Video Poker Pay Table Analyzer

Analyze any video poker pay table to calculate expected return. Compare different machines and find the best games in your casino.

Formula:Return = Σ (Hand Frequency × Payout)

Expected Return

97.27%

House edge: 2.73%

Pay Table Rating

Poor

9/6 Jacks or Better

Key Payouts (Most Important)

Full House

for 1

9 = full pay

Flush

for 1

6 = full pay

Complete Pay Table

Royal Flush

for 1

Straight Flush

for 1

Four of a Kind

for 1

Straight

for 1

Three of a Kind

for 1

Two Pair

for 1

Return Contribution Breakdown

Hand	Payout	Frequency	Return %
Royal Flush	800:1	0.0003%	0.20%
Straight Flush	50:1	0.0011%	0.06%
Four of a Kind	25:1	0.2360%	5.90%
Full House	9:1	1.1510%	10.36%
Flush	6:1	1.1020%	6.61%
Straight	4:1	1.1230%	4.49%
Three of a Kind	3:1	7.4450%	22.34%
Two Pair	2:1	12.9280%	25.86%
Jacks or Better	1:1	21.4590%	21.46%
Total Return			97.27%

Comparison to Standard Pay Tables

Pay Table	Return	House Edge	vs Yours
Your Pay Table (9/6)	97.27%	2.73%	—
9/6 Full Pay	99.54%	0.46%	-2.27%
9/5	98.45%	1.55%	-1.18%
8/6	98.39%	1.61%	-1.12%
8/5	97.30%	2.70%	-0.03%
7/5	96.15%	3.85%	+1.12%

Pay Table Rating Guide

Excellent

≥99.5%

Good

98.5-99.5%

Fair

97.5-98.5%

Poor

96-97.5%

Avoid

<96%

Quick Answer

A 9/6 pay table (9 for full house, 6 for flush) returns 99.54%. Reducing to 8/5 costs 2.24% in return - on $1000 wagered, you'd lose an extra $22.4. Always check the full house and flush payouts first.

Key Facts

✓9/6 is "full pay" Jacks or Better - 99.54% return
✓8/5 is most common in casinos - 97.30% return
✓Each point reduction in Full House costs ~1.1%
✓Each point reduction in Flush costs ~1.1%
✓On $3000/hour wagered, 8/5 vs 9/6 costs $67/hour extra

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a pay table in video poker?▼

A pay table shows the payout for each winning hand. In Jacks or Better, the key numbers are the Full House and Flush payouts. A "9/6" machine pays 9 coins for Full House and 6 for Flush. These two numbers determine 90%+ of the return difference between machines.

How do I find the best video poker pay tables?▼

Look at the Full House and Flush payouts first. For Jacks or Better: 9/6 = 99.54%, 9/5 = 98.45%, 8/6 = 98.39%, 8/5 = 97.30%. The difference matters: playing $750/hour on 8/5 vs 9/6 costs $16.80/hour in expected loss. Check vpFREE2 for local machine surveys.

Why does the Royal Flush payout matter less than other hands?▼

The Royal Flush occurs only once per ~40,000 hands, so its payout contributes only ~2% to total return. The Full House (1 in 87) and Flush (1 in 90) hit much more often, so their payouts have 5x more impact on your actual results. Always prioritize finding 9/6 over progressive royals.

What makes Double Bonus pay tables different?▼

Double Bonus games have bonus payouts for different Four of a Kind hands (80 for Aces, 50 for 2-3-4, 25 for 5-K). The tradeoff is reduced Full House and Flush (usually 10/7 or 9/7). This increases variance - you'll see bigger swings. 10/7 Double Bonus returns 100.17% but requires perfect strategy.

Try These Examples

Quick-start with common scenarios

Expected Return

97.27%

House edge: 2.73%

Pay Table Rating

Poor

9/6 Jacks or Better

Hand

Payout

Frequency

Return %

Royal Flush

800:1

0.0003%

0.20%

Straight Flush

50:1

0.0011%

0.06%

Four of a Kind

25:1

0.2360%

5.90%

Full House

9:1

1.1510%

10.36%

Flush

6:1

1.1020%

6.61%

Straight

4:1

1.1230%

4.49%

Three of a Kind

3:1

7.4450%

22.34%

Two Pair

2:1

12.9280%

25.86%

Jacks or Better

1:1

21.4590%

21.46%

Total Return

97.27%

Pay Table

Return

House Edge

vs Yours

Your Pay Table (9/6)

97.27%

2.73%

—

9/6 Full Pay

99.54%

0.46%

-2.27%

9/5

98.45%

1.55%

-1.18%

8/6

98.39%

1.61%

-1.12%

8/5

97.30%

2.70%

-0.03%

7/5

96.15%

3.85%

+1.12%