| Game | RTP (Optimal) | House Edge | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacks or Better (9/6) | 99.54% | 0.46% | Best video poker variant |
| Deuces Wild | 100.76% | −0.76% (player advantage) | With perfect strategy — rare |
| Double Double Bonus | 98.98% | 1.02% | High variance, big jackpot hands |
| Bonus Poker | 99.17% | 0.83% | Moderate variance, balanced |
| Joker Poker | 98.60% | 1.40% | Joker wild, altered strategy |
| Double Jackpot Poker | 98.30% | 1.70% | Jackpot payout focus |
Full-pay Jacks or Better (9 coins for a full house, 6 for a flush — hence "9/6") is the benchmark for video poker. At 99.54% theoretical RTP with perfect strategy, it beats every variant of pokie, all forms of roulette, and most table games for raw expected value. The strategy is learnable — around 30 hand-decision rules that become intuitive after a few hundred hands. If you're new to video poker, start here before attempting Deuces Wild or Double Double Bonus, which require more complex strategy trees.
The critical caveat: the 9/6 pay table must be present. Reduced pay tables (8/5, 7/5) significantly increase the house edge — 8/5 Jacks or Better has a house edge of around 2.7%, similar to European roulette and far worse than the 9/6 version. Always check the pay table before playing. A full house paying 9× your bet and a flush paying 6× confirms the 9/6 structure.
Full-pay Deuces Wild shows a theoretical player advantage of 0.76% with perfect strategy. This sounds like free money — it isn't in practice, for two reasons. First, perfect Deuces Wild strategy is significantly more complex than Jacks or Better — 19 ranked hand categories with multiple edge cases around deuce counts. Second, finding a genuine full-pay Deuces Wild is increasingly rare; many online operators offer reduced-pay tables that flip the advantage back to the house. Verify the pay table against a published full-pay reference before playing. If the pay table is confirmed full-pay and you're confident in your strategy, Deuces Wild is genuinely the best video poker option available.
For most players starting out, Jacks or Better at 99.54% is the practical choice — the strategy is simpler, the pay table is easier to verify, and the house edge is consistently low. See our testing methodology for how we verify game availability and pay tables during reviews.
The comparison depends on what you're optimising for. Pokies (slots) are simpler, faster, and offer jackpot potential — but house edges typically run 3–5%. Video poker at 9/6 Jacks or Better runs at 0.46% with correct strategy. Over a $100/hour session at similar bet sizes, the expected hourly cost is $0.46 (video poker) versus $3–$5 (pokies). Video poker is dramatically more efficient for players who want to maximise play time on a fixed budget. Our pokies guide covers the best RTP titles in the slot catalogue for players who prefer that format.
For bonus wagering: video poker typically counts at 10–20% contribution rate at this operator, same as other table games. Pokies clear wagering five to ten times faster. This is the one scenario where pokies are the better choice over video poker — if you're trying to clear a wagering requirement efficiently.
The core principle: hold the highest-value combination visible in your five cards, in this priority order:
The most common mistake new players make: breaking a made pair to chase a straight or flush draw that doesn't include a royal flush possibility. Hold the pair. For related table game guides see blackjack and roulette.
{RG_BLOCK}For the full casino experience including pokies, live tables and banking: main review. Editorial standards behind our game reviews: editorial policy.
