Video Poker Variants Guide
Video Poker Variants Guide: Find the Best Game for You
Video poker is not a single game but a family of related games, each with its own rules, strategy, and expected return. While Jacks or Better is the most well-known variant, experienced players often seek out other versions that can offer even higher returns or more exciting gameplay. This guide covers every major video poker variant available to UK players, comparing their rules, optimal returns, and house edges to help you choose the right game.
Choosing the right video poker variant is one of the most impactful decisions you can make as a player. The difference in expected return between variants can be substantial, with some games offering returns above 100% with optimal play. Understanding what each variant offers allows you to match your skills and preferences to the game that gives you the best value.
Jacks or Better: The Classic Standard
Jacks or Better is the original and most widely available video poker game. It uses a standard 52-card deck with no wild cards. The minimum paying hand is a pair of jacks or higher, and the strategy is well-documented and relatively straightforward to learn.
Key Features
- Deck: Standard 52 cards, no wilds
- Minimum paying hand: Pair of Jacks or Better
- Full-pay return (9/6): 99.54%
- House edge: 0.46%
- Strategy complexity: Low to moderate
Jacks or Better is the perfect starting point for any video poker player. The strategy is the simplest of all variants, the game is available everywhere, and the full-pay version offers an excellent 99.54% return. Every other video poker variant is essentially a modification of Jacks or Better, so mastering this game provides a foundation for all others.
Deuces Wild: The Player’s Favourite
Deuces Wild is arguably the most exciting video poker variant and the one that offers the highest potential return. In this game, all four twos (deuces) act as wild cards, substituting for any other card to complete a winning hand. This dramatically changes the strategy and the pay table.
Key Features
- Deck: Standard 52 cards, all twos are wild
- Minimum paying hand: Three of a Kind (due to wilds making pairs too common)
- Full-pay return (25/15/9): 100.76%
- House edge: -0.76% (player advantage)
- Strategy complexity: High
The remarkable aspect of full-pay Deuces Wild is that the theoretical return exceeds 100%, meaning the player has a mathematical edge over the casino with perfect play. The full-pay version (known as 25/15/9, referring to payouts for four deuces, wild royal flush, and five of a kind) returns 100.76% with optimal strategy. This makes it one of the very few casino games where skilled play can produce a positive expected return.
However, there are important caveats. Full-pay Deuces Wild machines are rare and becoming harder to find. Most casinos offer reduced pay tables that bring the return below 100%. The strategy is also significantly more complex than Jacks or Better, with different decisions required depending on how many deuces you are dealt. Mastering Deuces Wild strategy requires considerable study and practice.
Bonus Poker: Enhanced Four-of-a-Kind Payouts
Bonus Poker is a Jacks or Better variant that offers enhanced payouts for four-of-a-kind hands. Different four-of-a-kind hands pay different amounts, with four aces paying the most. To compensate for these bonuses, the payouts for full house and flush are typically reduced.
Key Features
- Deck: Standard 52 cards, no wilds
- Minimum paying hand: Pair of Jacks or Better
- Full-pay return (8/5): 99.17%
- House edge: 0.83%
- Strategy complexity: Low to moderate
The defining feature of Bonus Poker is its tiered four-of-a-kind payouts: four aces typically pay 80 coins (versus 25 in standard Jacks or Better), four twos through fours pay 40 coins, and four fives through kings pay 25 coins. These bonuses make the game more volatile and exciting, as landing four aces delivers a substantial payout.
The trade-off is that the full house and flush payouts are reduced to 8 and 5 respectively (compared to 9 and 6 in full-pay Jacks or Better), which brings the overall return down slightly. Bonus Poker is a good choice for players who enjoy Jacks or Better but want more excitement from four-of-a-kind hands.
Double Bonus Poker: Higher Volatility, Higher Rewards
Double Bonus Poker takes the bonus concept further with even larger payouts for four-of-a-kind hands. Four aces pay 160 coins (versus 80 in Bonus Poker and 25 in Jacks or Better), making it one of the most volatile standard video poker games available.
Key Features
- Deck: Standard 52 cards, no wilds
- Minimum paying hand: Pair of Jacks or Better
- Full-pay return (10/7): 100.17%
- House edge: -0.17% (player advantage with perfect play)
- Strategy complexity: Moderate to high
Full-pay Double Bonus Poker (10/7, meaning 10 for a full house and 7 for a flush) actually returns over 100% with perfect strategy, giving the player a small mathematical edge. However, full-pay machines are extremely rare. More commonly, you will encounter 9/7 (99.11%) or 9/6 (97.81%) versions, which still offer competitive returns but favour the house.
The increased volatility means your bankroll will experience larger swings compared to Jacks or Better. You may go through longer losing stretches but be rewarded with larger wins when four-of-a-kind hands appear. This variant is best suited to players with larger bankrolls who can absorb the variance.
Joker Poker (Joker’s Wild): 53-Card Action
Joker Poker adds a single joker to the standard 52-card deck, creating a 53-card game. The joker acts as a wild card, substituting for any card to complete a winning hand. This extra card changes the dynamics of the game significantly.
Key Features
- Deck: 53 cards (standard deck plus one joker)
- Minimum paying hand: Kings or Better (two kings or higher) in most versions
- Full-pay return: 100.64% (Kings or Better version)
- House edge: -0.64% (player advantage with perfect play)
- Strategy complexity: Moderate to high
Like Deuces Wild, the full-pay version of Joker Poker offers a return above 100% with optimal play. However, full-pay machines are scarce. Reduced pay tables bring the return below 100%, and the strategy is more complex than Jacks or Better due to the wild card and the higher minimum paying hand.
Joker Poker comes in two main varieties: Kings or Better (minimum paying hand is a pair of kings) and Two Pair or Better (minimum paying hand is two pair). The Kings or Better version generally offers the better return with optimal play. The presence of the joker creates interesting strategic decisions, particularly around when to hold or discard it in combination with other cards.
Multi-Hand Video Poker
Multi-hand video poker allows you to play multiple hands simultaneously, typically 3, 5, 10, 25, 50, or even 100 hands at once. You are dealt one initial hand and choose which cards to hold. Your held cards are then replicated across all hands, with each hand receiving different replacement cards drawn independently.
Key Features
- Available in most video poker variants (Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Bonus Poker, etc.)
- Return percentage is identical to the single-hand version of the same game
- Significantly increases volatility and speed of play
- Requires the same strategy as the single-hand version
Multi-hand video poker does not change the house edge or optimal strategy compared to single-hand play. The mathematics are identical. What it does change is the pace and volatility. Playing 10 hands at once means you wager 10 times as much per round, which amplifies both wins and losses. A four-of-a-kind on a 10-hand game pays 10 times what it would on a single hand, but you also lose 10 bets when you miss.
Multi-hand play is popular among experienced players who want more action and are comfortable with higher variance. Beginners should start with single-hand play to master the strategy before moving to multi-hand formats. The most common multi-hand variant is 5-hand or 10-hand Jacks or Better.
Video Poker Variants: RTP and House Edge Comparison
The following table compares the key variants with their full-pay returns and house edges:
| Variant | Full-Pay Designation | RTP (Optimal Play) | House Edge | Wild Cards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacks or Better | 9/6 | 99.54% | 0.46% | None |
| Deuces Wild | 25/15/9 | 100.76% | -0.76% | All twos |
| Bonus Poker | 8/5 | 99.17% | 0.83% | None |
| Double Bonus Poker | 10/7 | 100.17% | -0.17% | None |
| Joker Poker (Kings+) | Full Pay | 100.64% | -0.64% | One joker |
| Double Double Bonus | 9/6 | 98.98% | 1.02% | None |
Note that the returns above 100% are theoretical and assume perfect strategy on full-pay machines. In practice, finding these full-pay machines can be challenging, and even small strategy errors will push the return below 100%. Nevertheless, these variants represent some of the best-value games in any casino when played correctly.
Choosing the Right Variant
Your choice of video poker variant should depend on several factors:
- Experience level: Beginners should start with Jacks or Better, which has the simplest strategy. Move to other variants once you have mastered the basics.
- Risk tolerance: Jacks or Better and Bonus Poker are lower variance. Double Bonus and Deuces Wild are higher variance. Choose based on your comfort with bankroll swings.
- Pay table availability: Always check the pay table before playing any variant. A full-pay Jacks or Better (99.54%) is better than a short-pay Deuces Wild (95%) every time.
- Strategy commitment: If you are willing to invest time learning a more complex strategy, Deuces Wild offers the highest potential return. If you prefer simplicity, stick with Jacks or Better.
- Bankroll size: Higher variance games require larger bankrolls to sustain play through losing periods. If your bankroll is limited, lower variance options are more appropriate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which video poker variant has the best return for players?
Full-pay Deuces Wild (25/15/9) offers the highest theoretical return at 100.76% with optimal play, meaning the player actually has a mathematical edge over the casino. However, full-pay machines are rare. Among commonly available variants, 9/6 Jacks or Better at 99.54% typically offers the best realistic return for most UK players, as the machines are easier to find and the strategy is simpler to execute perfectly.
Can I use the same strategy for all video poker variants?
No. Each variant has its own optimal strategy based on its unique pay table and rules. Using Jacks or Better strategy on a Deuces Wild machine, for example, would be very costly because the presence of wild cards fundamentally changes which cards you should hold. Always learn the specific strategy for the variant you are playing. The core concepts overlap, but the details differ significantly.
Are multi-hand video poker games better value than single-hand?
Multi-hand games have exactly the same house edge and return percentage as their single-hand equivalents. Playing 10 hands of 9/6 Jacks or Better has the same 99.54% return as playing one hand. The difference is purely in volatility and pace. Multi-hand play increases your total wager per round, which means larger potential wins but also larger potential losses. It does not improve or worsen the mathematical value of the game itself.
Gamblingpedia UK Editorial
Independent UK casino reviews and gambling guides.