THE RULES OF VIDEO POKER
The rules of video poker are very similar to those of five-card draw. The main difference is that video poker is a one-player game: the player's goal is not to beat the opponents' hands like in five-card draw, but rather to get the highest hand possible. Play proceeds as follows:
- Place your bet. Most video poker machines have a betting range of one to five or one to ten coins, although it is possible to find machines with greater maximum bets, even up to 100.
- After inserting your coins into the machine, press the "Draw/Deal" button and the video poker machine will display your opening hand of five cards.
- Look at your hand and decide which cards you want to hang on to. Press the "Hold/Cancel" button under each card you wish to keep. If you make a mistake, press the "Hold/Cancel" button again to toggle the hold. Before moving on, be sure that the word "Hold" is displayed under all the cards you wish to hold.
- Now press the "Draw/Deal" button again to receive replacement cards for all those you did not choose to hold. If you wind up with a winning hand, the machine will pay you off; otherwise, you lose your bet. You are now ready for the next hand.
There are many different varieties of video poker, with different machines having slightly different features. One important thing to be aware of is that with some video poker machines, it is possible for a player using optimal strategy and betting the maximum to achieve a return of over 100%. These machines are known as full pay machines, and they include some Deuces Wild, Double Bonus, and Double Double Bonus machines. The payoffs and theoretical returns for each of these machines are as follows:
Deuces Wild
| Hand | 1 credit | 2 credits | 3 credits | 4 credits | 5 credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Royal Flush | 300 | 600 | 900 | 1200 | 4000 |
| Four Deuces | 200 | 400 | 600 | 800 | 1000 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 |
| Five of a Kind | 15 | 30 | 45 | 60 | 75 |
| Straight Flush | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
| Four of a Kind | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Full House | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Flush | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Straight | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Three of a Kind | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Theoretical Return | 99.679% | 99.679% | 99.679% | 99.679% | 100.762% |
Deuces Bonus
| Hand | 1 credit | 2 credits | 3 credits | 4 credits | 5 credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1000 | 4000 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Four Aces | 160 | 320 | 480 | 640 | 800 |
| Full House | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 |
| Flush | 7 | 14 | 21 | 28 | 35 |
| Straight | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Theoretical Return | 99.1079% | 99.1079% | 99.1079% | 99.1079% | 100.1725% |
Double Double Bonus
| Hand | 1 credit | 2 credits | 3 credits | 4 credits | 5 credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1000 | 4000 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Four Aces w/2,3 or4 | 400 | 800 | 1200 | 1600 | 2000 |
| Four 2, 3, or 4 w/A-4 | 160 | 320 | 480 | 640 | 800 |
| Four Aces | 160 | 320 | 480 | 640 | 800 |
| Four 2, 3 or 4 | 80 | 160 | 240 | 320 | 400 |
| Four 5-K | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Full House | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 |
| Flush | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 |
| Straight | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Theoretical Return | 98.9154% | 98.9154% | 98.9154% | 98.9154% | 100.067% |
Note that the jump in the payoff for a Royal Flush (Natural Royal Flush in the case of Deuces Wild) at 5 credits is the reason for the positive theoretical return only when playing with the maximum bet. Also note that not all machines with these names have the same payoffs - only those with the payoffs listed above will have the corresponding returns.
Machines with progressive jackpots may also have a positive return, but only once the pot runs high enough. Some casinos will announce when the pot has surpassed the mark to encourage people to play.
Full pay machines are often interspersed with other machines with a negative return, so it is up to you to search out the best odds.
