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Video poker is one of the most enduring and fascinating casino games, blending the strategic depth of poker with the speed and simplicity of slot machines. Since its rise to popularity in the 1970s, video poker has branched into dozens of unique variants, each offering distinct rules, payouts, and strategies. Whether you’re a beginner eager to try your luck or a seasoned player looking to diversify your gameplay, understanding the differences between popular video poker variants is crucial for maximizing your fun and your potential winnings. This guide breaks down the key differences between various video poker games and provides practical advice on how to play each one.
The Essentials: What Unites All Video Poker Variants
Before diving into the differences, it’s helpful to understand the core mechanics shared by all video poker games. At its heart, video poker is based on five-card draw poker. Here’s how a typical round works:
1. You place your bet and are dealt five cards. 2. You choose which cards to hold and which to discard. 3. Discarded cards are replaced, forming your final five-card hand. 4. Payouts are awarded based on the strength of your hand and the game’s paytable.What sets video poker apart from classic slot machines is that your decisions—what to hold and discard—influence the outcome, making skill and strategy important factors. Most video poker machines have a theoretical return-to-player (RTP) percentage of 95% or higher, with some variants offering up to 99.5% RTP for optimal play.
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Jacks or Better: The Classic Foundation
Jacks or Better is the original and most widely played video poker variant. Its simplicity makes it an excellent starting point for new players. The main rule is that you need at least a pair of Jacks to win a payout. The paytable typically looks like this:
- Pair of Jacks or better: minimum paying hand - Two pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush, royal flush: standard poker payoutsA standard "9/6" Jacks or Better machine—offering 9 coins for a full house and 6 coins for a flush—gives an RTP of about 99.54% if played optimally. The game rewards solid poker fundamentals, like knowing when to keep high pairs or draw for a straight or flush. Because the payouts are straightforward, Jacks or Better is often used as a benchmark for comparing other video poker variants.
Deuces Wild: Twists, Wild Cards, and Big Hands
Deuces Wild introduces a major twist: all 2s (deuces) act as wild cards, substituting for any other card to complete winning hands. This dramatically increases the frequency of strong hands like five of a kind, straight flushes, and wild royal flushes. However, to balance the game, the minimum paying hand is usually three of a kind—much harder to achieve without wilds than a simple pair.
Because of the wild cards, the strategy for Deuces Wild is quite different from Jacks or Better. For example, you’ll often keep all deuces, even when breaking up a made hand, to chase rare but high-paying hands. The optimal RTP for "full pay" Deuces Wild can be as high as 100.76%, making it one of the few casino games with a theoretical player advantage when perfect strategy is applied.
Bonus Poker and Double Bonus Poker: Rewarding Bigger Hands
Bonus Poker and its offshoots (Double Bonus, Double Double Bonus, etc.) add another layer by giving extra payouts for specific four-of-a-kind hands. In Bonus Poker, for example, four aces pay significantly more than four 2s, 3s, or 4s. Double Bonus Poker takes this further, offering even higher payouts for four aces and other four-of-a-kind combinations.
These games appeal to players who enjoy the thrill of chasing big hands. However, the increased payouts for rare hands are balanced by slightly lower payouts for more common hands, such as two pairs. The RTP varies by paytable, but a standard Double Bonus Poker machine can offer up to 100.17% with optimal play.
Let’s compare the payout structures of some popular variants:
| Hand | Jacks or Better (9/6) | Bonus Poker | Double Bonus Poker | Deuces Wild (Full Pay) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 50 | 50 | 45 |
| Four Aces | 25 | 80 | 160 | — |
| Four 2s, 3s, or 4s | 25 | 40 | 80 | — |
| Four 5s–Kings | 25 | 25 | 50 | — |
| Full House | 9 | 8 | 10 | — |
| Flush | 6 | 5 | 7 | — |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Pair of Jacks or Better | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Three of a Kind (Min. Hand) | — | — | — | 1 |
(Values shown are for max-coin bets. Actual paytables may vary by casino or online platform.)
Joker Poker: Adding the Joker for Even More Wild Action
Joker Poker, also known as Joker’s Wild, adds a single joker to the standard 52-card deck, making it a 53-card game. The joker acts as a wild card, standing in for any other card to complete a winning hand. Because the presence of the joker increases your chances of getting strong hands, the payout structure is adjusted accordingly.
In most Joker Poker games, you need at least a pair of Kings (sometimes two pairs) to win. Like Deuces Wild, strategy shifts significantly to account for the wild card. For example, you might break up a made hand if it gives you a shot at a joker-fueled five-of-a-kind or a wild royal flush. The optimal RTP for full-pay Joker Poker can reach 100.65%, but most casino versions offer lower returns.
Multi-Hand and Progressive Video Poker: Modern Twists on Classic Games
Modern video poker includes exciting variants like Multi-Hand Poker—where you play multiple hands simultaneously—and Progressive Video Poker, which offers a jackpot that grows with each bet until it’s won.
- $1 Play 3, 10, 50, or even 100 hands at once. After the initial deal, your held cards are copied across all hands, with fresh cards drawn for each. This increases action and the potential for big wins, but also requires a larger bankroll. - $1 The royal flush pays a progressive jackpot, which can often exceed $10,000 on a $1 machine. The jackpot can climb much higher at busy casinos or online platforms with linked machines. The strategy shifts slightly when the jackpot is unusually high, as it becomes correct to chase the royal flush more aggressively.These modern twists add variety and excitement to video poker, but they also demand careful bankroll management and an awareness of changing odds.
How to Choose the Right Video Poker Variant for You
Picking the best video poker variant comes down to your preferences and goals:
- $1 Jacks or Better offers clear rules and straightforward strategy. - $1 Deuces Wild and Joker Poker deliver more wild card action and the chance for huge hands. - $1 Progressive video poker gives you a shot at life-changing payouts. - $1 Double Bonus and Double Double Bonus Poker provide complex paytables and nuanced play.Always check the machine’s paytable before playing. Small changes in payouts can have a dramatic impact on the game’s RTP. For example, a 9/6 Jacks or Better machine returns 99.54% with perfect play, but dropping to an 8/5 paytable lowers the RTP to just 97.3%.
Final Thoughts on the Differences Between Video Poker Variants
Video poker is a uniquely rewarding casino game, blending skill, strategy, and luck. The key to success is understanding the differences between variants—whether it’s the introduction of wild cards, bonus payouts for certain hands, or the chance to play multiple hands at once. By picking the right variant for your style and learning its optimal strategy, you can enjoy some of the best odds in the casino world. Remember, knowledge is power in video poker: always study the paytable, practice your strategy, and play responsibly.
