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If you walk through any casino, past the flashing modern video slots, you will inevitably find rows of old, blocky Video Poker machines.

Because you can see the cards and know a standard 52-card deck is being used, you can mathematically calculate the exact probability of every draw.
Reading the Video Poker Paytable
Before you ever insert a single dollar, you must intensely study the brightly lit paytable printed directly on the glass of the machine.

If played perfectly, a 9/6 machine returns a staggering 99.54%, meaning the casino's mathematical edge is a microscopic, nearly invisible 0.46%.
Progressive Video Poker machines often feature weaker base paytables to compensateOnline casinos usually offer the absolute best, highly favorable Video Poker paytablesNever play a machine where a Flush pays only 5 coins if better options exist Why You Must Always Bet Max Coins
Almost every machine accepts between 1 and 5 coins per hand, and the payouts for most hands scale linearly based on your bet.

If you bet 1 coin, a Royal Flush might pay a disappointing 250 coins.
Memorizing the Basic Strategy Chart
You must completely eliminate human emotion; never hold a "lucky" card or chase an inside straight if the math dictates otherwise.

For example, if you are dealt a Low Pair and a Four-Card Flush, the math dictates you must always hold the Pair.
Video Poker VariantOptimal PaytableTheoretical RTP (Perfect Play)Jacks or Better9 / 699.54%Deuces Wild15 / 9 / 5100.76% (Player Advantage!)
Video Poker is not a game for thrill-seekers looking for flashy animations; it is a grinding, mathematical puzzle for intelligent, disciplined gamblers.