the RTP is concerned. There are two main ways in which video poker game variants differ when it comes to the casino's advantage over the player.
Firstly, the payouts vary. We shall look at this in more detail but they can vary due to some 'machines' not being 'full pay' (again, of which more later). Payouts often also vary due to the number of coins a player is using, whilst last of all large jackpots (often progressive, linked jackpots) can alter how much is won for the best hand, a royal flush.
The RTP may also differ due to rule differences between games, with a range of different versions of video poker having been invented to tempt players. Some versions feature wilds, others offer enhanced payouts for specific hands whilst others have rule quirks designed to deliver bigger payouts.
As a general rule (and this applies to variants of other casino games too, including slots), the fancier a game looks, the bigger the house edge (that is, the casino's advantage over the player). That is not always the case but often the simplest versions of a given game are the ones with the best RTPs. That is because casinos know that the newer, more exciting games, often with higher variance (so more chance to win a large amount but equally a higher chance of losing) are more tempting to players, so the RTP does not need to be the selling point.
Anyway, let's cut to the chase: which video poker games offer the best odds of winning and the best Return To Player rates?
Best RTP Video Poker
In order to get the very best possible return, you need to stack all possible cards in your favour. That means you need to get a full pay machine with favourable rules, play the maximum coins and, ideally, find a game with a large jackpot. In such a scenario, the RTP can, as alluded to, exceed 100%. We'll look at that specific scenario shortly but let us now focus on the highest RTP in a standard game of video poker.
There are so many different minor variations within video poker that we cannot list all possible options here. As well as the huge number of different game types, each can be tweaked to pay at a slightly higher or lower rate. In addition, the biggest wins are typically only available to players using maximum coins and so the RTP will vary depending on whether or not you are doing that. To illustrate what we mean, see the table below which shows an example of the payout for a royal flush depending on how many coins you are using.
| Coins Played | Royal Flush Payout | Payout Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 250 | 250 to 1 |
| 2 | 500 | 250 to 1 |
| 3 | 750 | 250 to 1 |
| 4 | 1000 | 250 to 1 |
| 5 | 4000 | 800 to 1 |
As you can see, by playing one, two, three or four coins the ratio between the payout for the best hand does not change. What you win goes up in line with what you stake and indeed this is the same for the other hands as well as a royal flush. However, if a player plays the maximum coins their win on the royal flush (and only the royal flush) quadruples. Rather than going up by 25% in line with the increased stake, it goes up by 400%, a huge bonus.
Whilst the odds of getting a royal flush playing video poker are slim, this massive boosted payout has a large overall impact on the RTP. So, in the table below, note that we are always assuming both a full pay variant of the game and also that the player is wagering the maximum number of coins possible. Only by playing basic strategy at a full pay game, with maximum coins, can the following incredible RTP rates be achieved.
| Video Poker Game | Best Achievable RTP % |
|---|---|
| Deuces Wild | 100.76 |
| Jokers Wild (Kings or Better) | 100.65 |
| Double Bonus | 100.17 |
| Double Double Bonus | 100.07 |
| One Eyed Jacks | 99.98 |
| Super Aces | 99.94 |
| Triple Deuces Wild | 99.92 |
| Double Joker Wild | 99.91 |
| Jacks Or Better | 99.54 |
| 8/5 Bonus Poker* | 99.17 |
*Note that this game is a reduced-payout variant but even with the 8/5 payout it offers good returns due to the bonus rules.
Note that not all these games are widely available and, in fact, you may well struggle to find some of them online. Equally, whilst you may find some of these video poker variants, you may also find that they are only offered with reduced payouts. Many of the best RTP versions of video poker are actually only to be found in certain bricks and mortar casinos and even there they are becoming increasingly rare. Establishments that do offer them tend to do so in the hope that they will act as a loss-leader, bringing people into the casino who will then lose on other games, or offering up good publicity for the casino as an establishment that offers high payouts.
In terms of what is available online, you will always find Jacks Or Better. It should be easy enough to find a Jacks Or Better game that is full pay too and that RTP of 99.54% is pretty hard to beat on any other casino game. You can, perhaps a little surprisingly, also find Deuces Wild at most of the best online casinos around.
In short, this is the key game that you should be looking for but only if it offers the RTP we have listed above. We checked a number of the best casino and video poker sites around and often the RTP for Deuces Wild was much lower than that headline figure, sometimes even as low as 95%. This is typically due to a reduced payout on one or more of the hands.
Finding the RTP for a given video poker variant at whichever casino you like to play at is fairly straightforward. Many sites have a dedicated page where all RTPs are listed. Alternatively, you may find it in the FAQ, in the game information when you load it or, as a last resort, you can ask customer support on live chat.
It is also worth noting that many casinos offer more than one version of the same variant, so for example a casino might have Deuces Wild but from two different games providers. If this is the case it is always worth checking which option has the best RTP as often they will be different. One site that we checked offered five versions of Deuces Wild with RTPs ranging from 95% to 99%.
Of the whopping 46 versions they offered of video poker, in general, the range of RTP was even bigger. At the top end, they had several games with a generous RTP of over 99%. The highest was All Aces Poker at a very tidy 99.92%. The lowest was a relatively rare version of the game called Four by Four Louisiana Double and the RTP was a simply dreadful 94.00% and can be even lower at some casinos.
Best Video Poker Conclusion
Ask most people who know a little about video poker and they will probably say that Deuces Wild offers the best odds version of the game with the highest RTP. At some sites, this will be true and if you can find a full pay version of the game then it will almost always be true in more general terms. However, true full pay Deuces Wild is very hard to find these days, with most versions of the game offering a lower RTP than some other options.
In truth, it is common for games developers to offer slightly different versions of each game. In addition, casinos often tweak the payouts for one or more of the hands. Because of this, there is no simple answer to the question of which video poker game has the best odds. In short, it varies.
What we would say, though, is that there really is no reason to ever play a game with an RTP under 99% unless you really like something about the gameplay. Almost all online casinos will have a few options above this level, with 99.5% a good target to aim for if you are happy to play a fairly standard version of the game. Just check before you play, or even get on live chat and ask them which of their video pokers has the best RTP.
Jackpot Video Poker: RTP Over 100%?
Finding video poker variants with a positive expectation for the player is, unsurprisingly, not at all easy; but it is not impossible. Usually, the edge a player may have is so small that it is not really worth bothering with beyond as a bit of fun. An RTP of just over 100% does mean, in theory, that the player will win but, in simple terms, they cannot play the hands quickly enough to make it worthwhile as a means to make money.
One way that can change, however, is when it comes to video poker that has a linked jackpot. These progressive games typically pay a reduced payout on one or more of the high hands beneath a royal flush. They can then use the stakes 'saved' to increase the standard payout for a royal flush. The overall RTP for the game will stay the same in the long term but if a long period of time passes without anyone hitting the top hand, the jackpot will build up.
Once it reaches a certain level the game has a positive expectation for any player. The value of the royal flush reaches a level at which the RTP goes over the magical 100% mark. However, the key thing to note about this is that the positive expectation will only be realised for that one, single, lucky player that happens to hit the royal flush at the right time.
All the other players staking on the game up to that point will gain no benefit from the theoretical advantage they held whilst trying to scoop the big prize. Such games offer high variance, meaning a very big win for a small number of players (in this case just one) and losses for most of the rest.
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Although video poker can be the best game in the casino, many players reduce it to a slots-like gamble by consistently making huge mistakes. Most players don't understand how you can improve your odds in video poker, and therefore they sit on the machines and dump their money as a result.
This article is going to lay out the ten most common video poker mistakes that are costing you money, and will also teach you how to correct each mistake.
Mistake #1 – Not Playing Five Coins
It is ridiculous that players still mix this one up because it is such a simple fix. If you look at any video poker pay table you'll notice that royal flush payouts are huge for five coin bets. In fact, they are actually too big if you look at the one coin, two coin, three coin, and four coin bets. Most royal flushes pay out 250 coins for a one coin bet, 500 coins for a two coin bet, 750 coins for a three coin bet, and 1000 coins for a four coin bet. However, the five coin bet pays out 4000 coins for a royal flush.
Since the five coin payout is proportionally larger than the payouts for smaller bets, betting five coins actually increases the return of the game and decreases the house edge.
Mistake #2 – Not Joining the Slot Club
This is another no brainer that people screw up all the time. Every casino you play at (both online and offline) will likely offer some form of a slot club. These slot clubs award cash back for playing slot machines and video poker, and base the amount of cash back on how much play you put through the machines. If you run the numbers you'll see that you usually get anywhere from 0.25% to 1.25% cash back.
Casino cruise online. That doesn't seem like much, right? However, when you're talking about the extremely low house edges in video poker, a couple of percentage points can make the difference between a losing machine and a winning machine. The slot club is always free, so make sure to get your card before playing.
Mistake #3 - Playing the Wrong Games
This is another foolish blunder that costs video poker players time and money. Video poker, unlike slots, allows you to calculate the exact expected return on any game you play. With that sort of information, you can always figure out which video poker machine pays the highest. If you can easily figure out what machine pays best, why would you play anything else? We don't understand it, but people are always sitting on lower paying machines every time we walk into a casino.
Check out our listing of video poker games to find the highest paying machines. Planet 7 casino withdrawal.
Wizard Of Odds Video Poker Strategy
Mistake #4 - Using Incorrect Strategy
This mistake is often committed by the players who commit mistake number three. Most players don't realize it, but playing with even a slightly incorrect strategy can cost you 1-2% off of the maximum payout percentage. And if you're using a strategy that isn't even close, you'll be at least 5% off of the max return.
With all of the odds and information available online, any player can find a solid strategy chart to use for almost any machine type. In fact, we have free video poker strategy charts on our site for over half a dozen games. All you have to do is print them out and head to the casino, and you'll be at a near-perfect level of play. If you can't find a strategy chart here for the game you are playing, check out our listing of video poker tools to see if any other sites offer the strategy you need.
Mistake #5 - Not Bankrolling Properly
Another huge mistake that newbies as well as seasoned players commit is not playing with an adequate bankroll. Even if you find a game that has over a 100% return, you still have a great likelihood of going bust if you don't have enough money on hand. Royal flushes are few and far in between, and if you go a few months without hitting one you can find yourself in a huge rut, and even possibly broke.
The more mild games like 9/6 Jacks or Better aren't so bad, but the extremely volatile games like Double Bonus and Progressive 6/5 JoB can really put a hurting on your bankroll if you have a cold streak at the machine. A good rule of thumb is to have a bankroll equal to at least three royal flushes for the level you're playing. If you're a professional player and rely on your video poker income, you'll want much more.
Mistake #6 - Following Hunches
I can hardly begin to explain how many video poker players I know who follow their heart instead of the cold hard numbers. One player I know refuses to break up a full house in Double Bonus when he has three Aces because 'you should never throw away a guaranteed hand.' Even after I explain to him that the three of a kind Aces has a higher expected return because of the potential quad Aces payoff, he won't hear it.
This also comes into play when players start believing machines are hot or cold, or that you need to play them a certain way or tip a certain dealer or drink a certain beverage to have a good session. When it comes to video poker the numbers are the numbers, and the only way you can move them when using hunches is in the house's favor.
Mistake #7 - Losing Focus
Let's face it - what kind of man likes to turn down a cute girl in a short skirt offering him a free cocktail? Or stroll right by a craps table with forty players gathered around it and a shooter on a hot roll? Casinos are houses of temptation, and being able to avoid temptation separates a winning video poker player from a losing video poker player.
A few other pitfalls that can suck in a weak-willed player:
- Playing flashy, new, cool, but -EV games just because you want to.
- Getting drunk at the casino.
- Playing high stakes to impress others, even though you don't have the bankroll.
Mistake #8 - Quitting Early
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This mistake doesn't actually lose you any money, but it'll make you miss out on money that you could have won (and in my book, that is the same as losing money). When you find an amazing promotion you need to hammer it.
It's only a matter of time before the casino wises up and pulls the promotion, so you need to do everything you can to play as many hours possible while you have the edge. I'm talking 12 hour shifts and alternating with a partner to cover the machine while you're gone. Winners always get it while the gettin's good.
Mistake #9 - Taking Too Many Shots
Sure, every once in a while you are going to find a game that is a little bit outside of your bankroll, but has a great promotion that you are dying to play. It doesn't hurt to figure out your risk of ruin and take a quick shot to see if you can get lucky, but you should only do it once in a while and when you know you can recover if you miss.
If you're continually taking shots at machines that are out of your bankroll, you will Elvis slot machine las vegas. go broke at some point - the numbers will make sure it happens.
Mistake #10 - Not Practicing Online
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Nowadays there are so many tools available to video poker players it is almost overwhelming. https://tri-free.mystrikingly.com/blog/million-dollar-mama. There are calculators, pay table analyzers, strategy programs, and more that are all available for free or pretty close to it. Also, there are tons of online casinos and other websites that offer free video poker machines for you to practice on without spending a dime.
You need to take advantage of these opportunities if you want to become a consistent winner. I personally practice online at Bovada Casino, because you don't even have to make an account or download any software - you just start playing.
