Last Updated on October 6, 2026 by Bala Kumar
Walk past a bank of video poker machines and they all look the same: same cards, same buttons, same “Jacks or Better” sign. But two machines standing side by side can have very different long-term returns. One can return 99.54% with good play, while the next quietly returns 95%.
This guide shows you how to tell the difference. You’ll learn which video poker pay tables to look for, what the video poker odds really mean for your bankroll, and a simple video poker strategy you can use straight away.
The 30-Second Version
• Always check the pay table before you play. It decides most of your return.
• Look for 9/6 Jacks or Better: full house pays 9, flush pays 6. It returns 99.54% with optimal strategy.
• Avoid short-pay video poker such as 8/5, 7/5 or 6/5 Jacks or Better unless nothing better is available.
• Bet max coins (usually 5) so the royal flush pays 800 for 1.
• Use a video poker strategy chart. Your decisions change your return.
How to Read a Video Poker Pay Table
The pay table is printed on the machine’s screen or glass. It shows how many coins each hand pays per coin bet.
For Jacks or Better, only two lines tell you whether a machine is good or bad: the full house and the flush. That’s why players name machines “9/6” or “8/5”.
| What you see on the machine | What it means |
| Full house 9, flush 6 | 9/6 Jacks or Better (full pay) |
| Full house 8, flush 5 | 8/5 Jacks or Better (short pay) |
| Full house 7, flush 5 | 7/5 Jacks or Better (short pay) |
| Full house 6, flush 5 | 6/5 Jacks or Better (short pay) |
Tip: Many machines show the 5-coin column, so a 9/6 machine shows 45 for a full house and 30 for a flush. Divide by 5 to get the per-coin numbers.
Best Video Poker Pay Tables (2026)
These are the best video poker pay tables for the most common games. All returns assume optimal strategy and maximum coins.
| Game | Full pay video poker version | How to spot it (per coin) | Return |
| Jacks or Better | 9/6 | Full house 9, flush 6 | 99.54% |
| Bonus Poker | 8/5 | Full house 8, flush 5, four aces 80 | 99.17% |
| Bonus Poker Deluxe | 9/6 | Full house 9, flush 6, all quads 80 | 99.64% |
| Double Bonus | 10/7 | Full house 10, flush 7, straight 5 | 100.17% |
| Double Double Bonus | 9/6 | Full house 9, flush 6, four aces + 2–4 kicker 400 | 98.98% |
| Deuces Wild (NSU) | “16/10” | Five of a kind 16, straight flush 10 | 99.73% |
Real-world note: 2026 player guides report that downtown Las Vegas casinos such as El Cortez, Plaza, Four Queens and The D regularly carry 9/6 Jacks or Better, NSU Deuces Wild and 10/7 Double Bonus. The Plaza advertises six titles at 99% or better from 25¢ to $5. South Point is reported to have the largest selection of 99%+ games among locals casinos. Most Las Vegas Strip casinos have moved to short-pay 8/5 or 7/5 Jacks or Better. Machine inventories change, so always check the pay table yourself.
Full-pay Deuces Wild, which returns 100.76% with perfect play, is extremely rare and not generally available at major casinos.
Video Poker Odds: What the Return Really Means
Return and house edge
The return (or video poker payout percentage) is how much of your money the game pays back over a very long time with optimal play. The house edge is what’s left.
| Pay table | Return | House edge |
| 9/6 Jacks or Better | 99.54% | 0.46% |
| 8/5 Jacks or Better | 97.30% | 2.70% |
| 7/5 Jacks or Better | 96.15% | 3.85% |
| 6/5 Jacks or Better | 95.00% | 5.00% |
What it costs you per hour
Playing quarters at 5 coins ($1.25 a hand) and 600 hands an hour:
| Pay table | Average cost per hour |
| 9/6 Jacks or Better | ~$3.45 |
| 8/5 Jacks or Better | ~$20.25 |
| 7/5 Jacks or Better | ~$29 |
| 6/5 Jacks or Better | ~$37.50 |
Calculated by PokerClubGames: $1.25 × 600 hands × house edge. Your real results in any session will swing far above or below these averages.
In plain English: The same game, at the same speed and the same stake, costs about 11 times more on a 6/5 machine than on a 9/6 machine.
Royal flush odds
With optimal 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy, a royal flush comes about once every 40,391 hands on average. At 600 hands an hour, that’s around 67 hours of play.
Part of the 99.54% return comes from royals. In a short session without a royal, you’re playing at a lower return than the long-term number. That’s normal, not a sign the machine is broken.
Drawing odds for common holds (calculated)
| What you hold | You need | Chance on the draw |
| 4 to a royal flush | 1 exact card | 2.1% (1 in 47) |
| 4 to a flush | Any of 9 suited cards | 19.1% |
| 4 to an outside straight (e.g. 5-6-7-8) | Any of 8 cards | 17.0% |
| 4 to an inside straight (e.g. 5-6-8-9) | Any of 4 cards | 8.5% |
| A low pair (e.g. 7-7), drawing 3 | Two pair or better | 28.7% |
Calculated by PokerClubGames from the 47 unseen cards. For the low pair, we assumed three unrelated discards (K, 4, 2). Results: two pair 16.0%, three of a kind 11.4%, full house 1.0%, four of a kind 0.3%.
What this teaches you: A low pair improves to a paying hand about 29% of the time, and when it does, it pays at least 2 for 1. That’s why the strategy chart ranks a low pair above a 4-card outside straight, which hits only 17% and pays 4 for 1.
Video Poker Strategy: A Simple Chart for Beginners
This Jacks or Better strategy chart is a simplified beginner version, not perfect strategy. Optimal strategy has more exceptions, but this chart is easy to remember and costs very little compared with perfect play.
Hold the first hand on the list that you have:
| Priority | Hold | Example |
| 1 | Royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house | Hold all |
| 2 | 4 to a royal flush | A♠ K♠ Q♠ 10♠ |
| 3 | Three of a kind, straight, flush | Hold |
| 4 | Two pair | J-J-6-6 |
| 5 | High pair (J, Q, K, A) | Q-Q |
| 6 | 3 to a royal flush | K♥ Q♥ 10♥ |
| 7 | 4 to a flush | 2♣ 6♣ 9♣ K♣ |
| 8 | Low pair (2s–10s) | 7-7 |
| 9 | 4 to an outside straight | 5-6-7-8 |
| 10 | 2 suited high cards | Q♦ J♦ |
| 11 | 3 to a straight flush | 5♠ 6♠ 7♠ |
| 12 | 2 unsuited high cards (keep the lowest two if you have more) | K-J |
| 13 | Suited 10 with J, Q or K | 10♥ J♥ |
| 14 | One high card | A |
| 15 | Nothing | Discard all five |
Five rules that fix most mistakes
1. Bet max coins. Without five coins, the royal pays 250 for 1 instead of 800 for 1.
2. In Jacks or Better, don’t normally keep a kicker with a paying pair. Hold J-J, not J-J-A.
3. Break a straight or flush for 4 to a royal. A 2.1% chance at 800 for 1 is worth more.
4. Hold a low pair over a 4-card outside straight. The draw odds above show why.
5. Use the right strategy for the right game. Deuces Wild strategy and Bonus game strategies are different from Jacks or Better.
How to Choose a Video Poker Machine: Checklist
• ☐ Read the full house and flush payouts (look for 9/6 Jacks or Better)
• ☐ Check the royal flush pays 4,000 coins at max bet
• ☐ Pick a denomination where 5 coins fits your budget
• ☐ Use the right strategy chart for that game
• ☐ Use a players’ club card for comps and cash-back
• ☐ Set a session budget before you start
Playing Video Poker Online
Online video poker follows the same rules, but pay tables can differ from land-based machines. Open the help or pay table screen before you play. It often lists the theoretical return. Free-play versions are a good way to practise a strategy chart.
Online casino laws differ by country and change over time. Only play on sites licensed where you live. Readers in India should check the current rules in their state.
FAQs
What is the best video poker pay table?
For Jacks or Better, the best common pay table is 9/6, where a full house pays 9 and a flush pays 6. It returns 99.54% with optimal strategy and max coins.
What are the odds of a royal flush in video poker?
In 9/6 Jacks or Better with optimal strategy, a royal flush comes about once every 40,391 hands on average.
What is the payout percentage of video poker?
It depends on the game and pay table. 9/6 Jacks or Better returns 99.54%, 8/5 returns 97.30%, and 6/5 returns 95.00%, all with optimal strategy.
Should I hold a low pair or a four-card straight?
In Jacks or Better, hold the low pair over a four-card outside straight. The pair improves to a paying hand about 29% of the time, compared with 17% for the straight draw.
What is the best video poker strategy for beginners?
Play 9/6 Jacks or Better, bet max coins, follow a simple strategy chart, and always check the pay table before you play.
What is short-pay video poker?
Short-pay video poker uses a reduced pay table, such as 8/5 or 6/5 Jacks or Better instead of 9/6. It looks the same but returns less.
Founder of PokerClubGames.com and a Poker Researcher with 10+ years of experience in SEO, WordPress development, and gaming content strategy. Specializes in researching online poker sites, poker apps, tournaments, bonuses, and poker strategies. Experienced in poker platform reviews, affiliate marketing, and creating SEO-focused poker content for global audiences.
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