There are many different types of video poker games and variants, and although the basic rules always stay the same – video poker odds and payouts vary according to each and every game’s payoff schedule.

Video Poker Payouts – The Payoff Schedule

Each video poker variant has a different payout method that rewards different card combinations. Before you start playing, you must know the payoff schedule of the machine you’re playing, or you won’t know which hands you’re drawing to. For example, if a machine’s payoff begins at a pair of jacks or better, you’ll know to hold on to your pair of jacks, but draw new cards for your pair of 3s. If you think about it – the payoff schedules let you know the payouts of all video poker games, thus defining the type of game you’re playing.

In land-based casinos, the payoff schedule (sometimes called the ‘pay schedule’ or simply the ‘video poker payouts’) is displayed directly on the machine. In online video poker games you’ll find the payouts exhibited in a very central location – usually right above your cards. Each payoff schedule defines not only the payouts but also the video poker odds and probabilities, since the odds of you winning are directly linked to the payouts you can expect to receive from any given card combination. In this section we will review the most popular video poker games, their odds and their payouts.

Look for Full Pay Video Poker Games

‘Full Pay’ video poker machines are those which offer the maximum payback percentage for their specific game type. The payback percentage is the expected value of your wager over time, expressed as a percentage. For example, if a machine advertises a 97% payback percentage (or 97% payouts), it’s actually saying that it pays back $97 out of every $100 it receives, so the expected value of your $1 bet is 97c.

Remember – this is only true in the long run! Over time, the machine’s payouts will balance out in a way that will meet the expected payback percentage. Obviously, this property doesn’t necessarily hold true for any specific time period. Take 20 minutes, for example. You could loose your entire $25 bankroll in 20 minutes, thus not reaching your expected bet value. On the other hand, you could win $50, thus doubling your bet and reaching a payback percentage of 200%. This example is our way to say that no one knows when the machine will pay back or how much (otherwise it wouldn’t be a gamble), but if you give it enough time (days? hours? years? who’s to say…) it will balance out and reach its payback percentage.

Now that we’re all clear on what payback percentages are, remember to look for ‘full pay’ machines, offering the maximum payback percentage. This will increase your video poker odds for winning. For example, full pay ‘jacks or better’ video poker machines offer a payback percentage of 99.54% when played with perfect strategy.

IMPORTANT: In all video poker games, the highest possible payback percentage is achieved only when playing for maximum credits and when applying perfect strategy.

Land Based VS. Online Full Pay Machines

In land based casinos, full pay machines are often placed alongside machines with less attractive payout schedules, leaving it to the players to choose and find the better odds. A great advantage that comes with playing online is that the default machines for each variant will usually be ‘full pay’, thus increasing your video poker odds without you having to hire a private eye to help you find the best payouts.

Deuces Wild Video Poker Odds and Payouts

In Deuces Wild Video Poker (A.K.A. Deuces Video Poker) all 2s serve as wild cards, meaning they can substitute for any card in the deck! Payouts start at a ‘three of a kind’. Here is the Full Pay version of the Deuces Wild Video Poker payoff schedule:

Hand	1 credit	2 credits	3 credits	4 credits	5 credits	Probability
Natural Royal Flush	300	600	900	1200	4000	0.000022
Four Deuces	200	400	600	800	1000	0.000204
Wild Royal Flush	25	50	75	100	125	0.001796
Five of a Kind	15	30	45	60	75	0.003202
Straight Flush	9	18	27	36	45	0.004168
Four of a Kind	5	10	15	20	25	0.064938
Full House	3	6	9	12	15	0.021229
Flush	2	4	6	8	10	0.016784
Straight	2	4	6	8	10	0.056070
Three of a Kind	1	2	3	4	5	0.284690
Theoretical Return	99.7%	99.7%	99.7%	99.7%	100.8%

Note: Video poker probability is a function of your game strategy. The table above displays the typical payoff of full pay Deuces Wild video poker, but the probability of hitting each hand combination depends on your strategy. To learn more, visit our video poker strategy section.

Other Video Poker Games - Odds and Payouts

View the payoff schedules for jacks or better and jokers wild video poker, and read about other exciting Video Poker games.

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