| Updated: September 26, 2025Among the many gambling games available, video poker has become one of the most popular choices. Its growing popularity stems from the fact that it combines features of slot machines and poker.
Unlike table games such as roulette and blackjack, video poker does not require interaction with a dealer, allowing players to place their bets at their own pace. Video poker also appeals because, unlike slots, it has a skill element. Players can boost their winnings once they understand the mathematics behind the game – and that means more than just memorizing the pay schedule.
This is a casino game in which players have some control and can, in certain situations, influence the outcome. Whether they win or lose depends not only on luck but also on the decisions they make. The expected return to the player can increase significantly over time, but only if they build a solid understanding of the game’s basics, including the hand rankings.
Basic Knowledge about Video Poker Hands
Video poker can be a rewarding choice for gambling enthusiasts, especially when they grasp the game’s basics and, most importantly, fully understand probability.
The Dealing Process
The Ins and Outs of Equivalent HandsThe Dealing Process
As already mentioned, video poker is a game in which the cards are not dealt by a dealer; instead, a computer shuffles and deals them. As you may know, a single deck of 52 or 53 cards is used in video poker, and the shuffle stops as soon as players press the draw/deal button. While gamblers are deciding which cards to hold or replace, the remaining 47 or 48 unseen cards continue to shuffle.
This means that if players discard one or more of their initial cards, those cards will not appear again during that round. Once the round ends, all cards are returned to the deck, and the deck is reshuffled for the next game.
The Ins and Outs of Equivalent Hands
An essential point to remember is that in video poker, two hands are considered equivalent if they contain the same denominations and permutation of suits. Note that if two hands have identical values but different suits, they are still the same, so whether players are dealt 🂱🂡🃑🂲🂣, 🂡🃑🂱🂢🃓, or 🃁🂡🃑🃂🂣, they should always adopt the same strategy when deciding their moves.
Players should also keep in mind that there are 24 equivalents of the first hand mentioned above. However, this is not always the case; some hands have 12 or even 4 equivalents. Fortunately, players do not have to memorize every equivalent hand; instead, they can focus on one representative of the class to understand how to play the rest.
- Tens or Better Variations
- Deuces Wild Variations
- Jacks or Better Variations
- Video Poker Variations
- Video Poker Rules
How Are Hands Ranked in Video Poker
Unlike craps, roulette, and keno, where the outcome is determined solely by luck, in video poker the cards players choose to discard significantly affect their chances of winning or losing. Naturally, some game variants are more rewarding than others, so avid casino fans should always examine the expected return of a given variant before placing real-money bets.
Players should also remember that the highest-ranking hands on the pay scale can differ from one video poker variant to another.
They will also encounter variants that use wild cards; for example, the Joker can substitute for any other card in the deck, making it easier to complete winning hands.
The same is true of Deuces Wild, where all four Deuces are wild and can give players an edge over the house when optimal strategy is applied. Wild cards, however, do not appear in every video poker variant – Double Bonus Poker, for instance, does not use them.
Royal Flush Straight Flush Four of a Kind Full House Flush Straight Three of a Kind Two Pairs One PairRoyal Flush
Across most video poker variants, the Royal Flush is the highest-ranking card combination on the paytable. It consists of 10, J, Q, K, and A of the same suit. Note that this winning hand cannot be completed with wild cards. Given the handsome 4,000-coin payout awarded for a Royal Flush, it is the combination every player hopes to hit.
Because of its generous payout, the Royal Flush is extremely rare. The probability of receiving one on the initial draw is only 0.00015. If players discard all five original cards, the chance of drawing a Royal Flush becomes 1 in 383,484, or 0.00260.
Although uncommon, players may occasionally be dealt four cards to a Royal Flush – on average, once every 2,777 hands. In that situation, the odds of getting the needed fifth card are 1 in 47, or 0.0212.
Receiving three cards to a Royal Flush occurs about once every 93 hands. In this scenario, completing the Royal Flush happens once in 1,081 hands, or 0.925%. Players can expect to be dealt two cards to a Royal Flush roughly once in 16.215 hands and three cards roughly once in 178.365 hands.
If players decide to play a full-pay variant of Jacks or Better and wager five coins, there are four possible ways to form a Royal Flush, and the payoff is 800 to 1. Remember, these frequencies refer only to the pre-draw.
Straight Flush
A Straight Flush is the second-best-paying hand and is made up of five consecutive cards of the same suit. For instance, 8, 9, 10, J, and Q of spades form a Straight Flush.
Excluding the Royal Flush, this combination can be made in 36 distinct ways, and it typically pays 50 to 1. The percentage of initial hands that contain a Straight Flush is about 0.00001385. The probabilities of being dealt four or three cards to a Straight Flush are 0.01980 and 0.00252, respectively.
Please make sure that you have checked the payscale of the preferred video poker version because the offered payout might vary between the different games available out there.
Four of a Kind
In a standard Jacks or Better game, Four of a Kind ranks as the third-highest hand. As the name suggests, the hand contains four cards of identical value – for example, Q, Q, Q, 10, and Q.
Because more combinations are possible, Four of a Kind can be made in 624 different ways in a full-pay Jacks or Better game, and it pays 25 to 1.
For comparison, a full-pay Deuces Wild game offers 31,552 ways to draw Four of a Kind in the pre-draw. Four deuces pay 200 to 1, while any other Four of a Kind pays 5 to 1.
In Double Bonus Poker, Four of a Kind can be formed 432 ways and pays 50 to 1. In Joker Wild, the hand can be made 624 ways without a Joker and 2,496 ways with a Joker, paying 20 to 1.
Full House
Regarding payouts, a Full House ranks fourth. The hand contains three cards of one value plus a pair – for example, 7, 7, 7, Q, and Q.
In 9/6 Jacks or Better, a Full House pays 9 to 1, and its pre-draw frequency is 3,744.
In a full-pay Deuces Wild game, the hand pays 3 to 1 and can be drawn 12,672 ways. In Double Bonus Poker, it pays 10 to 1 with the same 3,744 pre-draw combinations. In Joker Wild, a Full House pays 7 to 1; it can be made 3,744 ways without a Joker and 2,808 ways with one.
Flush
A Flush consists of five cards of the same suit that are not in sequence. If the cards are in order, the hand becomes a Straight Flush, not a Flush. For instance, 4, 5, 9, 10, and K of spades qualify as a Flush.
In Jacks or Better, a Flush pays 6 to 1 and can be drawn 5,108 ways in the pre-draw. In a full-pay Deuces Wild game, it pays 2 to 1 and can occur 14,472 ways. In Double Bonus Poker, it pays 10 to 1 with 3,744 possible combinations. In Joker Poker, the hand pays 5 to 1; it can be made 5,108 ways without a Joker and 2,696 ways with one.
Straight
When a hand contains five consecutive cards of mixed suits, it is a Straight. For example, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 of different suits form a Straight.
As with other hands, the payout for a Straight varies by video poker variant. In Jacks or Better, a Straight pays 4 to 1 when the maximum bet is placed, and it can occur 10,200 ways in a full-pay game. In a full-pay Deuces Wild game, it pays 2 to 1, with 62,232 possible pre-draw combinations.
In Bonus Poker, a Straight pays 5 to 1 and can be made 10,200 ways. In Joker Wild, it pays 3 to 1; the hand can be formed 10,200 ways without a Joker and 10,332 ways with one.
Three of a Kind
When a hand contains three cards of the same value plus two unrelated cards, it is a Three of a Kind – for example, 10, 10, 10, 7, and 3.
In full-pay Jacks or Better, a Three of a Kind pays 3 to 1, and there are 54,912 ways to receive it on the pre-draw with the maximum bet. In Deuces Wild, the hand pays 1 to 1 and can be dealt 355,080 ways.
In Double Bonus Poker, it also pays 3 to 1, with 54,912 possible combinations. In Joker Wild, the payout drops to 2 to 1; the hand can appear 54,912 ways without a Joker and 82,368 ways with one.
Two Pairs
Two Pairs pays when the hand contains two different pairs of equal-rank cards – for instance, 10, 10, J, J, and 5.
In most variants, including full-pay Jacks or Better, Two Pairs pays 2 to 1, and there are 123,552 possible pre-draw combinations.
In Double Bonus Poker, the payout is reduced to 1 to 1, with the same 123,552 combinations. The same 1-to-1 payout applies in Joker Wild, where the hand can be formed 123,552 ways without a Joker.
One Pair
One Pair – often referred to as Jacks or Better – is the lowest-paying winning hand in video poker. It consists of two cards of the same value, regardless of suit.
The payout is modest; when players have Jacks or Better, they receive a return equal to their wager. Typically, the pair must be Jacks, Queens, Kings, or Aces. In Tens or Better variants, however, two 10s also qualify.
As noted, the hand pays 1 to 1, and in full-pay Jacks or Better there are 337,920 possible pre-draw combinations.
In Double Bonus Poker, both the payout and the number of combinations remain the same. In Joker Wild, the presence of a Joker changes things: there are 93,996 ways to make the hand with a Joker and 168,960 ways without one.
Payouts Offered by the Different Video Poker Variants
It’s no coincidence that video poker variants are among the most popular casino games; when players apply optimal strategy, they offer one of the highest expected returns. Naturally, some variants are more favorable than others, and we’ll focus on those differences below.
Jacks or Better Deuces Wild 8/5 Bonus Poker Double Double Bonus PokerJacks or Better
- Royal Flush – 250x, 500x, 750x, 1.000x, 4.000x (if the chosen version is a full-pay one)
- Straight Flush – 50x, 100x, 150x, 200x, 250x
- Four of a Kind – 25x, 50x, 75x, 100x, 125x
- Full House – 9x, 18x, 27x, 36x, 45x
- Flush – 6x, 12x, 18x, 24x, 30x
- Straight – 4x, 8x, 12x, 16x, 20x
- Three of a Kind – 3x, 6x, 9x, 12x, 15x
- Two Pairs – 2x, 4x, 6x, 8x, 10x
- Jacks or Better – 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x
Deuces Wild
- Royal Flush (natural) – 250x, 500x, 750x, 1.000x, 4.000x
- Four Deuces – 100x, 400x, 600x, 800x, 1.000x
- Royal Flush (wild) – 25x, 50x, 75x, 100x, 125x
- Five of a Kind – 15x, 30x, 45x, 60x, 75x
- Straight Flush – 9x, 18x, 27x 36x, 45x
- Four of a Kind – 5x, 10x, 15x, 20x, 25x
- Full House – 3x, 6x, 9x, 12x, 15x
- Flush – 2x, 4x, 6x, 8x, 10x
- Straight – 2x, 4x, 6x, 8x, 10x
- Three of a Kind – 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x
8/5 Bonus Poker
- Royal Flush – 200x, 400x, 600x, 800x, 4.000x
- Straight Flush – 50x, 100x, 150x, 200x, 250x
- Four of a Kind (Aces) – 80x, 160x, 240x, 320x, 400x
- Four of a Kind (2s, 3s, or 4s) – 40x, 80x, 120x, 160x, 200x
- Four of a Kind (all other cards) – 25x, 50x, 75x, 100x, 125x
- Full House – 8x, 16x, 24x, 32x, 40x
- Flush – 5x, 10x, 15x, 20x, 25x
- Straight – 4x, 8x, 12x, 16x, 20x
- Three of a Kind – 3x, 6x, 9x, 12x, 15x
- Two Pairs – 2x, 4x, 6x, 8x, 10x
- Jacks or Better – 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x
Double Double Bonus Poker
- Royal Flush – 250x, 500x, 750x, 1.000x, 4.000x
- Straight Flush – 50x, 100x, 150x, 200x, 250x
- Four Aces with w/any 2, 3, 4 – 400x, 800x, 1.200x, 2.000x
- Four 2s, 3s, 4s with w/any Ace, 2, 3, 4 – 160x, 320x, 480x, 640x, 800x
- Four of a Kind (Aces) – 160x, 320x, 480x, 640x, 800x
- Four of a Kind (2s, 3s, 4s)- 80x, 160x, 240x, 320, 400x
- Four of a Kind (5 through K) – 50x, 100x, 150x, 200x, 250x
- Full House – 9x, 18x, 27x, 36x, 45x
- Flush – 6x, 12x, 18x, 24x, 30x
- Straight – 4x, 8x, 12x, 16x, 20x
- Three of a Kind – 3x, 6x, 9x, 12x, 15x
- Two Pairs – 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x
- Jacks or Better – 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x