When it comes to video poker, one thing is for sure: It is not the easiest game to play. Poker is a game of decisions, and video poker is no different.

The casino has plenty of video poker games most paying in excess of 99%. There are even some games at denominations under a quarter that pay at 98% and above–a rarity. There are plenty of other reasons to go to the Four Queens including arguably the best ‘old school Vegas’ dining experience in town at Hugo’s Cellar. The best video poker game at Golden Gate is 8/5 Bonus Poker. It offers quarters with a progressive, as well as half-dollar and dollar. There is also 9/6 Double Double Bonus in the dollar denomination. From there, it drops to 8/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe, which returns 98.49 percent. The best video poker game at The D is 8/5 Bonus Poker. Video poker payout odds can be different depending on the game, but a Jacks or Better game played with a perfect strategy can give the player a 99.54 percent return on their money. Even if you don’t know perfect video poker strategy and you only make the occasional mistake, that average return will only drop down to 99.52 percent.

Video poker games are based on the five-card draw poker game, one of the most straightforward versions of table poker. It can be played on a gaming console, much like the slot machine, or as a virtual game in an online casino.

Video poker is one of the most popular games since it entered the casino scene in the 1970s. Another reason for its popularity is that it offers a low house edge (i.e., profit) to the casinos yet allows players to win big in terms of jackpot proportions.

A skilled video poker player might bring the house edge down to around 1%, which isn’t bad at all – and certainly makes for better odds than slot machines. However, for the recreational player, the odds might be three or four times that. Blackjack and video poker have each been among the most played casino games for decades. Fans of these games love using in-depth strategy to improve their odds of winning. Assuming you use perfect strategy on the right blackjack or video poker variation, you’ll be facing less than a 0.5% house edge.

There are many variations of video poker, and the chances of winning vary in all of them. First, however, one must understand the game and its basics well.

The first thing you need to know before picking up any game is Return to Player (RTP). RTP refers to the percentage of the money you wager that will be paid back to you over time. You should always pick a game that has the best RTP. Also, you must have some sort of strategy.

When you play online casino games with real money, knowing the best RTP and having a strategy gives you a higher chance of winning. Players need to become familiar with the rules of video poker to determine their odds of winning.

Here Are Some Video Poker Games which offer the Best odds

Jacks or Better:

Jacks or Better is a widely played online casino game. It is based on a five-card draw. You are dealt five cards and decide which one you want to keep and which one to discard. You win if your hand is the highest-ranked among all the other players. In this game, the pair of jacks or higher is the lowest-paying hand. If you get a pair of tens or anything lower, you are paid nothing. The highest paying hand is a royal flush which gives you 800 to 1 if you get five coins per hand. When you bet four coins or fewer, the payout is 250 to 1.

Strategy is very important in any online casino game. Like with many games, people have already come up with winning strategies for it. Many in-depth guides for Jacks or Better are available online, so check those out before playing.

Deuces Wild:

A lot of similarities exist between this game and Jacks or Better. One significant difference, though, is that all the 2s act as wild cards in this game. It means you can use them as any card to fill your hand. There are 4 of these cards in the deck. The difference in the value of your average final hand is quite significant. The lowest paying hand is a 3 of a kind in Deuces Wild, while the highest is still a royal flush. The natural royal flush still pays off 800 to 1, while the payout’s wild royal flush is lower.

A full Deuces Wild online poker game offers you a Return to Player of 100.76 percent.

Two simple strategies will increase your odds of winning. These strategies are never to discard a deuce and never hold two pairs.

Which Video Poker Game Has The Best Odds In Vegas

Bonus Poker:

This game is also quite similar to Jacks or Better. The only difference is payoffs for the 4 of a kind. Depending on the making up of the 4 of a kind, you get a much bigger payoff than in Jacks or Better. In Jacks or Better, the payoff for 4 of a kind remains consistent. It pays off 25 to 1.

In Bonus Poker, the payoff is as follows –

• When you get four aces, the gain is 80 to 1.
• When you get four deuces, 4s, or 3s, the yield is 40 to 1.
• For all other four kinds, the payoff is 25 to 1.

The Return to Player for a total pay Bonus player is 99.17 percent.

Conclusion

Apart from the above-mentioned online casino games, other games that offer the best odds are Double Bonus with 100.17% RTP, Double Double Bonus with 100.07% RTP, One-Eyed Jacks with 99.98% RTP, and Super Aces with 99.94% RTP, amongst others. However, if you want to explore more, remember this tip, never play a game with an RTP under 99%. You should only pick online poker games that have an RTP of over 99.5 percent. Also, make sure that you do some research on video poker games; this will help you get better clarity.

There is a tendency for casino game developers to provide unique versions of their games. This means that you might encounter different versions of the games we’ve mentioned on various sites. Furthermore, casinos usually tweak the payouts for some of the hands. Consequently, it is difficult to determine which video poker game offers the best odds. Simply put, it varies.

When you play video poker, you’re going to encounter various games and odds. Of course, there’s always a bit of luck involved with playing these games, but you improve your chances of winning if you know these games well. So don’t just roll the dice; educate yourself.

Although video poker can be the best game in the casino, many players reduce it to a slots-like gamble by consistently making huge mistakes. Most players don’t understand how you can improve your odds in video poker, and therefore they sit on the machines and dump their money as a result.

This article is going to lay out the ten most common video poker mistakes that are costing you money, and will also teach you how to correct each mistake.

Mistake #1 – Not Playing Five Coins

It is ridiculous that players still mix this one up because it is such a simple fix. If you look at any video poker pay table you’ll notice that royal flush payouts are huge for five coin bets. In fact, they are actually too big if you look at the one coin, two coin, three coin, and four coin bets. Most royal flushes pay out 250 coins for a one coin bet, 500 coins for a two coin bet, 750 coins for a three coin bet, and 1000 coins for a four coin bet. However, the five coin bet pays out 4000 coins for a royal flush.

Since the five coin payout is proportionally larger than the payouts for smaller bets, betting five coins actually increases the return of the game and decreases the house edge.

Mistake #2 – Not Joining the Slot Club

This is another no brainer that people screw up all the time. Every casino you play at (both online and offline) will likely offer some form of a slot club. These slot clubs award cash back for playing slot machines and video poker, and base the amount of cash back on how much play you put through the machines. If you run the numbers you’ll see that you usually get anywhere from 0.25% to 1.25% cash back.

That doesn’t seem like much, right? However, when you’re talking about the extremely low house edges in video poker, a couple of percentage points can make the difference between a losing machine and a winning machine. The slot club is always free, so make sure to get your card before playing.

Mistake #3 - Playing the Wrong Games

This is another foolish blunder that costs video poker players time and money. Video poker, unlike slots, allows you to calculate the exact expected return on any game you play. With that sort of information, you can always figure out which video poker machine pays the highest. If you can easily figure out what machine pays best, why would you play anything else? We don't understand it, but people are always sitting on lower paying machines every time we walk into a casino.

Check out our listing of video poker games to find the highest paying machines.

Mistake #4 - Using Incorrect Strategy

This mistake is often committed by the players who commit mistake number three. Most players don't realize it, but playing with even a slightly incorrect strategy can cost you 1-2% off of the maximum payout percentage. And if you're using a strategy that isn't even close, you'll be at least 5% off of the max return.

Which Video Poker Game Has The Best Odds Of Winning

With all of the odds and information available online, any player can find a solid strategy chart to use for almost any machine type. In fact, we have free video poker strategy charts on our site for over half a dozen games. All you have to do is print them out and head to the casino, and you'll be at a near-perfect level of play. If you can't find a strategy chart here for the game you are playing, check out our listing of video poker tools to see if any other sites offer the strategy you need.

Mistake #5 - Not Bankrolling Properly

Another huge mistake that newbies as well as seasoned players commit is not playing with an adequate bankroll. Even if you find a game that has over a 100% return, you still have a great likelihood of going bust if you don't have enough money on hand. Royal flushes are few and far in between, and if you go a few months without hitting one you can find yourself in a huge rut, and even possibly broke.

The more mild games like 9/6 Jacks or Better aren't so bad, but the extremely volatile games like Double Bonus and Progressive 6/5 JoB can really put a hurting on your bankroll if you have a cold streak at the machine. A good rule of thumb is to have a bankroll equal to at least three royal flushes for the level you're playing. If you're a professional player and rely on your video poker income, you'll want much more.

Mistake #6 - Following Hunches

I can hardly begin to explain how many video poker players I know who follow their heart instead of the cold hard numbers. One player I know refuses to break up a full house in Double Bonus when he has three Aces because 'you should never throw away a guaranteed hand.' Even after I explain to him that the three of a kind Aces has a higher expected return because of the potential quad Aces payoff, he won't hear it.

This also comes into play when players start believing machines are hot or cold, or that you need to play them a certain way or tip a certain dealer or drink a certain beverage to have a good session. When it comes to video poker the numbers are the numbers, and the only way you can move them when using hunches is in the house's favor.

Mistake #7 - Losing Focus

Which Video Poker Has The Best Odds

Let's face it - what kind of man likes to turn down a cute girl in a short skirt offering him a free cocktail? Or stroll right by a craps table with forty players gathered around it and a shooter on a hot roll? Casinos are houses of temptation, and being able to avoid temptation separates a winning video poker player from a losing video poker player.

A few other pitfalls that can suck in a weak-willed player:

• Playing flashy, new, cool, but -EV games just because you want to.
• Getting drunk at the casino.
• Playing high stakes to impress others, even though you don't have the bankroll.

Mistake #8 - Quitting Early

This mistake doesn't actually lose you any money, but it'll make you miss out on money that you could have won (and in my book, that is the same as losing money). When you find an amazing promotion you need to hammer it.

It's only a matter of time before the casino wises up and pulls the promotion, so you need to do everything you can to play as many hours possible while you have the edge. I'm talking 12 hour shifts and alternating with a partner to cover the machine while you're gone. Winners always get it while the gettin's good.

Mistake #9 - Taking Too Many Shots

Sure, every once in a while you are going to find a game that is a little bit outside of your bankroll, but has a great promotion that you are dying to play. It doesn't hurt to figure out your risk of ruin and take a quick shot to see if you can get lucky, but you should only do it once in a while and when you know you can recover if you miss.

If you're continually taking shots at machines that are out of your bankroll, you will go broke at some point - the numbers will make sure it happens.

Ultimate Video Poker Odds

Mistake #10 - Not Practicing Online

Which Video Poker Game Has The Best Odds

Nowadays there are so many tools available to video poker players it is almost overwhelming. There are calculators, pay table analyzers, strategy programs, and more that are all available for free or pretty close to it. Also, there are tons of online casinos and other websites that offer free video poker machines for you to practice on without spending a dime.

You need to take advantage of these opportunities if you want to become a consistent winner. I personally practice online at Bovada Casino, because you don't even have to make an account or download any software - you just start playing.