Product
Video Poker
Definition
A machine-based casino game in which the player is dealt five cards, chooses which to hold, draws replacements and is paid against a fixed pay table for the resulting poker hand. Played against the pay table rather than other players, with a house edge that depends on the pay table and the player’s strategy.
Key takeaways
- Video poker pays a fixed table for the poker hand the player draws to; the return is calculable exactly from the table.
- A 9/6 Jacks or Better table returns about 99.5 per cent with optimal play; the operator sets the margin by choosing the table.
- Its players are strategic and loyal, and its transparency protects it from the suspicion that follows slots.
- The low edge is why it contributes little to bonus wagering and why a certified fair deal is essential.
Why it matters
Video poker is the casino game with the smallest house edge for a skilled player and the clearest illustration of how pay tables set margins. The game deals from a virtual 52-card deck (53 with a joker in some variants), the player keeps or discards, and the pay table specifies the return for each hand from a pair of jacks upward. Because the deck and the odds of each hand are known, the return of any pay table under optimal play can be calculated exactly; the classic "9/6" Jacks or Better table (9 for a full house, 6 for a flush) returns 99.5 per cent with perfect play, and a "8/5" table returns around 97.3 per cent. The operator sets the margin by choosing the table.
Online, video poker is a small category next to slots but a loyal one. Its players are strategy-minded, stake steadily and stay for long sessions, and the game's transparency (the pay table is on screen and the mathematics are public) makes it the product least exposed to the "rigged" suspicion that follows slots. Studios supply variants (Deuces Wild, Bonus Poker, multi-hand versions dealing up to a hundred hands at once) and operators use pay tables to set returns in the same way they choose RTP versions of slots.
The low edge is why video poker sits with table games in bonus terms: it contributes little or nothing to wagering requirements, and a video poker game with a generous table and a bonus attached would be a loss to the operator. It is also why the certification of the random deal matters: the return calculation assumes a fair deck, and testing laboratories verify that the game deals one.
Frequently asked questions
Is video poker a game of skill?
Partly. The deal is random, but which cards to hold is a decision with a correct answer for every hand, and the difference between optimal and casual play is several percentage points of return.
What does "9/6" mean in video poker?
The pay table’s return for a full house (9 to 1) and a flush (6 to 1) per coin, the two payouts operators most often reduce. A 9/6 Jacks or Better table is the full-pay standard; lower numbers mean a higher house edge.
Why does video poker count so little toward bonuses?
Because its house edge under good play is under 1 per cent, so a bonus wagered on it would cost the operator far more than one wagered on slots. Contribution rates are typically 10 per cent or less, or zero.