Every video poker pay table that matters, with full payouts and payback — plus a live analyzer so you can switch pay tables and watch the return move.
In video poker, the pay table is the game. Two machines can run the same rules and deal the same cards yet pay back very different amounts — the only difference is the pay table on the screen. Because video poker is draw poker with fixed payouts, each table's payback can be calculated exactly. Below are the standard schedules for the main games, their payback, and how to spot full-pay from short-pay in seconds.
Switch between the 9/6, 9/5 and 8/5 Jacks or Better pay tables in the analyzer and the payback and house edge update instantly — the clearest way to see how one line on the schedule changes the return. It also gives the exact optimal hold for any hand you enter.
A pay table lists what each hand pays per coin, from a pair of jacks up to the royal flush. Machines let you bet one to five coins, and you should always bet five — the royal only pays its full 800-for-1 jackpot at max bet; at fewer coins it drops to 250 per coin, quietly costing about 2% of payback. The rest of the table is linear: a hand paying 6 per coin pays 30 at five coins. The fastest way to grade a Jacks or Better machine is two lines — the full house and the flush. Full-pay "9/6" pays 9 and 6; every step down raises the house edge.
Jacks or Better is standard video poker — the game every variation is measured against. These are the common tables, best to worst:
| Hand | 9/6 | 9/5 | 8/6 | 8/5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Full House | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| Flush | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Straight | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Payback (perfect play) | 99.54% ✓ | 98.45% | 98.39% | 97.30% |
✓ = payback computed by our engine over all 2,598,960 deals. Full-pay 9/6 is the target; an 8/5 game pays back over two percent less for the identical game.
Bonus Poker pays more for four of a kind, funded by a lower full house and flush. Double Bonus goes further — its full-pay table returns over 100% to a perfect player. The full-pay schedules:
| Hand | Bonus Poker (8/5) | Double Bonus (10/7) |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 800 | 800 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 50 |
| Four Aces | 80 | 160 |
| Four 2s–4s | 40 | 80 |
| Four 5s–Ks | 25 | 50 |
| Full House | 8 | 10 |
| Flush | 5 | 7 |
| Straight | 4 | 5 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 3 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 1 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 1 |
| Payback (perfect play) | 99.17% | 100.17% |
Bonus games reward big quads but pay less on the full house and flush. Note Double Bonus drops two pair to 1, so its strategy differs from standard Jacks or Better.
Deuces Wild replaces the jacks-or-better floor with a wild-card game: all four 2s are wild, pairs pay nothing, and the lowest paying hand is three of a kind. The full-pay Deuces table is one of the few in the casino that returns more than 100%.
| Hand | NSU Deuces | Full-Pay Deuces |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Royal Flush | 800 | 800 |
| Four Deuces | 200 | 200 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 25 | 25 |
| Five of a Kind | 16 | 15 |
| Straight Flush | 10 | 9 |
| Four of a Kind | 4 | 5 |
| Full House | 4 | 3 |
| Flush | 3 | 2 |
| Straight | 2 | 2 |
| Three of a Kind | 1 | 1 |
| Payback (perfect play) | 99.73% ✓ | 100.76% ✓ |
"Full pay" is the best commonly available table for a game; "short pay" is any schedule the casino has trimmed to lower the return. The game plays identically — same cards, same strategy — but a short-pay machine simply pays you less on the same hands. Full-pay 9/6 Jacks or Better returns 99.54%; short-pay 8/5 returns 97.30%. Two machines side by side can offer different tables, so read the pay schedule before you play, every time.
Times Pay and Super Times Pay add a random multiplier that can boost a win by up to 10–12×, but the base pay table is usually short-pay to fund the feature, so long-run payback often lands below a plain full-pay game. Fun, yes — but for pure return, a full-pay machine without the multiplier is usually the better bet. See how each table's return compares on the house edge page, learn optimal play on the strategy chart, and drill tricky hands in the trainer.
A video poker pay table is the schedule of payouts for each winning hand in a video poker game. Small differences — like 9/6 versus 8/5 — change the game's return and house edge significantly.
Seek the highest-paying full-pay versions: 9/6 for Jacks or Better and full-pay or NSU for Deuces Wild, which give the lowest house edge.
Paybacks marked ✓ are computed by our engine; others are the standard published figures for these pay tables. Educational content about probability and pay tables, not gambling advice.