Video Poker Odds

Below is an online video poker odds table but bear in mind the odds displayed assume the correct strategy is applied. Players should note that Microgaming video poker is often accompanied by "expert mode" which holds the correct cards according to the correct strategy for each game.

Important: The video poker odds listed below were correct going into 2009 although note that Cryptologic have since introduced a second version of their multihand video poker games which re-introduces discarded cards into the pack. Although there are small payouts when these cards are redealt, this reduces the odds of the game. Stick to the normal version of their video poker games would be my advice.

Game	Microgaming	Cryptologic	Wagerworks
Aces & Eights	98.72%	-	-
Aces & Faces	99.26%	-	-
All Aces	99.92%	-	-
All American	99.38%	98.11%	-
Bonus Poker	99.17%	-	99.17%
Deuces & Joker	99.07%	-	-
Deuces Wild (Single Hand)	96.76%	97.97%	-
Deuces Wild (Multi Hand)	99.37%	97.97%	-
Double Bonus	99.11%	99.11%	-
Double Double Bonus	98.98%	-	-
Double Joker	98.10%	-	-
Jacks Or Better (JoB)	99.54%	98.25%	99.54%
Joker Poker	98.60%	98.94%	98.47%
Lucky Draw Bonus	-	-	99.17%
Lucky Draw JoB	-	-	99.54%
Lucky Draw Joker	-	-	98.47%
Phantom Belle Bonus	-	-	96.87%
Phantom Belle JoB	-	-	96.15%
Phantom Belle Joker	-	-	94.87%
Tens Or Better	99.14%	97.96%	-
Casinos:	32Red Ladbrokes Roxy Palace Spin Palace	Casino Joy Intercasino	Blue Square Paddy Power Virgin

Employing the right video poker strategy is important if you want to get the best odds. And understanding the concept of "variance" here is a key element. Typically, bonus video poker and "wild card" video poker games have a higher variance, meaning that there are higher payouts for the more unusual hands. This generally means you need a larger bankroll and more time to achieve the odds on offer. Additionally, the more hands you play simultaneously, the higher the variance. Variance is a common feature of many casino games, most notably video poker and slots and effectively makes the game more risky in th short term with longer term benefits.

Also note the "golden rule" of video poker. Always play maximum coins! This is because most video poker games at online casinos will pay you more than the aggregate amount of coins for a Royal Flush when you are playing 5 coins per hand. This is clearly to incentivise you to bet more, but you can counter the effect by lowering the denomination. For example, it is better to play 5 coins per hand at 10p (50p per hand) than 2 coins at 25p (also 50p per hand) as typically a Royal Flush at 5 coins, regardless of denomination, will pay you 10 times as many coins as playing 2 coins per hand.

The table above compares the the video poker odds for games at Cryptologic, Wagerworks and Microgaming powered casinos. RTG casinos are not included as the casinos can set their own payouts, which MG, Wagerworks Cryptologic casinos are not permitted to do - they are set by the software provider and are the same at all casinos using the relevant software.

If you want to practice, I have set up a free video poker demo (Deuces Wild) to try out your strategy. The game is the Microgaming multihand version which is available at several of the online casinos listed at Online Casino UK and all the Playtech casinos listed on the site also have a similar version.