Free Video Poker / Video poker pay tables
Video poker pay tables
A video poker pay table is the grid at the top of the screen that lists every paying hand and what it pays per credit. Two machines with the same name can have different tables, and the difference is often two or three percent of everything you bet. The table is the only thing that tells you how good a game is.
What 9/6 means
Players name Jacks or Better tables by two numbers: the full house pay and the flush pay, per credit. 9/6 pays 9 for a full house and 6 for a flush. That is the full-pay table. 8/5 pays 8 and 5. Every other row is usually the same, which is why those two rows are the ones to read.
| Jacks or Better table | Full house | Flush | Return with perfect play |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/6 (full pay) | 9 | 6 | 99.54% |
| 9/5 | 9 | 5 | 98.45% |
| 8/6 | 8 | 6 | 98.39% |
| 8/5 | 8 | 5 | 97.30% |
| 7/5 | 7 | 5 | 96.15% |
| 6/5 | 6 | 5 | 95.00% |
The numbers to check on each game
- Jacks or Better: full house and flush. Look for 9/6.
- Deuces Wild: wild royal, five of a kind, straight flush and four of a kind. Full pay is 25/15/9/5. The four of a kind row matters most.
- Double Double Bonus: full house and flush again. Look for 9/6, and check that four aces with a kicker pays 400.
- Every game: the royal flush must pay 800 for 1 at five credits (4,000 for a 5-credit bet). Some tables pay less.
Why the royal column is bigger
The fifth column pays 4,000 for a royal where the others pay 250 per credit. That bonus only exists at max bet, and it is worth about 1.5% of the game's return. Betting one to four credits on a 9/6 machine turns it into a 98% game.
Full pay
"Full pay" means the best widely offered table for that game. It is not a guarantee of a winning game, just the best version. Full-pay Deuces Wild is the rare one that returns over 100% with perfect play, which is why casinos keep it scarce.
The game here shows its full pay table on the glass, with the current bet column lit, the same way a machine does. Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Double Double Bonus.
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Questions
What is the best video poker pay table?
For Jacks or Better, 9/6. For Deuces Wild, 25/15/9/5. For Double Double Bonus, 9/6. In every game the royal flush should pay 800 for 1 at five credits.
How much does an 8/5 table cost me?
About 2.2% of everything you bet compared with 9/6. At $1.25 a hand and 600 hands an hour, that is around $17 an hour.
Does the denomination change the pay table?
Often, yes. The same machine can offer 9/6 at the dollar level and 8/5 at quarters. Check the glass for the level you are playing.
What does 'for 1' mean?
Video poker pays 'for 1', not 'to 1'. A hand that pays 1 for 1 returns your bet and nothing more. A hand that pays 2 for 1 returns double your bet, a net win of one bet.
More: How to play video poker · Video poker strategy · Jacks or Better · Deuces Wild · Double Double Bonus · Video poker odds · Video poker hands, ranked · Video poker trainer · How to win at video poker