Which Video Poker Game Has The Best Odds
Posted : admin On 4/6/2022Jul 09, 2021 How to Calculate Odds of a Video Poker Game. Every video poker game uses a basic 52-card deck. These casino games have clear odds. They is a 1 in 52 chance of getting a particular card, 1 in 13 chance of getting any desired number, and 1 in 4 chance of getting a specific suit. Hence, the calculation of odds becomes straightforward. Although video poker can be the best game in the casino, many players reduce it to a slots-like gamble by consistently making huge mistakes. Most players don’t understand how you can improve your odds in video poker, and therefore they sit on the machines and dump their money as a result. Picking the game with the best Return To Player (RTP) is key if you intend to play video poker and you want the best chance to win. By doing this and using basic strategy, you can ensure the casino has the lowest house edge possible and, in some instances, in theory at.
Why packing the proper bankroll is critical if you’re going to survive and thrive at this game
By Jerry “Stickman” Stich
The more knowledgeable you are about the game you’re playing, the better prepared you’ll be to enjoy it (and capitalize on opportunities). With multiple-play video poker, this means you’ll need to bring a larger bankroll in order to play as long as you could on a single-play game.
Normal video poker machines are called “single play” because they invite you to play one game at a time. But these certainly aren’t the only types of video poker games. You’ll also encounter games that enable you to play three, five, 10, 50 and even 100 games at a time.
These “multiple-play” games deal the exact same hand to three, five, 10, 50, or 100 hands. The player then decides which cards to save for all the hands dealt. The strategy for playing a multi-play game is exactly the same as when playing a single-play game.
If you’re dealt a good initial hand, you can make some nice money. However, over half of all hands in video poker end up being losers. Because of this, the variance (amount of bankroll swings, both plus and minus) for multiple-play games is higher than for single-play games. You need a bigger bankroll to play multi-play games of the same denomination.
In a single-play game, variance is higher when more money is paid out on high paying hands. For example, 9/6 Jacks or Better (where a full house is paid at 9-for-1 and a flush is paid at 6-for-1) has only one very high paying hand: the royal flush. The variance on this game is 19.5. Bonus Poker is different than Jacks or Better because it pays a bonus for four aces (80-for-1 instead of 25-for-1) and four 2s, 3s or 4s (40-for-1).
Payoffs for a full house and a flush are reduced to make up for the higher payoffs on the quads. The variance for Bonus Poker is 20.9—a seven percent increase over Jacks or Better. Double Bonus Poker increases the bonus on four aces to 160-for-1; the bonus on four 2s, 3s, or 4s to 80-for-1; and the bonus on 5s through kings to 50-for-1. Two pair payoff is reduced to 1-for-1 to compensate for the increased quad payoffs. By concentrating on fewer, larger payoffs and reducing the more frequent, lower payoffs, variance on Double Bonus Poker soars to nearly 28.3. That’s a whopping 48 percent increase from Jacks or Better.
In multiple-play games, variance increases as the number of plays increase—not because more money in concentrated in fewer high paying hands, but because the strength of each multiple-play game is determined by the initial five cards that are dealt. If it’s a strong hand, each play will have a strong hand. If it’s a weak hand, each play will be weak. For example, if the initial hand contains three aces, the minimum that each play will return is 3-for-1.
If, however, the initial hand contains nothing and needs to be completely discarded, the chances for a positive outcome for this hand are small.
Now let’s look at some specific games, plays and variances.
As stated above, variance for single-play Jacks or Better is 19.5. A 3-play Jacks or Better game has a variance of 23.4—a 20 percent increase. In the 5-play version of Jacks or Better, the variance now becomes 27.3—40 percent greater than single-play. 50-play Jacks or Better has a variance of 115.8, and the 100-play version has a variance of 214. That’s 997 percent greater than the single-play version of the game! We’re talking about a huge variance for a game that initially has a relatively low variance.
What about a game with a higher single-play variance? Double Bonus Poker has a single-play variance of 28.3—48 percent higher than single-play Jacks or Better. The 3-play version of Double Bonus Poker has a variance of 35.0—a 24 percent increase from the single-play version. 5-play Double Bonus Poker has a variance of 41.8 (48 percent higher). The variance on 10-play is 58.5 (108 percent higher). 50-play variance is 194.4 (588 percent higher). And 100-play variance is 364—an incredible 1,188 percent higher!
What Is Video Poker
Those are some pretty big numbers. But what do they mean to the average video poker player?
First off, let me emphasize that the more knowledgeable you are about the game you’re playing, the better prepared you’ll be to enjoy it (and capitalize on opportunities). With multiple-play video poker, this means you’ll need to bring a larger bankroll in order to play as long as you could on a single-play game. Even on the relatively low variance Jacks or Better, the variance of the 100-play game is 10 times that of the single play game. This means that even if you were to play a lower denomination multiple-play version of the game, you’d still probably need a larger bankroll.
For example, if you normally play single-play Jacks or Better at the $1 level, it may seem logical that you could play 100-play Jacks or Better at the 1¢ level. After all, you wager one dollar on each hand in either game. But, by looking at the increased variance for 100-play (10 times that of single-play), it’s easy to see that the same bankroll won’t be sufficient.
Keep in mind that variance can be good or bad. When riding the wave of positive variance, life is very good indeed. However, when wallowing in the pit of negative variance, it feels as if Lady Luck has abandoned you and the game is unbeatable. We encounter these hot and cold streaks with all casino games, from blackjack to the slots. One of the golden rules of gambling is that you must always possess a bankroll that is adequate for the game you will be playing—and this is especially true if your plans include multiple-play video poker.
The Tough Truth About Multiple-Play Video Poker.
Contrary to the opinion that Video Poker is strictly chance-based, there's a good amount of skill at play with this game. Seasoned bettors know that Video Poker odds are some of the best at the casino, and odds are very crucial to skill-based games. They help you make better wagering decisions, and more importantly, these odds can be influenced with the right gameplay strategy.
However, before you can begin increasing your winning chances, you need to understand the odds. Luckily, this feature will let you in on the odds available in this game, as well as the house edge, payouts, and more.
Table of Contents
Payback on Video Poker
This game is considered one of the most generous betting options at the casino because of its low house edge. At land-based casinos, different machines are designed to pay out differently. The best-paying machines are called 'full pay' machines or '9/6.'
The reason why it’s called 9/6 is that these machines payout 9: 1 for the Full House and 6: 1 for Flush. Other lower-paying machines will bring a higher house edge. For instance, an 8/5 machine would have a 2.70% house edge, 7/5 machines 5.85%, and 6/5 machines 5%.
On the online casino, the Video Poker house edge also depends on the variation of the game. The most popular variant is Jacks or Better and the house advantage here is 0.46%. This almost rivals that of Blackjack, which goes as low as 0.36%.
Video Poker Payout Chart
The Video Poker payout chart or paytable is often displayed on top of the game screen, so you can look over at the hand rankings while you play.
The payouts you'll get for a 1 coin bet on a standard full pay Jacks or Better machine are:
- Royal Flush – 250
- Straight Flush – 50
- Four of a Kind – 25
- Full House – 9
- Flush – 6
- Straight – 4
- Three of a Kind – 3
- Two Pair – 2
- Jacks or Better – 1
The game uses a single 52-card deck, so the Video Poker odds on each outcome is a probability of landing that precise hand combination from the 52 cards available. This puts Royal Flush Video Poker odds at 1 in 649,740, with Jacks or Better at 1 in 7.69. Naturally, the higher paying hand has much longer odds.
However, these are your chances of winning on the come-out deal. Odds on the draw are exponentially more favourable since you may already have 2 or more cards on hold. For example, when you have four cards to a Royal Flush on hold, the chances of completing it on the draw are only 1 in 47.
Payouts vs. Odds
If you play perfectly using proper strategy, some Video Poker games are designed with payout percentages that put the casino at a disadvantage. Deuces Wild comes with a 100.76% payback, while Double Bonus Poker is set at 100.17%.
Of course, that's only theoretical. In practice, casinos wouldn't just sit back and lose.
Every Video Poker game has a house edge, and this is the difference between the odds and the payout. If you consider that the chances of the Royal Flush coming out on the deal are 1/649,740, the payback of 250 is much less than what you should get for such astronomical odds.
Which Video Poker Game Has The Best Odds For A
As explained earlier, Video Poker odds are a lot more favourable on the draw. Hence on a draw win, the payouts get closer to reflecting your true chances.
Improving the Odds
Video Poker is one of those games where you can turn a potentially losing hand into a winning one if you've got good skills and a working strategy. Strategizing is all about knowing the right cards to hold and discard, and you can take a look at our Video Poker strategy guide for more on how to improve your odds.
Which Video Poker Game Has The Best Odds
Apart from this, there are a couple of other tips to help you boost your Video Poker odds. They include the following:
- Make sure you play full-pay machines
- Play Deuces Wild or Bonus Poker where available
- Only bet at licensed and regulated online casinos like the ones we recommend. These sites will ensure a safe and fair gaming experience.
FAQs
No, at least not when you play at licensed online casinos. These sites have their RNGs regularly audited to guarantee fair play and randomness of outcomes.
Deuces Wild has the best Video Poker odds since it features a payback rate of 100.76%. However, it's not available at all casinos. The next best options are Double Bonus Poker at 100.17%, Jacks or Better and Bonus Poker at 99.54% and 99.17%, respectively.
Which Video Poker Game Has The Best Odds
There are no bet types in this game. The goal is to hold and discard cards to achieve the best paying rank.