Video Poker Hands
If you've never played video poker before it is important to learn the various hands you can make, and to realize how powerful each hand really is. The payouts for every video poker game depend on what hand you're holding, so you need to know what each hand actually is. This article will go over each video poker hand you can make, and tell you where each hand fits in on the video poker pay table.
Royal Flush
Royal flushes are the most powerful hand you can make in video
poker. A royal flush is a five card hand of 10-J-Q-K-A of the same
suit. An example royal flush would be A-K-Q-J-10 of hearts.
Royal flushes generally pay out between 200 and 300 times the size of your bet. In a regular Jacks or Better game, a royal flush pays out 250x the size of your bet. Keep in mind that almost all video poker machines offer a bonus for hitting a royal flush while you're betting the maximum number of coins (usually five).
Royal flushes are also important for progressive video poker, because the machine pays out the jackpot to the first player to make a royal flush. Keep in mind that most progressive machines require the royal flush to be dealt on the deal (not after you draw).
Also, some games require that the royal flush be sequential (either 10-J-Q-K-A or A-K-Q-J-10) to qualify for the jackpot. The odds of making a royal flush on the first deal are 1 in 649,740 hands. Keep in mind that your odds go up considerably when you include the draw in the calculation.
Straight Flush
The second best hand in video poker is the straight flush. A straight flush is five sequential cards of the same suit (but not 10-J-Q-K-A, as that's a royal flush). An example straight flush would be 2-3-4-5-6 of hearts.
Straight flushes are usually good for a payout between 40 and 60 times your bet. In a regular jacks or better game a straight flush is good for a 50x payout. The odds of making a straight flush on the first deal is 1 in 72,000 hands. Keep in mind that your odds go up considerably when you include the draw in the calculation.
Four of a Kind
The third best hand in video poker is four of a kind. Four of a kind is just what it sounds like - four cards of the same denomination. An example four of a kind hand would be A-A-A-A-4.
Four of a kind generally pays out between 20 and 30 times the size of your bet. In a normal Jacks or Better game four of a kind pays out 25x. The odds of making four of a kind on the initial deal are 1 in 4,000 hands. Keep in mind that your odds go up considerably when you include the draw in the calculation.
One tweak on the payout for four of a kind is if you get four of a kind deuces in the Deuces Wild game. If you get four deuces you'll receive a payout of 200x your bet.
Full House
A full house is the fourth best possible hand in video poker. A full house is three of one card and two of another. For example, 3-3-3-7-7 is a full house.
Full houses usually pay out between 5 and 9 times your bet. In a full pay Jacks or Better game a full house pays out 9x your bet. Keep in mind though that many Jacks or Better games aren't full pay, and only pay out 8x for a full house. If you want to play full pay Jacks or Better, make sure to check out Bovada Casino.
The odds of making a full house on the initial deal are 1 in 700 hands. Keep in mind that your odds go up considerably when you include the draw in the calculation.
Flush
A flush is the fifth best hand in video poker. A flush is five non-sequential cards of the same suit. For example, 5-6-9-10-A of hearts is a flush. However, 5-6-7-8-9 of hearts is not a flush but a straight flush because the cards are sequential.
Flushes usually pay out between 4x and 6x your bet. Full pay Jacks or Better machines pay out 6x, but many Jacks or Better machines aren't full pay and only pay out 5x for a flush. The odds of making a flush on the initial draw are 1 in 500 hands. Keep in mind that your odds go up considerably when you include the draw in the calculation.
Straight
A straight is the sixth best hand in video poker. A straight is five sequential cards of varying suits. For example, 5-6-7-8-9 is a straight as long as it is not suited. If it is suited, it is now a straight flush.
Straights usually pay out between 3x and 4x your bet. All Jacks or Better games pay out 4x your bet. The odds of making a straight on the initial deal is 1 in 256 hands. Keep in mind that your odds go up considerably when you include the draw in the calculation.
Three of a Kind
Three of a kind is the seventh best hand in video poker. Three of a kind is just what you'd imagine - three cards of the same denomination. An example three of a kind hand is A-A-A-K-3. Make sure to note that if you have three of a kind plus a pair it is actually a full house.
Three of a kind usually pays out 3x your initial bet in Jacks or Better as well as most other non-wild card games. The odds of making three of a kind on the initial deal is 1 in 50 hands. Keep in mind that your odds go up considerably when you include the draw in the calculation.
Two Pair
Two pair is the eight best hand in video poker. Two pair is just as it sounds - two pairs of different cards. An example two pair would be 2-2-K-K-A.
Two pair usually pays out 2x your initial bet in Jacks or Better as well as most other non-wild card games. The odds of making two pair on the initial deal is 1 in 20 hands. Keep in mind that your odds go up considerably when you include the draw in the calculation.
Pair
A pair is the ninth best hand in video poker, and the lowest hand that actually qualifies for a pay out. A pair is just as it seems - two of the same card. An example pair would be A-A-K-Q-4.
A pair usually pays out 1x in most video poker games (meaning that you get your money back). Keep in mind that not all pairs pay out - your pair has to be Jacks or higher in most games, or Tens or higher in Tens or Better video poker.
The odds of making a pair on the initial deal are roughly 1 in 2.381. Keep in mind that your odds go up when you include the draw in the calculation.
