Video Poker Games

Over the last twenty years video poker has become a huge attraction for gamblers. While the number of games in casinos has grown at a remarkable rate, there has also been a proliferation of the different types of games that are available. Multiple-game machines can now have many different varieties of video poker on a single machine. In addition, numerous multiple-play models allowing for play of three, five, ten, and even fifty or more hands at a time are now available. At the same time, the machine can provide any game in a variety of denominations resulting in a huge array of choices for the video poker player.

Why all this interest in video poker? There is some evidence that players prefer playing games in which they have some control over the result (unlike traditional slot games), and that some find the variety of possible wins attractive. Others may be attacted to the higher frequency of winning hands; playing 9/6 Jacks or Better correctly, half of the hands you play will at least return your initial bet. Whatever it is, a large number of players prefer video poker to other slot games.

One characteristic of video poker that is absent from traditional slots is that the average return of the game can be determined. One can, by viewing the "paytable" (sometimes called the "pay schedule"), know whether he is playing a game that returns 96%, 99.5%, or somewhere in between. This is important as it allows the informed player to seek out the best games.

As the interest in video poker has increased, it has become more difficult to find games with the best returns. For example, 9/6 Jacks or Better machines return 99.5% of the amount wagered to the player. Today, it is not unusual to find 6/5 Jacks or Better games that return only 95%. As with all forms of commerce, it often comes down to supply-and-demand; in locales where availability is limited (areas with a single casino) or demand is extraordinarily high (Las Vegas Strip), the "cost" of playing is likely to be higher. Casinos in areas where competition is high and demand is low often provide the best values to the player.

It is critical to understand how ostensibly small differences in the returns of games can affect your bankroll requirements. A 25-cent game that returns 96%, on average, will allow you play 375 hands (five quarters bet) on a $20 bill. With a 99% return, you would be able to play 1,500 hands on average -- four times as many -- on the same $20. To look at it another way, the average cost of playing one hand of five quarters is 1-1/4 cents on a 99% game, but on a 96% game, it costs five cents. When multiplied by hundreds or thousands of hands, these differences add up.

Casinos offering only poor quality games should be avoided. While it isn't unusual to find a mix of good and bad games in a single casino, it is reasonable to infer that a casino offering only poor quality video poker is also offering poor quality slot machines. When playing in casinos offering a mix of games it is worthwhile to make a habit of examining the paytable on every game you play before you begin playing it. A trap for the unwary, casinos often intermix the poor games with the better ones. For example, you'll see a bank of five Draw Poker machines, where three machines are 7/5 Jacks (96.1%) and two are 9/6 Jacks (99.5%). Strangely, at times players show no apparent preference -- the 7/5 Jacks machines may be full while the 9/6 machines sit empty.

In many casinos you'll find groups of games in which the jackpot amounts are "progressive". What this means is that the Royal Flush jackpot grows over time until it is hit, at which time it is reset to its nominal value (typically, 4,000 credits). Usually, there are multiple machines participating in a single progressive jackpot. This can provide one of the best opportunities to find a game having a higher return. If, for example, the progressive jackpot started at 4,000 credits but is up to 8,000 credits, the game may be worth playing even if the paytable would suggest otherwise. When there are progressive games in a casino, always be on the lookout for unusually high jackpots.

Video poker can be found in various denominations ranging from 1 cent to $100 per credit. Many games today allow you to select from a range of denominations by touching its symbol before you select the game you wish to play. It isn't always the case, but it is typical that higher denomination games provide the best returns. So, you may find on a single game console a 25 cent 8/5 JB game, a 50 cent 8/6 JB game, and a $1 9/6 JB game. Obviously, the higher paying games are preferable for their higher returns, but you don't want to exceed your bankroll for playing the game or you risk "tapping out" -- running out of money -- before the end of your casino visit.

As a general rule, to get the stated return on the game you must play at least five credits per hand. By examining the paytable on a machine, you will notice that the Royal Flush usually pays 4,000 credits if you have five credits bet. But if you only have four credits bet, it may pay only 1,000 credits for the same hand. Playing fewer than five credits substantially decreases the return of the game. For most games, the maximum number of credits you can play is five; however, it has become more common to provide a "max bet" of 10, 20, or 25 credits, but in most cases, five credits still qualifies for the "bonus" payout on the Royal Flush. If you are seeking the highest return on the game you should always play at least five credits to qualify for the bonus payout on the Royal Flush.

Jacks or Better

Jacks or Better (JB) is video poker in its most basic form. A pair of jacks, or a higher pair, returns your original bet back; anything less and you lose your bet. In general, the pay tables for all JB machines are about the same, except for the full house and flush. The best of these games are referred to as "9/6" or "full pay", meaning they pay 9 credits for a full house and 6 credits for a flush. Jacks or Better games are seen in a number of variations, including 8/6, 8/5, 7/5, and 6/5. Most JB machines will have a statistical variance of about 19, among the lowest variance of all video poker games, which means the "swings" in the game tend to be smaller.

Jacks or Better is a good game for beginning players. It is certainly one of the easiest to play, and because of its lower variance, mistakes tend to be less costly.

Below, we list the possible hands in Jacks or Better, the payout (when five credits are bet), and the approximate frequency with which each hand occurs, given perfect play of the game (the 9/6 version of the game is shown below):

By looking at the above table, it is clear that the royal flush contributes more to the total payout than does the straight flush, even though the straight flush occurs more often. Also, two pair is the most important hand in terms of the contribution to the game's total return.

In comparing JB with other games, it is critical to notice that two pair accounts for 25.86% of the total payout for JB -- the highest payout of any single hand in the game. If you reduce the payout for two pair to 1 credit, the return for the game is reduced by a whopping 12.66%. Why is this important? Because in many of the "bonus" games, this is precisely what is done -- the two pair is reduced by one, with a portion of this 12.66% moved to the "bonus" payouts for various other hands (most notably, fours of a kind). Not only does this change the total payout for the game, it also serves to increase the statistical variance of the game, since half of the frequently occurring two pair payout is moved to the less common four of a kind (or other hand) payout.

Following are the computed returns for the common JB games (assumes max-credits played):

Bonus Poker

Bonus Poker is a variation on Jacks or Better in which the payouts for the full house and flush are reduced in exchange for an increased payout on certain fours of a kind. An excellent Bonus Poker game has a paytable indicating 8/5 for the full house and flush. The payout for four aces is then increased to 80 credits (per credit bet), and for four 2s, 3s, or 4s, to 40 credits. The four 5s through Kings payouts remain the same (25 credits). This game provides a return of 99.17% -- not quite as good as 9/6 JB (99.54%), but it provides the player with the possibility of a sizable payout in addition to the rare royal and straight flushes. These Bonus Poker games have a statistical variance of about 21 -- a little higher than JB to account for the reduction in full house/flush payout which was moved to the fours of a kind.

There is a common video poker game today called "Bonus Poker Deluxe" which should be distinguished from Bonus Poker. It is a fundamentally different game in that it pays only one credit for a hand of two-pair. This is not the same game as Bonus Poker and the strategy for playing is different.

Here, we list the possible hands in Bonus Poker, the payout (when five credits are bet), and the approximate frequency with which each hand occurs, given perfect play of the game (the 8/5 version of the game is shown below):

Following are the computed returns for the common games (assumes max-coins played):

Double Bonus Poker

Developers of video poker games have found that many players are willing to settle for smaller payouts on the more frequent hands, like two pair, the flush or full house, in exchange for larger "bonus" payouts on less frequently occurring hands (usually the four of a kind or some variation on it). The effect is to increase the variance of the game by moving payouts from the more frequently occurring hands to the less frequently occurring ones. Typically, the payout for two pair is reduced from 2 to 1 (vs. Jacks or Better) and most of the difference is moved to various four of a kind payouts.

Double Bonus Poker (DB) is a variation on video poker in which the payout for two pair is reduced from two to one in exchange for greatly increased payouts for other hands. The 10/7/5 version of this game (now rarely found) actually returns 100.17% with perfect play, making it one of the few games that average more than 100% payback. In this version of the game, payouts for all fours of a kind, full house, flush, and straight are increased; but as a result, the statistical variance is around 28 -- a sizable jump from JB and Bonus Poker. If you can find 10/7/5 DB, it is an excellent game, assuming your bankroll can tolerate the increased swings this game generates due to its higher variance.

Listed below are the possible hands in Double Bonus Poker, the payout (when five credits are bet), and the approximate frequency with which each hand occurs, given perfect play of the game. The 10/7 version of the game is listed; it is rarely found today, with the 9/7 version of the game being more commonly considered as the "full pay" version.

Note the markedly decreased payout for two pair versus JB due to reducing the payout for two pair to only 1 credit per bet. Of course, this return (plus a little, in the 10/7/5 version above) has been "moved" to the higher paying returns for straights, flushes, full houses, and various fours of a kind.

Following are the computed returns for some common varieties of Double Bonus Poker (assumes max-credits played). The 10/7/5 variation is becoming more difficult to find in many locations; however, the 9/7/5 variation continues to be commonly available.

(Since these games can have payouts of either 5 or 4 credits for the straight, we include the straight payout when designating these games).

Lesser paying varieties of this game are around. In general, DB games other than 10/7/5 or 9/7/5 should be avoided. Many players prefer the increased sense of "action" generated by this game. Its variance can generate much greater positive (and negative) swings than JB or Bonus games.

Double Double Bonus Poker

Game developers have taken the concept of Double Bonus Poker a step further with Double Double Bonus (DDB) poker. Just as DB provides a bonus payout by increasing the game's variance, DDB escalates the variance to another level by providing for further enhanced payouts for certain hands. In particular, a new "mini-jackpot" payout is created for four aces with a "kicker" (a qualifying kicker is a 2, 3, or 4). In addition, a kicker of Ace, 2, 3, or 4 with four 2s, 3s, or 4s yields a higher payout. As usual, the cost to the player is in a reduced payout for more frequently occurring hands (most notably, the straight pays 4 instead of 5 as in DB). In addition, the variance is increased substantially -- to about 42. You will need a higher bankroll for playing DDB than for DB.

Following is a summary of the 9/6/4 version of DDB, the most common of the high-paying DDB games:

DDB has become an extremely popular game. Players really like it -- presumably because of the "mini-jackpot" bonus payouts -- and casinos like it because in its highest paying form it typically returns less than 99%. But one absolutely must be cognizant of the increased variance and the decreased overall return.

Returns for the more commonly found DDB games are listed below:

Obviously, one needs to carefully avoid the lower paying varieties of this game.

Deuces Wild

Deuces Wild is fundamentally different from most other video poker games, and can't really be viewed as just one more variation on the basic Jacks or Better video poker game. While the winning hands are similar, the four deuces (2s) in the deck are wild cards -- that is, cards that can take on any value to make the best possible winning hand. In addition, there is the possibility of five of a kind (e.g., four kings and a deuce) and a special bonus payoff for four deuces.

In Deuces Wild, the frequency with which higher-valued hands occurs is much greater -- after all, there are four cards in the deck that can serve to fill in as any needed value in making a straight, a flush, or four of a kind. As you might expect, all of these hands are devalued significantly (i.e., they have smaller payouts) in Deuces Wild.

As usual, the paytable is critical as it defines the return the game will pay. There is a full pay version of Deuces Wild that returns 100.76% with perfect play. But perfect play can be illusive with Deuces Wild. The strategy for playing Deuces Wild perfectly is a little more complex than that of most other video poker. Below, we list the hands for the full pay Deuces Wild game:

In general, Deuces Wild when properly played has a statistical variance of about 26. This is roughly in between that for JB and DB, and bankroll requirements for the game should be adjusted accordingly. The full-pay version of the game, listed above, has become less common but is still available in some locations.

The "NSUD" variation (so named as an acronym for "Not So Ugly Ducks") is much more widely available than the full-pay version. It is important to understand that casinos have the ability to select paytables that will cause the game to yield the return they want to receive from the game. While other games are more consistent in their pay tables, Deuces Wild has more variety than most games and should be carefully examined for minor variations that may adversely impact the return of the game.

Below is the pay table for the more common NSUD Deuces Wild:

As you can see by comparing the two, in FPDW, fours of a kind account for 32.47% of the game's total return, while in NSUD it is only 24.42%. The full house has a much more prominent role in NSUD.

Multi-play

Multi-play games which allow the player to play multiple hands at once have grown in popularity. The most common is "Triple Play"; however, "Five Play", "Ten Play", and even "One-hundred Play" games are common. In these games, the player sees a five card initial hand (often called the "flop" from poker terminology) from which he picks the best cards to hold, just as in the single-play games. The cards he chooses are held for all of the hands. Then, the draw is completed for each of the hands. In effect, the hand starts out as a single hand, but finishes up as several separate hands, related only by the initial flop from which they started.

There are a few important things to understand about these games.

Pay tables

First, and foremost, you must carefully examine the pay tables before you play, because there are some horrible Triple Play games out there. Second, the "expectation" (average return) of these games is based on the paytable. If you're playing a game with a losing paytable, the triple play version will lose money three times as fast as the single play.

That multi-play games allow you to lose your money more quickly isn't mere concidence. While many players enjoy the increased sense of "action" that comes with multi-play games, the critical element for the casino is that it allows you to get more money into the game, faster -- and if you're playing a game that returns less than 100% (and on multi-play you almost assuredly are, since these tend not to be available in the "over-100%" variety), you are going to lose money faster. But there is also the (remote) chance you will be dealt a Royal Flush (about 1 in 650,000 deals) and score three Royal Flushes at once without even having draw more cards.

Hands

The three, five, or fifty hands you're playing are correlated with one another, because they share a common "flop". What this means, essentially, is that they are dealt out of separate "decks" of cards, with the special provision, however, that the flop for each hand will be identical. If you are dealt two kings, you might end up with a pair of kings on the first hand, four kings on the second hand, and three kings on the third hand.

Statistical Implications

Statistically, multi-play games are a little different. First, the expectation, or what you would expect to win or lose on average, is identical to that of the single-play version of the same game. If you're playing 9/6 JB Triple Play, your expectation is 99.54% just as it is in the single play version of the game.

If the expectation is the same, why does it seem as though the swings are much larger in Triple Play and larger still in Five Play? As it turns out, this isn't just an illusion. While the average return is the same for single play games vs. Triple Play, the swings on either side of that average are much larger. Why? Well, there are two factors at work. First, you're playing more hands per hour. If you can play 500 hands per hour playing single play games, you can probably play close to 1,500 hands per hour of Triple Play. It stands to reason that your average win or loss might be greater in the same period -- you're playing three times the number of hands.

There is another reason that the swings are greater. This is because of a statistical concept called covariance. Since the results of the multiple hands are not totally independent of one another (remember, the initial flop is the same for all hands), the hands are said to be correlated. The effect of this, statistically, is to increase the variance of the game. When we increase the variance of the game, the game is more "volatile" -- the perceived "streaks" of the game increases.

What all this means is that a player playing 9/6 JB, for example, on a Triple Play machine will require a substantially larger bankroll than a player on a 9/6 JB single-play machine. And the more hands you play (five, ten, fifty), the bigger your bankroll needs to be. But you knew that already, didn't you? The Wizard of Odds website has the absolute best information on comparing the bankroll requirements for various multi-play machines, as well as the best overall in-depth statistical information for those who are interested in reading more about the statistics of video poker.

Progressives

Some of the best opportunities to win at video poker are found on games with "progressive" jackpots. Progressive games have been popular for years and whenever you see progressive video poker games they are worth checking out.

The unique property of the progressive game is that the jackpot amount starts at a nominal amount -- usually 4,000 credits, and increases as players play the game, until the jackpot is hit, at which time it resets to its nominal value. These games present opportunities because they can hit at any time -- within minutes of the last jackpot, or much later -- after the progressive jackpot has grown to a larger figure.

One can think of it as though a portion of each credit played contributes to the increase in the jackpot. Typically, there are several machines "linked" together so that credits played on any one of the linked machines will cause the jackpot to increase.

How valuable is the playing opportunity presented by a progressive machine? There are several points to be considered.

• As always, the paytable is critical. A large progressive jackpot can make up for poor paytables in terms of the game's average return, but it does so with a sizable increase in variance, and if you don't hit the progressive, you can still spend a lot of money trying.

• How many machines are linked together in the progressive? More people playing will cause the jackpot to grow faster than fewer people playing. Busy progressives grow to an attractive level faster than those that are not busy.

• How "fast" is the "meter"? That is, when you play one hand, how much does the jackpot grow? If you are the only player on a progressive, you can watch and see how much the jackpot grows each time you play a hand. The faster the meter, the more frequent the opportunity to find a great progressive opportunity.

There is a progressive "breakeven" point at which the game becomes a 100% game. For example, suppose you find a single machine with a progressive jackpot of 7,000 credits and a 9/6 Jacks or Better paytable. This game would be a great bargain for a player, as its return would be at least 101.86% until the progressive is hit (even higher as the progressive grows).

The focus of this discussion has been on Royal Flush jackpots, but there are games that pay progressive jackpots on other hands, as well, like four aces with a kicker (Double Double Bonus). Although these don't have the marked effect on return that the Royal Flush progressive does, they can, nevertheless, materially increase the return on a game, so you want to be aware of these opportunities as well.