Next to slots, video poker is the most popular game in the casino. Video poker offers fun, fast-paced action, even for low rollers. When playing full-pay machines with optimal strategy, video poker is also one of the few games in the casino that is truly beatable.

The gameplay of video poker is obvious to anyone familiar with the classic card game Five Card Draw. The objective is simply to draw the highest five card poker hand. There are a wide variety of video poker machines, from wild card games to progressive jackpots to the new multi-play games, but all share the same basic gameplay.

Video poker is generally played with 1 to 5 coins or credits, in denominations ranging from a penny up to $5 or more. Some newer multi-play machines can take up to 100 credits per play. A pay schedule will be posted on the machine, showing the payout for each hand based on the number of coins bet.

Notice that on a typical machine, a natural royal flush (the highest hand) will payout at least 4000 coins for a 5 coin bet, compared to only 1000 for a 4 coin bet. To achieve the highest possible long-term payout, always play the maximum number of coins to get the maximum jackpot on a natural royal flush! If 5 coins on a quarter machine is too large of a bet for you, play 5 coins on a nickel machine instead.

To play, deposit money into the machine and select how many coins to play for the current hand. A Bet Max button is conveniently provided to bet the maximum number of coins. Most newer machines accept bills, or use a ticket system to track and pay out winnings. Hit the Deal/Draw button, and five cards will be dealt on the screen. Use the Hold buttons to select which cards you'd like to hold on to, or on newer machines, simply touch the cards on the screen. Hit the Deal/Draw button again, and the remaining cards will be drawn. If you've made a hand, you will be paid according to the pay schedule posted on the machine. After play, the Cash Out button will pay out your winnings.

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Not all video poker machines are alike. To earn the greatest profit from video poker, it is essential to play only the games that offer little or no house advantage. There are video poker machines that boast a 100%+ maximum payout when played with optimal strategy, and many more that payout over 99%.

The pay schedule is used to determine a game's payout percentage. Identical machines can have different pay schedules and vastly different payout percentages. The games that offer payouts near or over 100% are called full-pay machines.

The tables below show the highest payouts available for common video poker games found in Las Vegas casinos. Make sure the machine you're playing has the exact same pay schedule listed, or else the true payout percentage may be lower. All payout amounts assume that the 5 coin maximum is being played for every hand.

Joker's Wild (see attachement below) offers the best payouts in video poker. The 4700 coin royal flush jackpot has a payout of 101% – the highest available in the casino! The full-pay schedule (FP) offers a payout of 100.65%

Deuces Wild (see attachement below) offers several excellent payout rates. The full-pay schedule offers an impressive 100.76% maximum payout. "Loose Deuces" (LD), a variant that offers a higher payout for 4 deuces, pays 100.15% "Not so ugly ducks" (NSUD) pays 99.7%, but can be profitable with casino comps.

The 9/6 Jacks or Better (see attachement below) "full-pay" schedule (so named because of the 9 and 6 bet payouts for flush and straight) is the best commonly available payout for this popular machine. Several online casinos offer this game – see the recommended casinos listed below. With generous comps, this machine is quite playable.

Double Bonus (see attachement below) video poker is a variant of Jacks or Better that offers increased payouts for 4 of a kind, while decreasing the payouts for smaller hands. 10/7 Double Bonus and 10/6 Double Double Bonus (10 for full house, 6 or 7 for flush) are two varieties that pay out over 100%.

There are several other full-pay games available – check the recommended links at the bottom of the page for more pay schedules. To determine the payout rate for any given machine, software is available to calculate video poker statistics. See the recommended software links below.

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Once you've found a full-pay or high payout video poker machine, the optimal strategy must be played to achieve the maximum possible payout. The optimal strategy will differ for each game, so it is necessary to find a strategy chart for the particular game and pay schedule you are playing.

Attached is a strategy chart for 9/6 Jacks or Better, a common high-pay video poker machine available in many land-based and online casinos. (See the pay schedule above.) To use this chart, simply keep the highest hand on the chart and drop the remaining cards. For example, if your hand is 5,5,K,Q,J, the proper strategy would be to keep the pair of 5s and drop the high cards.

Video poker strategy charts can easily be found online, in many casino strategy books, and even in casino gift shops.

Video poker can be profitable over the long run if you remember to follow these tips:

• Always play full-pay machines, preferably those that pay out over 100%.
• Always play the optimal basic strategy for your game. Take a strategy card or printed strategy chart along to the casino with you.
• Always play the maximum number of credits to get the highest payoff when you hit a royal flush.
• Always use your players card when gambling to take advantage of casino comps and cash back.

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