Video poker looks like a card game, yet its returns depend heavily on one thing that is easy to overlook: the pay table. This piece is for adults only and explains how to read it.
Same cards, different machines
Two machines can both be labelled Jacks or Better and deal identical hands, but pay different amounts for the same results. The classic full-pay version returns 9 coins for a full house and 6 for a flush per coin staked, written as 9/6. Drop to 8/5 and the long-run return falls by a few percentage points. You would never notice by looking at the cards.
How to read the table
The chart lists hands from highest to lowest with the payout for one to five coins. Pay particular attention to the full house and flush rows, as they are often the ones altered. The royal flush row usually jumps at five coins, which is why many players bet the maximum. Playing fewer coins removes that jump and lowers the effective return.
A small example
Suppose a game pays 8 for a full house and 5 for a flush. Over 10,000 hands at NZ$1 per hand, that variation alone could cost you several hundred dollars more than a 9/6 version, without any change in your decisions. The longer you play, the more the table matters.
Variants
- Jacks or Better: the baseline most tables are compared with. - Deuces Wild: twos act as wild cards, with a very different chart. - Bonus variants: higher payouts for specific four-of-a-kind hands, lower elsewhere.
Strategy and tables
Correct strategy depends on the pay table. A hand worth keeping on one chart can be discarded on another. Printable strategy cards are easy to find, but they match one specific table, so check that yours is the same. Impressario Casino and other sites show the pay table above the cards, so compare before choosing a machine.
Practical advice
Look at two or three versions of the same game and pick the one with higher listed payouts. Set a limit, keep the pace slow and treat any win as a bonus. Skill reduces the cost of play, but it does not remove it.