Video Poker: How to Play + Best Casinos (2026)

Click on “Bet one” (or sometimes is called “Bet”) in order to adjust your wager. If you decide to do so, the chances are going to be reflected in the payouts table on the top.

Step 2. In order to start the round of the game, press “Deal/Draw” button and you will be served with initial 5 cards.

Here you can see how I was able to hit two pairs right away.

Step 3. A player decides whether to draw some of 5 cards (or even all of them) or not.

In our example, we definitely want J, J and T, T to stay. But “5” should be drawn so that we have a chance to hit higher paying combination such as Full House in our case.

To do so, press the “Hold” button in front of each card you want to stay intact. Once you have done it, the icon “hold” will appear on top of each of them. Now you need to press the “Deal/Draw” button again to change the card (or cards in some other cases).

After that, the round of the game ends. And based on the combination a player has been able to hit, the winnings will be paid out.

The most popular types of Video poker and their features

Jacks or Better. The most prevailing version in online casinos so far. And all above-mentioned rules are applied to it. Only pairs of Jacks and higher are eligible in order to win.

Jokers Wild. Joker or Wild card is introduced in this video poker game. Joker substitutes any other card, and it affects probabilities significantly. Given that, paying combination often starts from a pair of Kings.

Deuces Wild. Similar to the previous one except for here Deuce serves as a Joker (Wild card). There are 4 Deuces in the deck, and players often hit some winning combination. The game adjusts to this fact and makes payouts less appealing.

Double Bonus. In this type of video poker, Four of a Kind (usually just Four Aces) pays significantly more than it normally would. It comes at a cost: all other payouts are reduced.

Double Double Bonus. Very similar to the previous one, but here payouts of Four of a Kind are even bigger. The game has to make up for this fact allowing to win less money with other combinations.

About RTP and House Edge

Video Poker does not have fixed RTP or House Edge level (as online slots do), and results depend on a player’s strategy with some limitations.

The most popular "9/6 Jacks or Better" can boast with 98,4-99,5% (depends on bet size) RTP level or 0,5-1,6% House Edge. But please be aware that those numbers are true only when a player uses an optimal strategy. Therefore, RTP can be much less lucrative in the real world.

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