Video Poker Pay Tables Explained: How to Spot the Best Machines
The pay table is the single most important factor in determining your expected return at video poker. Two machines sitting side by side can look identical yet offer dramatically different value based solely on their pay tables. Understanding how to read and evaluate pay tables is an essential skill for any UK video poker player who wants to maximise their returns and minimise the house edge.
Unlike slot machines, where the return to player (RTP) is hidden and opaque, video poker pay tables are displayed on every machine. This transparency is one of the great advantages of video poker: you can calculate the exact expected return before you place a single bet. This guide teaches you how to read pay tables, identify full-pay versus short-pay machines, and understand the impact that pay table differences have on your bottom line.
How to Read a Video Poker Pay Table
Every video poker machine displays its pay table on screen, typically across the top of the game. The pay table shows each possible winning hand and the payout for each bet level (one through five coins). Here is a standard 9/6 Jacks or Better pay table:
| Hand | Coin | Coins | Coins | Coins | Coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chintă regală | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1000 | 4000 |
| Chintă de culoare | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Careu | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 |
| Casă plină | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
| Flush | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 |
| Drept | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Trei de un fel | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Două perechi | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
The most important numbers to check are the payouts for the full house and the flush at the one-coin level. In the table above, the full house pays 9 and the flush pays 6, making this a "9/6" machine. These two numbers are the quickest way to identify the pay table and estimate the expected return.
Notice that the royal flush payout at five coins (4,000) is disproportionately higher than at four coins (1,000). This bonus is why you should always bet maximum coins. At five coins, the royal flush pays 800 per coin wagered, versus only 250 per coin at lower bet levels.
Full Pay vs Short Pay: What Is the Difference?
The term "full pay" refers to the version of a video poker game with the highest standard pay table. "Short pay" describes any version where one or more payouts have been reduced from the full-pay standard. Casinos adjust pay tables to increase their house edge, and even a reduction of one coin on the full house or flush payout has a significant impact on your expected return.
Here is how common Jacks or Better pay table variations affect the return:
- 9/6 (Full Pay): 99.54% return. This is the benchmark. The house edge is just 0.46%.
- 9/5: 98.45% return. Reducing the flush payout by one coin costs you over 1% in return.
- 8/6: 98.39% return. Reducing the full house payout by one coin has a similar impact.
- 8/5: 97.30% return. Both payouts reduced by one coin. Very common online.
- 7/5: 96.15% return. A poor pay table that should be avoided.
- 6/5: 95.00% return. Terrible value, worse than many slot machines.
The pattern is clear: each one-coin reduction in the full house or flush payout costs you approximately 1% in expected return. A 9/6 machine returns £99.54 for every £100 wagered with perfect play, while a 6/5 machine returns only £95.00. Over a session of a few hundred hands, this difference translates to pounds of real money.
9/6 Jacks or Better: The Gold Standard
The 9/6 Jacks or Better pay table is considered the gold standard of video poker for good reason. At 99.54% return with optimal play, it offers one of the lowest house edges of any casino game. For comparison, European roulette has a house edge of 2.70%, blackjack ranges from 0.50% to 2.00% depending on rules and skill, and most slot machines carry house edges of 3% to 10% or more.
Finding 9/6 Jacks or Better is becoming more challenging as casinos have gradually reduced pay tables to increase profits. In physical UK casinos, full-pay machines are rare but not extinct. Online, several UK-licensed casinos still offer 9/6 pay tables, though you need to check carefully as the pay table is not always highlighted in marketing materials.
When you find a 9/6 machine, treat it as a valuable find. The combination of 99.54% return, straightforward strategy, and transparent odds makes it one of the best games available to any casino player.
25/15/9 Deuces Wild: The Full-Pay Standard
For Deuces Wild, the full-pay designation is 25/15/9, which refers to the payouts for four deuces (25 coins), a wild royal flush (15 coins), and five of a kind (9 coins). This version returns an extraordinary 100.76% with optimal play, giving the player a mathematical edge.
Common short-pay Deuces Wild variations include:
- 25/15/9 (Full Pay): 100.76% return. Player has a 0.76% edge.
- 20/12/10 (Illinois Deuces): 98.91% return.
- 25/16/13 (Loose Deuces): 100.97% return (very rare).
- 25/15/10 (Colorado Deuces): 100.93% return (extremely rare).
- 20/10/8 (Short Pay): 97.06% return. Commonly found online.
- 15/9/4 (Downtown Deuces): 98.91% return.
As with Jacks or Better, the differences between full-pay and short-pay Deuces Wild are enormous. A full-pay machine gives you a mathematical advantage, while a heavily reduced pay table can return less than 97%. Always check the specific payouts for four deuces, wild royal flush, and five of a kind before committing to a Deuces Wild machine.
How Casinos Adjust Pay Tables
Casinos use pay table adjustments as their primary tool for controlling the house edge on video poker. Unlike slot machines, where the return is programmed into the software and invisible to players, video poker returns are determined entirely by the pay table. This means casinos can fine-tune their edge simply by changing the payout for one or two hand types.
The most common adjustments target the full house and flush payouts, as these hands occur frequently enough to have a major impact on overall returns. Reducing the full house from 9 to 8 and the flush from 6 to 5 increases the house edge from 0.46% to 2.70%, a sixfold increase that most casual players never notice.
Some casinos make subtler adjustments, such as reducing the straight payout from 4 to 3, or lowering the four-of-a-kind payout from 25 to 20. These changes are less obvious but still increase the house edge. The only way to protect yourself is to check every payout in the pay table before you play, not just the full house and flush.
Online Casinos and Pay Tables
Online casinos generally offer a range of pay tables across their video poker selection. Some sites lead with competitive pay tables to attract knowledgeable players, while others bury short-pay tables in hopes that players will not notice. UK-licensed online casinos are required to display the pay table and theoretical RTP, but these numbers may not be prominently featured.
When evaluating an online casino for video poker, always check the pay table on the actual game rather than relying on marketing claims. Load the game in demo mode, examine the pay table carefully, and compare it to the full-pay standard for that variant. If the pay table is short, look elsewhere. With dozens of UK-licensed online casinos available, there is no reason to settle for inferior pay tables.
The Impact of Pay Tables on RTP
To illustrate just how much pay tables matter, consider a player who wagers £1,000 over a session of Jacks or Better. Here is what they can expect to lose based on different pay tables, assuming optimal strategy:
- 9/6 pay table (99.54% RTP): Expected loss of £4.60
- 8/6 pay table (98.39% RTP): Expected loss of £16.10
- 8/5 pay table (97.30% RTP): Expected loss of £27.00
- 7/5 pay table (96.15% RTP): Expected loss of £38.50
- 6/5 pay table (95.00% RTP): Expected loss of £50.00
The player at a 6/5 machine loses nearly 11 times more than the player at a 9/6 machine for the same amount wagered. Over a year of regular play, this difference amounts to hundreds or even thousands of pounds. Finding and playing at full-pay machines is the single most impactful decision a video poker player can make.
Tips for Finding the Best Pay Tables
- Always check before you play. Never assume a video poker machine has a good pay table. Take 30 seconds to verify the full house and flush payouts at minimum.
- Compare across casinos. Different online casinos carry different pay tables for the same game. Shop around for the best value.
- Use video poker databases. Several websites maintain databases of pay tables at various casinos, both online and physical. These resources can save you significant time and money.
- Check the denomination. Some casinos offer better pay tables at higher denominations. A £1 machine may have a 9/6 pay table while the £0.25 machine of the same game has only 8/5.
- Look beyond Jacks or Better. If you cannot find a full-pay Jacks or Better machine, check whether full-pay versions of other variants (Deuces Wild, Bonus Poker) are available instead.
- Factor in promotions. Casino bonuses, cashback offers, and loyalty programmes can effectively improve your return. A slightly short-pay table combined with generous promotions may offer better overall value than a full-pay table with no promotions.
Întrebări frecvente
How can I quickly identify a full-pay Jacks or Better machine?
Look at the one-coin payouts for the full house and flush. If the full house pays 9 and the flush pays 6, it is a full-pay 9/6 machine with a 99.54% return. Any other combination means the pay table has been reduced. This two-second check is the most important habit you can develop as a video poker player. Memorise the full-pay designations for your preferred variants: 9/6 for Jacks or Better, 25/15/9 for Deuces Wild, and 10/7 for Double Bonus Poker.
Why do casinos offer different pay tables for the same game?
Casinos adjust pay tables to control their profit margin. A full-pay 9/6 Jacks or Better gives the casino only a 0.46% edge, which generates relatively little profit per machine. By reducing the pay table to 8/5, the edge increases to 2.70%, generating nearly six times more revenue per hand played. Casinos balance the desire for higher margins against the need to attract and retain knowledgeable players who seek full-pay machines. Competition between casinos can work in the player’s favour, which is why shopping around for the best pay tables is so important.
Does the pay table affect the optimal strategy?
Yes, but the differences are usually minor. The basic strategy hierarchy remains the same across most Jacks or Better pay tables, but a few borderline decisions can change when payouts shift. For example, some short-pay tables may make a flush draw slightly less valuable, changing the correct play in certain marginal situations. In practice, using 9/6 strategy on an 8/5 machine costs you very little in additional expected value. The far bigger factor is simply finding the best pay table available rather than fine-tuning strategy for inferior tables.