Video Poker is one of the most popular casino games. There are many different versions of the game, and if played correctly and with a bit of luck, games can be won. The most popular are the jacks or better single play games like:
jacks or better
bonus poker
double bonus poker
Double Double Bonus Poker
Video Poker uses standard poker hand rankings to determine payout amounts for a pair of jacks up to the highest possible five-card hand, the Royal flush.
How to play
Once the game is selected, you can bet from one to five credits (coins) per hand. After pressing the Deal/Draw button, five cards from a standard 52 card deck are dealt face up on the screen. The player then has the option to keep or discard as many cards as they like. Discards are replaced by the remaining 47 cards after pressing the deal/draw button again.
How to read paytables
It is important to know how to read the paytables displayed on the screen for ease of reading. Single play games are the maximum bet of 5 credits/coins per hand. Players can bet from one to five credits per hand. Popular games for average players are the quarter and dollar games. The maximum bet per hand for quarters is $1.25 and $5 for dollar games.
Tea jacks or better game that has a high return rate of 99.5% is known as 9/6 jacks The nine refers to a one-unit credit payoff for Full House and the six to a one-unit flush payoff. This is the nomenclature used for all the games mentioned in the jacks or better Family. Here is the paytable for the base game 9/6 by betting credits (coins) from 1 to 5:
Royal Flush – 250/ 500/ 750/ 1000/ 4000
Straight Flush – 50/ 100/ 150/ 200/ 250
4 of a kind – 25/ 50/ 75/ 100/ 125
Full house – 9/ 18/ 24/ 36/ 45
Rinse- 6/ 12/ 18/ 24/ 30
Straight – 4/ 8/ 12/ 16/ 20
3 of a kind – 3/ 6/ 9/ 12/ 15
Two pairs – 2/ 4/ 6/ 8/ 10
Pair Jacks/Better – 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5
Please note that all credit maximum payments are multiplied by 5 times the credit, except Royal Flush. It is prudent to always bet the maximum of five credits.
For Jacks or Better bonus games there are different payouts for 4 of a kind depending on rank and game chosen. For example, Double Bonuses pays 250 credits with four bets from 5 to king with a maximum of credits (5), four bets from 2 to 4 pay 400 credits and four aces pay 800 credits. For Double Double Bonusfour Aces with 2,3 or 4 countries 2,000 credits.
These attractive payouts at the higher end don’t come without a return to the house on lower-paying hands. For example, the payment of 9/6 is reduced to 8/5, even lower in some jurisdictions. In Double Bonus, the 2-for-1 return for two pairs is reduced to a push. (1 times 1). This is important to know because two pair is a frequently dealt hand. The performance of an 8/5 game is 96.4%. Note that the house edge is 3% more for bonus games than the basic Jacks or Better game.
There is an element of skill when playing Video Poker. Knowing the right strategy is essential. Here are some tips to help you make decisions while playing the game. Low cards are 2 to 9, high cards are 10 to Ace. If you have:
Hand / Strategy
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5 low cards: discard all if there is no pair, draw all new ones
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A Pair of Anything – Keep the Pair, Discard the Others
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A high card (J,Q,K,A) – Hold the face card, discard the others
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2 or higher inadequate. cards – Keep all, discard others
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A 10 of the same suit and a high card: keep both, draw three (possible Royal)
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Two or more high cards of the same suit: hold all, draw possible Royal
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Improper J, Q, K, A – Hold for a possible straight
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Three or four low cards of the same suit: wait for a possible flush, straight flush
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Any four cards for a straight: wait for a possible straight
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Three Suited Cards for a Straight – Wait for a possible Straight Flush or Flush
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High Pair (Jacks or Better) – Hold Pair
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Two Pairs – Keep both pairs
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Straight: hold all 5 cards.
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Flush – Keep all 5 cards
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Full House – Keep all 5 cards
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Four of a kind – Hold all 4 cards
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Straight Flush: Hold all 5 cards
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Royal Flush – KEEP UP EVERYONE!
Have fun and good luck!