Video Poker Trainer

Video poker combines slots simplicity with poker skill. You receive 5 cards, choose which to hold, and draw replacements. Payouts are based on standard poker hand rankings. Unlike slots, your decisions directly impact the return, making it one of the few beatable casino games with perfect play.

The optimal strategy ranks every possible hold by expected value, and this trainer computes that ranking exactly. The famous exceptions to "keep the made hand": break a low pair for four to a flush, and break even a made flush or straight for four to a royal. Keep a low pair over four to a straight. Never hold a kicker with a pair. With two unsuited high cards (J-A) hold both; with three, keep the lowest two.

The paytable determines the game's theoretical return. A "9/6" Jacks or Better (9 for Full House, 6 for Flush) returns 99.54% with perfect play. An "8/5" version drops to 97.30%. Always check the paytable before playing. The difference between 9/6 and 8/5 costs you over 2% of every dollar wagered long term.

9/6 Jacks or Better: 0.46% edge. Full-pay Deuces Wild: 100.76% RTP with perfect play, meaning the player holds a 0.76% edge, one of the only positive-EV games in the casino. Full-pay 10/7 Double Bonus is also slightly player-positive at 100.17%; the common 9/6 Double Bonus is a 2.19% house edge. Compare this to slots (2-15% edge) or roulette (2.7-5.3%). These edges exist only with mathematically perfect strategy on the exact full-pay paytable. Every mistake and every downgraded paytable hands the edge back.