Video Poker

1. Deal: the player places a bet and receives five cards.
2. Hold: the player selects the cards to keep.
3. Draw: the other cards are replaced from the same shuffled deck.
4. Pay: the final hand is paid from the paytable.

The most common variant, Jacks or Better, pays from a pair of jacks upwards. Other popular variants include Deuces Wild, where twos are wild, Joker Poker, and Double Bonus games that pay extra for four of a kind.

Video poker games are described by their payouts for a full house and a flush. "9/6" Jacks or Better pays 9 for a full house and 6 for a flush per coin, and returns about 99.54% with perfect strategy. The same game at 8/5 returns about 97.3%, and at 7/5 about 96.2%. A royal flush typically pays 800 per coin when the maximum five coins are bet, against 250 per coin otherwise, which is why strategy guides assume a maximum bet. Because the return depends on the player's decisions, the RTP quoted for a video poker game is the return for optimal play; typical players get somewhat less.

Video poker is a significant product in US land-based casinos and a smaller but loyal niche online. It attracts players who value skill and transparent odds, which makes the paytable a visible competitive choice: experienced players seek out full-pay games, and operators balance that against margin. Online, video poker is produced by RNG game developers, often as multi-hand versions where one hold applies to several hands at once.

A player is dealt the king, queen and jack of hearts with two small cards. Holding the three hearts and drawing two gives chances at a royal flush, straight flush, flush or straight, but correct strategy weighs this against other holds. Over time, following the strategy for the paytable is what brings the return close to the published figure.

• RTP (return to player) — why video poker returns depend on play.
• House edge — what one step down the paytable costs.
• RNG (random number generator) — how the deck is shuffled.
• Progressive jackpot — often attached to the royal flush.

Find video poker developers among game developers and machine manufacturers under hardware and equipment.