Video poker trainer
Play a hand, then see the best hold and exactly how much your choice cost – in percent of your bet.
The trainer needs JavaScript.
How to use the trainer
- Pick a game and a pay table.
- Press Deal – you get five cards.
- Tap the cards you want to keep. They show HOLD.
- Press Draw – the other cards are replaced.
- Read the result: the best hold and what your hold cost in percent of the bet.
Not sure what to keep? Press Show best hold before you draw.
New to the game? Start with how to play video poker.
What the pay table numbers mean
| Game and pay table | Full house | Flush | Return, perfect play |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deuces Wild (full pay) | 3 | 2 | 100.76% |
| Double Double Bonus 10/6 | 10 | 6 | 100.07% |
| Jacks or Better 9/6 | 9 | 6 | 99.54% |
| Bonus Poker 8/5 | 8 | 5 | 99.17% |
| Double Double Bonus 9/6 | 9 | 6 | 98.98% |
| Deuces Wild (NSUD) | 4 | 3 | 99.73% |
| Jacks or Better 8/5 | 8 | 5 | 97.30% |
| Jacks or Better 7/5 | 7 | 5 | 96.15% |
| Jacks or Better 6/5 | 6 | 5 | 95.00% |
Exact return over all 2,598,960 deals with the best hold every time, max-coin bet.
In 9/6 Jacks or Better, the first number is what a full house pays per coin, the second is what a flush pays. One step lower on those two lines changes the whole game: 9/6 returns 99.54%, 8/5 returns 97.30% – a gap of 2.25%.
The royal flush pays 800 per coin only when you bet five coins; with fewer coins it pays 250. More in pay tables explained.
Read the best-hold list
| Hold | Average return | Cost vs best |
|---|---|---|
| J♠ J♥ | 1.537 | best |
| J♠ Q♠ K♠ | 1.488 | 4.8% |
| J♠ Q♠ J♥ | 1.416 | 12.0% |
| J♠ K♠ J♥ | 1.416 | 12.0% |
| J♠ J♥ 4♦ | 1.416 | 12.0% |
Two holds look good here: the pair of jacks, or the three spades toward a royal flush. The list ranks the five best holds with the exact return of each.
The top line is perfect play. Any other line shows how much less it returns. See the full order in Jacks or Better.
Same cards, different game
When you switch games, check the pay table first – a hold that is right in one game can be a mistake in another.
In Deuces Wild every deuce (two) is wild, so a deuce is never thrown away and the best holds change. Full pay Deuces Wild returns 100.76% with perfect play.
Each game has its own pay table and its own strategy.
Perfect play vs mistakes
| Hold | Average return | Cost vs best |
|---|---|---|
| 7♠ 7♣ | 0.824 | best |
| A♥ 7♠ 7♣ | 0.675 | 14.8% |
| 7♠ 7♣ K♦ | 0.675 | 14.8% |
| 7♠ 7♣ 3♥ | 0.675 | 14.8% |
| A♥ K♦ | 0.479 | 34.5% |
Keeping the ace next to a low pair feels safe. The list shows what that extra card costs compared with holding just the pair.
Every return number assumes perfect play over a very long run. Each mistake lowers it, and short sessions swing a lot either way. Practice the rules in video poker strategy or test any hand in the calculator.
Questions
Is this video poker trainer free?
Yes. It is a free video poker simulator for learning, with no real money involved.
What does 9/6 mean in video poker?
It names the pay table: a full house pays the first number per coin and a flush pays the second. 9/6 Jacks or Better returns 99.54% with perfect play, while 8/5 returns 97.30%.
Which video poker game is best to learn first?
Jacks or Better is the simplest place to start: no wild cards and a short list of hold rules. After that, Deuces Wild shows how wild cards change the strategy.
Does the trainer tell me the correct hold?
Yes. After every hand it shows the best hold and what your hold cost in percent of the bet, and the Show best hold button reveals it before you draw.
Can you beat video poker?
The return figures are long-run averages that assume perfect play, and results in a short session swing widely. Most pay tables return less than you bet over time, so treat the trainer as a way to learn, not a way to win.