Online Video Poker for Real Money: Read the Paytable Before You Play
Video poker is the one casino game where the casino tells you the odds, if you know where to look: the paytable. Two games with the same name can pay back very different amounts. Ignition’s Jacks or Better was a 9/6 game it rates at 99.54%; BUSR’s Jacks or Better page listed 95.89%. We read each casino’s own video poker pages for the games, paytables and returns they publish.
The Short Answer
Ignition is our pick for video poker. It publishes a full 9/6 Jacks or Better paytable and a 99.54% return with optimal play, lets you practice in free mode, and offers Jacks or Better and Joker Poker in 1, 3 and 10 hands. It also paid our $2,400 Ethereum withdrawal in 41 minutes 20 seconds.
Bovada publishes the return of seven video poker games, from 98.49% to 99.54%. Whichever casino you choose, look for the full house and flush payouts in the paytable before you change the stake: in Jacks or Better, 9 and 6 coins per coin bet (9/6) is the version worth playing.
The Best Video Poker Casinos
Three casinos that publish a paytable or return for their games, ordered by our scorecard.
Ignition
- Lowest cashout
- $10Litecoin or Lightning
- Ways to get paid
- Crypto
- Other
- Published payout time
- Bitcoin approval: about 24 hours
- Limits
- $9,500 per Bitcoin or Litecoin payout
A published 9/6 paytable and a practice mode. Ignition’s video poker page prints its Jacks or Better paytable: 9 coins for a full house and 6 for a flush per coin bet, with the royal flush paying 4,000 coins on a five-coin bet. It rates the game at 99.54% with optimal strategy. Coins run from 5¢ to $5, and you can play 1 to 5 coins a hand.
Getting paid: Ignition paid our $2,400 Ethereum withdrawal in 41 minutes 20 seconds and a Bitcoin withdrawal in 38 minutes.
Watch for: Video poker counts 10% toward Ignition’s bonus rollover, and Joker Poker One Hand is on its list of games bonus money can’t be used on. Practice mode only works when you are logged out.
We may earn a commission if you sign up through this link. Offers change, so check the terms on the casino site before you deposit.
Cafe
- Lowest cashout
- $10Bitcoin, Litecoin, BCH, BSV or Lightning
- Ways to get paid
- Crypto
- Other
- Published payout time
- Crypto: about 24 hours to process
- Limits
- One withdrawal a week, all methods
9/6 Jacks or Better, with free play first. Cafe Casino says its Jacks or Better is the 9/6 version and returns around 99.5% with perfect strategy. Its list includes Jacks or Better and Joker Poker in 1, 3 and 10 hands, Double Double Bonus, Aces and Faces and Tens or Better multi-hand, and it says the games can be tried in free play mode.
For crypto players: Cafe’s welcome bonus is 300% up to $2,000 plus 150 spins on a first crypto deposit, but video poker counts only 10% toward its 40× rollover.
Watch for: Cafe’s page mentions 5-hand versions that its game list doesn’t show. We haven’t timed a Cafe Casino withdrawal.
We may earn a commission if you sign up through this link. Offers change, so check the terms on the casino site before you deposit.
Bovada
- Lowest cashout
- $10Litecoin, BCH, BSV or Lightning
- Ways to get paid
- Crypto
- Wire
- Check
- Other
- Published payout time
- Bitcoin approval: about 24 hours
- Limits
- Bitcoin $90,000 a week; Litecoin $180,000
Seven published returns. Bovada’s video poker page lists the return of each main game with optimal strategy: Jacks or Better 99.54%, Double Bonus 99.36%, Bonus Poker 99.16%, Loose Deuces 99.07%, Double Double Bonus 98.98%, Deuces Wild 98.91% and Bonus Poker Deluxe 98.49%. Its lobby has Jacks or Better and Joker Poker in 1, 3 and 10 hands.
Also: Bovada has a sportsbook and a poker room alongside the casino.
Watch for: Bovada’s page says some games offer 52 hands a round, but its game list shows only 1, 3 and 10. Video poker counts 10% toward its rollover. We haven’t timed a Bovada withdrawal.
We may earn a commission if you sign up through this link. Offers change, so check the terms on the casino site before you deposit.
Seven Video Poker Lobbies, Side by Side
| Casino | Games listed | Paytable or return it publishes | Bet range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ignition | Jacks or Better, Joker Poker (1, 3, 10 hands), Double Double Bonus | 9/6 Jacks or Better, 99.54% | 5¢ to $5 a coin, 1 to 5 coins |
| Bovada | Jacks or Better, Joker Poker (1, 3, 10 hands), Double Double Bonus, Bonus Deuces Wild, Aces & Faces, Lucky Video Poker | Seven games, 98.49% to 99.54% | Not stated |
| Cafe Casino | Jacks or Better, Joker Poker (1, 3, 10 hands), Double Double Bonus, Aces and Faces, Tens or Better | 9/6 Jacks or Better, about 99.5% | Not stated |
| Slots.lv | Jacks or Better, Joker Poker (1, 3, 10 hands), Bonus Deuces Wild, Double Double Bonus, Aces and Faces | None published | Aces and Faces 0.05 to 25.00 |
| BUSR | 22 titles, including Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Triple Triple Bonus and Joker Poker Mania | Jacks or Better 95.89%; Deuces Wild 98.91% | Jacks or Better $0.25 to $500; Deuces Wild $0.25 to $10 |
| XBet | 22 titles, including Double Double Bonus and Joker Poker Mania (up to 100 hands) | None published | Double Double Bonus $0.02 to $500 |
| Wild Casino | Deuces Wild, Joker Poker, Jacks or Better, All-American, Pyramid Poker | None published | Not stated |
How to Read a Video Poker Paytable
Every video poker game shows what each hand pays. In Jacks or Better, two numbers tell you which version you are playing: the coins paid for a full house and for a flush. This is Ignition’s published Jacks or Better paytable, per coin bet:
| Hand | Pays per coin |
|---|---|
| Royal flush | 250 (4,000 total on 5 coins) |
| Straight flush | 50 |
| Four of a kind | 25 |
| Full house | 9 |
| Flush | 6 |
| Straight | 4 |
| Three of a kind | 3 |
| Two pair | 2 |
| Jacks or better | 1 |
Most paytables only cut those two lines, so the rest of the table looks the same. Here is what each common version returns with perfect strategy, and what it costs on average for every $1,000 you bet:
| Jacks or Better version (full house / flush) | Return with perfect play | Average cost per $1,000 bet |
|---|---|---|
| 9/6 (full pay) | 99.54% | $4.60 |
| 8/5 | 97.30% | $27.00 |
| 7/5 | 96.15% | $38.50 |
| 6/5 | 95.00% | $50.00 |
BUSR’s Jacks or Better page lists 95.89%, which works out to about $41 for every $1,000 bet, roughly nine times the cost of a 9/6 game. Same name, very different game.
Always check the coin column too. In the standard Jacks or Better paytable the royal flush pays 250 per coin for one to four coins but jumps to 4,000 coins for five, so playing fewer than five coins gives up part of the return. If five coins is too much, use a smaller coin size instead.
Deuces Wild, Joker Poker and Bonus Games
Wild-card games pay from a different starting hand, so their paytables can’t be compared with Jacks or Better line for line.
- Deuces Wild: every 2 is wild, and the paytable starts at three of a kind. Bovada rates its Deuces Wild at 98.91% and Loose Deuces at 99.07%; BUSR’s Deuces Wild page also shows 98.91%, with bets of $0.25 to $10.
- Joker Poker: one joker is added to the deck, and pays usually start at a pair of kings. Ignition, Bovada, Cafe Casino and Slots.lv list it in 1, 3 and 10 hands.
- Bonus games: Bonus Poker, Double Bonus and Double Double Bonus pay extra for certain four-of-a-kinds and less for two pair. Bovada rates Double Double Bonus at 98.98% and Double Bonus at 99.36%.
Multi-hand games deal several hands from the same starting cards. They don’t change the return, but each hand is a separate bet, so 10 hands at $1 is $10 a deal. XBet’s Joker Poker Mania plays up to 100 hands at once.
Video Poker and Bonuses
| Casino | How video poker counts toward a bonus |
|---|---|
| Slots.lv, Cafe Casino, Bovada, Ignition | Video poker 10%; Joker Poker One Hand can’t be played with bonus money |
| BUSR | Video poker (all types) 10% |
| SportsBetting.ag | Video poker 10% toward its 10% Casino Rebate |
| Sloto’Cash | Video poker doesn’t count, and is excluded from promotions |
| Wild Casino | No weighting published; its Monthly Reloads exclude “Poker” bets without saying whether that includes video poker |
At 10%, a $1,000 rollover takes $10,000 of video poker. On a 9/6 game that betting is expected to cost about $46; on a 95.89% game, about $411. Clearing a bonus on video poker only makes sense on a full-pay game, and even then slots clear it with far less betting.
Our casino games guide compares what each game costs to clear a bonus, and our casino bonus guide has the full terms.
Video Poker Questions
Which online casino is best for video poker?
Ignition is our pick: it publishes a 9/6 Jacks or Better paytable rated at 99.54% with optimal play, has a practice mode, and paid our $2,400 Ethereum withdrawal in 41 minutes 20 seconds.
What does 9/6 mean in video poker?
It is the payout per coin for a full house (9) and a flush (6) in Jacks or Better. A 9/6 game returns 99.54% with perfect strategy; 8/5 returns 97.30% and 6/5 95.00%.
Do all Jacks or Better games pay the same?
No. Ignition, Bovada and Cafe Casino rate their Jacks or Better at about 99.5%, while BUSR’s Jacks or Better page lists 95.89%.
Should I always bet five coins?
In standard Jacks or Better, yes: the royal flush pays 4,000 coins on five coins but only 250 per coin on fewer. Lower the coin size if five coins is too much.
Does video poker count toward a casino bonus?
Usually only 10%. At Slots.lv, Cafe Casino, Bovada, Ignition and BUSR it counts 10%, and Sloto’Cash doesn’t count it at all.
Can I play video poker for free?
Ignition and Cafe Casino offer practice or free play modes for video poker. At Ignition, practice mode only works when you are logged out.
Play Within a Limit
Video poker deals fast, and a near-99% return still loses money over time. Set a budget and a session length before you start, and stop when you reach either. Support: call or text 1-800-MY-RESET for free, confidential help through the National Problem Gambling Helpline, or visit NCPGambling.org.