The Three Best Video Poker Games

For my money, there hasn’t been a gambling activity invented that’s superior to video poker. The category includes a wide variety of unique five-card draw games that offer an even middle between slot machines and casino table games.

Today, video poker machines take up a significant portion of all land-based casino floors and are some of the most popular ways to gamble online and you can find some of the safest betting sites here.

One of my favorite things about video poker is that there’s strategy involved. Unlike slots, which are determined exclusively by luck, a video poker player can improve their odds of winning by following the optimal playing strategy for any given game. This gives the gambler a decent amount of control over their fate, without requiring them to share a table with other players, who may have an impact on their cards.

Another favorable quality of video poker is the speed at which you can finish each hand. This is another instance of these games resembling slot machines. With a digital deck of cards that is automatically randomized (shuffled) in the blink of an eye, and can be dealt just a quickly, it only takes seconds to decide which cards to hold, redraw, and learn whether or not you’ve created a winning hand. Then, you can start the whole process over just as swiftly.

The mix of strategy, speed, and a low house advantage make video poker my go-to form of gambling, both online and otherwise. In this article, I want to take a closer look at the three versions of video poker that I believe are the best.

Now admittedly, declaring something as “the best” is subjective, but I’m a Vegas local who’s been playing video poker during just about every trip to the supermarket or gas station since I turned 21. By now, I’ve got to be approaching my “Malcolm Gladwell” 10,000 hours toward mastery, which I suppose makes me something of an expert (at least in my own mind).

Jacks or Better Video Poker

When it comes to playing video poker, Jacks or Better is an all-time classic and the most basic version of the game available. The object of the game is to create a stronger poker hand than a pair of jacks. A single 52-card deck is used, from which you are initially dealt five of them. You may then choose which to hold and which to discard. The digital dealer then deals you a new card for each one discarded.

If you’re new to video poker, or unfamiliar with poker hands, Jacks or Better is an excellent place to start. You’ll quickly grow acquainted with all of the traditional winning combinations and how you should approach trying to build them. These hands make up the foundation of video poker.

Jacks or Better may not be the most complicated or exciting form of video poker, but it’s the original and is responsible for launching this category of gambling. You have to respect the rulesets that paved the way! Plus, using the optimal strategy results in a 99.54% rate of return to players.

Pay Table

Hand	1 credit	5 credit (Max)
Royal flush	250	4000
Straight flush	50	250
Four of a kind	25	125
Full house	9	45
Flush	6	30
Straight	4	20
Three of a kind	3	15
Two pair	2	10
Jacks or better	1	5

Optimal Strategy

To use the optimal strategy for Jacks or Better, start at the top of this list and work your way down until you locate the best available hand from the five cards which you were dealt. Then, hold those cards and discard the rest.

Deuces Wild

Once you’ve used Jacks or Better to learn the fundamentals of Five-Card Draw Poker, you may be ready to spice things up a bit. Deuces Wild is one of the most popular variations of video poker ever created, both in brick-and-mortar casinos and online. In the rare case that you find a full pay machine, the optimal strategy results in a greater than 100% payback.

As you’ll see in the playing strategy below, the presence of four “wild” deuces in the deck significantly alters both the payouts and recommended tactics. All of a sudden, four of a kinds aren’t all that special, while five of a kind becomes a possible hand. Also, the possibility of a deuce being dealt to replace a discarded card gives the player extraordinary flexibility when it comes to creating winning combinations.

Deuces Wild is the ideal version for relatively conservative video poker players and it’s one that I consider to be one of the best video poker games. The presence of “wild” cards reduces the payouts on all of the best hands, besides a natural royal flush, but it’s easier to acquire the intermediate combos. If you prefer to build up your bankroll more gradually, this video poker variation, with its particularly generous rate of return to players, is the perfect option.

Pay Table

Hand	1 credit	5 credit (Max)
Natural royal flush	250	4000
Four deuces	200	1000
Wild royal flush	25	125
Five of a kind	15	75
Straight flush	9	45
Four of a kind	5	25
Full house	3	15
Flush	2	10
Straight	2	10
Three of a kind	1	5

Optimal Strategy

To use the optimal strategy for Deuces Wild, start at the top of this list and work your way down until you locate the best available hand from the five cards you were dealt. Then, hold those cards and discard the rest.

Four deuces dealt:

• Draw one card

Three deuces dealt:

• Wild royal flush
• Five of a kind
• Three deuces and draw two cards

Two deuces dealt:

• Wild royal flush
• Five of a kind
• Straight flush
• Four of a kind
• Four cards to a wild royal flush draw
• Four cards to an open-ended straight flush draw
• Two deuces and draw three cards

One deuce dealt:

• Wild royal flush
• Five of a kind
• Straight flush
• Four of a kind
• Four cards to a wild royal flush draw
• Full house
• Four cards to an open-ended straight flush draw
• Three of a kind
• Flush
• Straight
• Four cards to a straight flush with a single gap
• Four cards to a straight flush with two gaps
• A34 suited, A35 suited, or A45 suited, but keep the deuce, too.
• Three cards to a royal flush (without an ace)
• Three cards to a straight flush with no gaps
• Three cards to a royal flush with a single ace
• A deuce and draw four cards

Zero deuces dealt:

• Royal flush
• Four cards to a royal flush
• Straight flush
• Four of a kind
• Full house
• Three of a kind
• Flush
• Straight
• Four cards to a straight flush
• Three cards to a royal flush
• A pair
• Four cards to a flush
• Four cards to a straight (no gaps, and not 3456, either)
• Three cards to a straight flush
• 456 suited
• 345 suited
• 10J suited
• Three cards to a straight flush with two gaps
• 10Q suited or JQ suited
• 346 suited or 356 suited
• Four cards to a straight with a single gap
• Draw five cards

Double Double Bonus Poker

Double Double Bonus Poker is my all-time favorite way to play video poker. This is a game for the less conservative gamblers who prefer to swing for the fences. On a 9/6 machine, the optimal strategy only returns 98.98%, making it slightly less advantageous to players than the others. However, it makes up for the larger house edge by offering a wider range of large potential payouts.

This video poker game is all about four of a kinds. In addition to there being several different four of a kinds with unique payouts, there are kickers as well. “Kickers” are an extra card, such as an ace, 2, 3, or 4, that increases the value of a four of a kind combination. So, while four aces pays out 160 credits for each one that you stake, four aces and a two returns 400.

Pay Table

Hand	1 credit	5 credit (Max)
Royal flush	250	4000
Straight flush	50	250
Four aces with 2,3, or 4 kicker	400	2000
Four 2s, 3s, or 4s with ace, 2, 3, or 4 kicker	160	800
Four aces (no kicker)	160	800
Four 2s, 3s, or 4s (no kicker)	80	400
Four of a kind (5s – kings)	50	250
Full house	9	45
Flush	6	30
Straight	4	20
Three of a kind	3	15
Two pair	1	5
Jacks or better	1	5

Optimal Strategy

To use this strategy chart, start at the top and scroll down until you find your current hand. Hold the cards that are listed on your line and discard the rest.

• Royal flush
• Four aces, 2s, 3s, or 4s with an ace, 2, 3, or 4 kicker
• Four of a kind
• Straight flush
• Four to a royal flush
• Three of a kind – aces
• Full house
• Flush
• Straight
• Three of a kind – 2s through kings
• Four to a straight flush
• Pair of aces
• Two pair
• Three to a royal flush – J, Q, K
• Pair of kings
• Three to a royal flush – 10, J, Q
• Pair of jacks or queens
• Four to a flush
• Three to a royal flush
• Four to a straight – 2345, 3456, 4567, 5678, 6789, 789T
• Three to a straight flush – 345, 456, 567, 678, 789, 89T, 89J, 8TJ, 8JQ, 9TJ, 9TQ, 9JQ, 9JK, 9QK
• Four to a straight – J, Q, K, A
• Two to a royal flush (face cards only)
• Four to a straight – 9JQK, TJQA, TJKA, TQKA
• Three to a straight flush: A23, 234, 235, 245, 346, 356, 457, 467, 568, 578, 679, 689, 78T, 78J, 79J, 79T, 7TJ, 89Q, 8TQ, 9TK
• Three to a straight: JQK
• Four to a straight: 89JQ, 8TJQ, 9TJK, 9TQK
• Two to a straight: JQ
• Ace high
• Two to a royal flush: TJ
• Two to a straight: JK/QK
• Three to a flush: 2TK to 8TK
• Two to a royal flush: TQ, TK
• J, Q, or K high
• Three to a straight flush: 236, 246, 256, 347, 357, 367, 458, 468, 478, 569, 579, 589, 67T, 68T, 69T
• Four to a straight: 2346, 2356, 2456, 3457, 3467, 3567, 4568, 4578, 4678, 5679, 5689, 5789, 678T, 679T, 689T
• Draw five cards

In Conclusion

If you’re looking for a way to gamble that features the speed and simplicity of slot machines with advantageous returns, and just enough skill involved to keep things interesting, video poker is likely the form of gambling for you! The diverse range of rulesets and paytables ensure there’s something out there for every kind of player and that you’ll never grow bored.

I consider these variations to be the three best video poker games. Jack or Better is the original way to play. And it’s an excellent way to familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of poker and the composition of winning hands. Deuces Wild makes things a bit more interesting with the four available “wilds” and gives players a slight edge over the house when the optimal strategy is used.

Then, you have Double Double Bonus Poker for the home run hitters. In exchange for a slightly lower payback percentage, players have several additional ways to win big hands. Ultimately, the version of video poker you believe to be the best is nothing but a matter of opinion. We all have unique personal preferences regarding how we like to gamble.

That said, these are the three best video poker games, and I’ll never change my mind!