How the game works
In Video Poker, the paytable is the game. Unlike Blackjack, where the rules are mostly fixed, or Slots, where the math is a mystery, Video Poker paytables are public and transparent. By reading the numbers on the screen, you can calculate the exact house edge before you ever bet a dime.
The basic rules
- Read vertically to see the payout for a specific hand.
- Read horizontally to see how the payout scales with your bet (1 to 5 coins).
- The two most important numbers are the Full House and the Flush.
- Any deviation from the “Full Pay” standard (9 for Full House, 6 for Flush) is a “Short Pay” game designed to increase casino profit.
A typical hand/round
Before you start, you check the screen. You see “Full House: 9” and “Flush: 6.” You know this is a high-return machine. You play your hand, hit a Flush, and the machine pays you 30 credits (for a 5-coin bet). If you were on the machine next to it and saw “Flush: 5,” you would have only received 25 credits.
[Image of different paytable variations side-by-side]
What’s different at different tables
You’ll see variants like “Bonus Poker” where the Full House/Flush might be 8/5, but the Four of a Kind payout is boosted. You have to decide if you want the “grind” of Jacks or Better or the “jackpot hunt” of Bonus Poker. In “Deuces Wild,” the entire paytable is restructured because 2s are wild, making Four of a Kind much more common.
Where to go next
- [/video-poker/jacks-or-better-pay-table/](The standard for comparison)
- [/video-poker/full-pay-vs-short-pay/](How to spot a bad deal)
- [/video-poker/strategy/](Adapting your play to the paytable)
In Detail
Video poker paytables are where the game stops being a slot machine and starts being a test. The cards are random; the price is printed right in front of you.
What the machine is really asking
At the machine, Paytables should start with the paytable, not the theme, not the chair, and not the fact that the screen says “poker.” A player who checks only the jackpot line is reading the advertisement, not the contract. The lower-paying full house, flush, straight, or four-of-a-kind line is often where the casino quietly takes its extra margin.
A video poker paytable is not a suggestion; it is the game. If the paytable is short, perfect strategy can only reduce the damage. It cannot turn a bad schedule into a good one.
The math behind the hold
For any video poker page, the core math is $RTP=1-\text{House Edge}$ and $EV=\sum p_i\times x_i-\text{bet}$. The player controls part of the result through the hold decision, but the paytable sets the ceiling.
A clean way to think about the subject is this: the casino does not need every hand, spin, or roll to lose. It only needs the average price to be in its favor after enough decisions. One lucky hit can beat the math for a moment; repeated action lets the math stand back up.
The mistake that gets expensive
The common mistake is playing video poker like a slot: press buttons quickly, ignore the paytable, and make hold decisions by instinct. That turns a skill game back into expensive button pushing.
The punchy rule is simple: do not pay extra just because the game made the extra bet easy to reach. Felt layout is not advice. A glowing machine screen is not advice. A cheering table is not advice. Your bankroll needs numbers, not applause.
The casino-floor truth
The casino-floor truth about Paytables is simple: good players look boring. They check the paytable, play slower than slot players, use a strategy chart when allowed, and do not celebrate bad holds that accidentally won. The machine pays outcomes, but the edge is shaped before the draw button is pressed.
The practical takeaway for paytables: slow down, read the paytable, and make the correct hold even when the prettier choice is begging for attention. In video poker, discipline is not a motivational poster. It is part of the return.