Video Poker Guides — Strategy, Pay Tables, and RTP

The Guides section collects cross-variant references on video poker math, strategy assumptions, pay tables, and theoretical return. These guides apply across more than one variant and supplement the variant-specific pages in the Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild sections.

Each guide states its scope, assumptions, and sources explicitly. RTP figures are tied to a specific paytable, strategy level, and 5-credit play assumption where applicable. Strategy references identify whether they are full optimal charts, condensed learning frameworks, or variant-specific notes.

Educational content only. Gambling rules, availability, and legal age vary by jurisdiction.

Available guides

How these guides are different from variant pages

Variant pages focus on one game family. The Jacks or Better section covers the 9/6 paytable, optimal strategy, and hand-specific decisions for that game. The Deuces Wild section covers full-pay identification, strategy by deuce count, and paytable comparison within the Deuces family.

Guide pages cover concepts that apply across multiple game families: RTP calculation, strategy assumption layers (simple, intermediate, optimal), variance and bankroll considerations, and paytable comparison. This separation keeps each page focused. For a specific paytable or strategy chart, start with the game section. For cross-game context — how return changes between families, or how variance differs — use the guides.

For an operator-specific example of how RTP can be presented as 100% through a combination of paytable changes and a rakeback allowance — and what conditions apply to that figure — see the Duel Video Poker audit. The review documents a Jacks or Better-style paytable with payouts of 812/58/26/9/6 producing approximately 99.9% native RTP, with the marketed 100% achieved only within a daily wager allowance.

Operator and game audits

Beyond the cross-variant guides, the Reviews section documents independent audits of specific operators and games — paytable verification, RTP cross-checks, allowance mechanisms, and license assessments. Each review applies the same math-first methodology used in the guides.

For the full review section index, see all reviews.

Related variant sections

How we handle RTP and strategy assumptions

RTP is only meaningful when the paytable and strategy assumptions are stated. A game name alone is not enough: “Jacks or Better” can mean 9/6, 8/5, 7/5, or another schedule, each with a different return. “Deuces Wild” can mean Full Pay at 100.76% or short-pay schedules below 98%.

For that reason, every RTP figure on this site is tied to a specific paytable, strategy level, and 5-credit play assumption where applicable. Where a page presents a simplified framework rather than a full optimal chart, that limitation is stated directly. Where convergence requires very large hand volumes, that requirement is noted explicitly rather than implied.

Sources are cited inline. Primary mathematical figures derive from Wizard of Odds analyses, cross-checked against independent calculation where reasonable. Confidence levels in cross-variant comparison tables reflect verification depth at publication; figures with reduced confidence are flagged rather than omitted.

See Editorial Standards for the full verification workflow.

What this section does not cover

Bonus Poker, Double Bonus, Double Double Bonus, Joker Poker, and other game families are not yet documented on this site. For comprehensive cross-family data on those games, the Wizard of Odds video poker tables remain the authoritative reference.

This site also does not maintain live availability databases — which casinos or online operators currently offer which paytables at any given moment. Operator paytables change without notice, and any live database would be out of date within weeks. Players should verify the paytable directly in the game interface before any deposit or session, using the identification markers documented on the relevant pay table pages.

Promotional return (comp rates, cashback, free play, mailers) is also outside the scope of this section. Promotional offers can shift effective return materially, but the analysis depends on the specific operator and player tier, not the underlying game math.