Video poker pay tables and odds
Two rows on the pay table decide most of the return – here is how to check them in a few seconds.
How to read a pay table
| Jacks or Better 9/6 | Pays per coin |
|---|---|
| Royal flush | 800 |
| Straight flush | 50 |
| Four of a kind | 25 |
| Full house | 9 |
| Flush | 6 |
| Straight | 4 |
| Three of a kind | 3 |
| Two pair | 2 |
| Jacks or better | 1 |
- Each row is a winning hand. The number shows what it pays per coin bet.
- Check the full house and flush rows first. In Jacks or Better nine-six, the full house pays nine and the flush pays six.
- The royal flush pays 800 per coin only with max coins. With fewer coins it pays 250.
One step down on the full house and flush costs you
| Jacks or Better 8/5 | Pays per coin |
|---|---|
| Royal flush | 800 |
| Straight flush | 50 |
| Four of a kind | 25 |
| Full house | 8 |
| Flush | 5 |
| Straight | 4 |
| Three of a kind | 3 |
| Two pair | 2 |
| Jacks or better | 1 |
This is the same game with a lower full house and flush. The return with perfect play drops from 99.54% on the nine-six table to 97.30% on the eight-five table.
Those two changes cost 2.25% of every dollar you bet. On the six-five table, the return falls to 95.00%.
Best video poker games compared
| 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.
- Deuces Wild full pay: 100.76%
- Double Double Bonus ten-six: 100.07%
- Deuces Wild NSUD (Not So Ugly Deuces): 99.73%
- Jacks or Better nine-six: 99.54%
- Bonus Poker eight-five: 99.17%
- Double Double Bonus nine-six: 98.98%
Over the full return only with perfect play
Practice every hold in the hold calculator before you trust a high-return table.
Every return on this page assumes you pick the best hold on every hand. Each wrong hold lowers your real return, so a table that returns more than you bet on paper often returns less in practice.
These tables are also rare. Even with perfect play, results swing a lot in short sessions, and the house edge on most tables wins over time.
Short-pay tables to avoid
Look at the full house and flush rows first – if they are lower than nine and six in Jacks or Better, pick another table.
- Jacks or Better seven-five: 96.15%
- Jacks or Better six-five: 95.00%
- Any game that pays the royal at 250 per coin even with max coins
See the strategy page for the holds behind these returns.
Questions
Which video poker game has the best odds?
Full-pay Deuces Wild returns 100.76% and Double Double Bonus ten-six returns 100.07%, both with perfect play. These tables are rare; Deuces Wild NSUD (99.73%) and Jacks or Better nine-six (99.54%) are easier to find and still return close to everything you bet.
What is the best video poker game to play for a beginner?
Jacks or Better nine-six is a good start. It has a simple strategy and returns 99.54% with perfect play.
How do video poker odds for four of a kind change between games?
In Jacks or Better, four of a kind pays the same on the nine-six and eight-five tables, and only the full house and flush rows change. Bonus games pay more for some four of a kind hands and pay less on other rows to balance it.
How much does an eight-five table cost compared with nine-six?
Jacks or Better eight-five returns 97.30% instead of 99.54%. That is 2.25% less of everything you bet.
Can video poker pay back more than you bet?
A few rare tables return more than you bet on paper, but only with perfect play on every hand. Mistakes and normal swings mean real results are often lower, and no game promises a win.