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Video Poker Variations

Video poker seems to spawn a flavor of the month. It’s getting difficult to keep up with all the new and improved variations. You can now play up to 100 simultaneous hands online and in the casinos, and you’ll find many variations with catchy names such as Aces and Faces, Loose Deuces and Triple Double Bonus. Among the most popular variations, you’ll find the following video variations widely available:


If you want to play other video poker variations, there are only two things besides practice and patience that you need to do to master any variation:

  1. Learn to read the payout table. It clearly lays out which hands pay the best.
  2. Modify your playing strategy to build more high-payout winning hands, based on the payout table.

The payout table for each variation below is representative, but is not guaranteed to be the best for that variation. When shopping for the best payout table for any video poker game, always compare the payouts for a full house and a flush.


Deuces Wild

As the name implies, each 2 in the deck is a wildcard, allowing you to substitute a two for any other card in your hand to help you build a winning hand. The main attraction to Deuces Wild is the 100.76% payout. The minimum payout is on three of a kind, so you’ll need to modify your playing strategy to accommodate the loss of payout on a high pair.

Deuces Wild Payout Table

Hand

Payout for 5 coins

Royal Flush

4000

4 Deuces

1000

Royal Flush/Deuce

125

5 of a Kind

75

Straight Flush

45

4 Of a Kind

25

Full House

15

Flush

10

Straight

10

3 Of a Kind

5

Deuces Wild is an all or nothing game, the wildest of the single-hand games. Discarding the entire hand is a major strategy in Deuces Wild. You want to throw out any card that doesn’t contribute to a winning hand to make room for those wild deuces. If three of a kind only pays even money, what’s the point in holding that single Ace? There isn’t any point in it. It’s all that conditioning from playing Jacks or Better that holds players back from ruthlessly discarding useless cards in Deuces Wild. In Jacks or Better, players rarely throw out complete hands. Experienced Deuces Wild players discard complete hands close to 20% of the time.


Stand with a natural royal flush, 4 deuces, a royal flush with a deuce, and 5 of a kind. In addition:



Statistically, one in every 5000 hands produces four deuces, making it eight times easier to get 4 deuces than to get a royal flush in Jacks or Better.


Jokers Wild

Jokers Wild utilizes the standard 52-card deck plus one wild joker, which the player can substitute for any other card to build a winning hand. To compensate for the "free card," Joker’s Wild is a kings or better game, paying nothing for a pair of jacks or a pair of queens. What Jokers Wild takes away on the low end, it gives back on the high end. As well as the usual 4000 coins for a royal flush on a 5-coin bet, Jokers Wild pays 1000 coins for a 5 of a kind and a wild royal flush on a 5-coin bets.

Jokers Wild Payout Table

Hand

Payout for 5 coins

Royal Flush

4000

Five of a Kind

1000

Wild Royal Flush

1000

Straight Flush

250

4 Of a Kind

75

Full House

35

Flush

25

Straight

15

3 Of a Kind

10

Two Pair

5

Kings or Better

5

The first attitude adjustment to make when playing Jokers Wild is toward the jack and queen. Unless you’re close to building a royal flush or a straight, they’re useless as singletons. In addition:



All American

All American video poker is very close to Jacks or Better, except that the payout is 100.72%. It uses the standard 52-card deck, and there are no wild cards. A pair of Jacks is the lowest winning hand. The difference is in the payout. Both the full house and the flush pay out 8 coins per deposited coin, which elevates the status of the flush. The straight flush pays 200 coins per deposited coin?four times as much as it does in Jacks or Better 9/6.

All American Payout Table

Hand Name

Payout for 5 coins

Royal Flush

4000

Straight Flush

1000

4 Of a Kind

200

Full House

40

Flush

40

Straight

40

3 Of a Kind

15

Two Pair

5

Jacks or better

5

Tens or Better

Tens or Better video poker is similar to Jacks or Better, except that it pays even money for a pair of 10s or better. Full house and flush payouts are significantly reduced. You’ll have more winning hands in Tens or Better, but the house is betting against your ability to play flawlessly.

Tens or Better Payout Table

Hand Name

Payout for 5 coins

Royal Flush

4000

Straight Flush

250

4 Of a Kind

125

Full House

30

Flush

25

Straight

20

3 Of a Kind

15

Two Pair

10

Tens or better

5

If you’re a Jacks or Better player, you’ll have to train yourself to hold those 10s. In addition:



Variations are fun, and they break the monotony. The house edge can disappear and even swing to your favor. In the end, the best game for you is the one you can consistently play the best. Improve your game and your discipline, and the money will follow.