Video Poker Pay Tables — UK 2026 Reference Guide
Video poker has the highest RTP of any mainstream casino game when played with correct strategy on favourable pay tables — some variants reach 99.5%+ RTP, better than any live or RNG blackjack variant. The critical variable is the pay table: different pay tables for the same game variant can produce RTPs ranging from 95% to 100.17% (positive expectation), which makes pay table identification the most important video poker skill. This guide covers the main video poker variants available at UK operators, how to identify favourable pay tables, and where video poker fits for strategy-minded UK players.
Why Pay Tables Matter So Much
Video poker uses a conventional 52-card deck. The underlying card-dealing mathematics are fixed — players draw 5 cards, discard any, and draw replacements from the remaining 47 cards. Win probability for each possible hand (pair of Jacks or better, two pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush, royal flush) is mathematically fixed by this deck structure.
What varies between pay tables is what each hand pays. A 9/6 Jacks or Better pay table pays 9:1 for full house and 6:1 for flush; a 6/5 pay table pays 6:1 for full house and 5:1 for flush. The difference in these two multipliers alone produces a 2.3 percentage point RTP difference — 99.54% vs 95.00%.
Standard Variant: Jacks or Better
Jacks or Better is the foundational video poker variant. Minimum winning hand is a pair of Jacks, Queens, Kings, or Aces. Pay table ranges:
9/6 Jacks or Better (full-pay): 99.54% RTP with optimal strategy. 9:1 full house, 6:1 flush, 4:1 straight, 3:1 three of a kind, 2:1 two pair, 1:1 pair of Jacks+, 800:1 royal flush. The benchmark favourable pay table.
8/5 Jacks or Better: 97.30% RTP. 8:1 full house, 5:1 flush. Common at UK operators; acceptable but meaningfully worse than full-pay.
7/5 Jacks or Better: 96.15% RTP. 7:1 full house, 5:1 flush.
6/5 Jacks or Better: 95.00% RTP. The least favourable common variant; below UK slot RTP baseline. Avoid.
Deuces Wild
All four 2s are wild. Minimum winning hand is three of a kind (vs pair of Jacks in standard variant). Pay tables vary substantially:
Full-Pay Deuces Wild (25-16-13-4-3-2-1): 100.76% RTP with optimal strategy. Positive expectation variant — extremely rare at UK operators in 2026 but historically existed.
Not-So-Ugly Deuces (25-15-9-4-3-2-1): 99.73% RTP. Better-than-average variant.
Common Deuces Wild (20-10-8-4-3-2-1): approximately 96.50% RTP. Standard at most UK operators carrying Deuces Wild.
Positive-expectation variants essentially don't exist at UK commercial operators in 2026 — the operators that historically offered them either withdrew them or reduced their availability. Don't expect to find positive-expectation video poker at UK licensed casinos.
Joker Poker
One joker added to the deck as wild. Variants include Kings or Better (minimum winning hand) and Two Pair or Better (minimum winning hand at some implementations). Pay table ranges typical 96-99% RTP depending on specific implementation.
Bonus Poker Variants
Standard Jacks or Better structure with enhanced four-of-a-kind payouts, offset by reduced pair and two-pair payouts. Bonus Poker: 80:1 for four Aces, 40:1 for four 2s-4s, 25:1 for four 5s-Ks. Full-pay variant: 99.17% RTP.
Double Bonus Poker: 160:1 for four Aces, 80:1 for four 2s-4s, 50:1 for four 5s-Ks. Full-pay variant: 100.17% RTP (positive expectation) but extremely rare.
Double Double Bonus: enhanced payouts for specific four-of-a-kind + kicker combinations. Full-pay: 98.98% RTP.
Multi-Hand Video Poker
Multi-hand variants (Triple Play, Five Play, Ten Play, Fifty Play) play multiple hands simultaneously, with initial 5-card draw held across all hands. Each hand plays its own draw from separate deck instances. Pay tables remain the same as single-hand variants — RTP doesn't change, but variance increases with more hands played simultaneously.
Optimal Strategy
Correct video poker strategy requires memorising which cards to hold for each possible 5-card initial hand. Strategy charts exist for every variant and pay table — they're freely available online and should be consulted during play.
Playing without correct strategy typically costs 1-5% of RTP. 9/6 Jacks or Better at 99.54% optimal RTP becomes 94-98% with intuitive play — no better than slots or standard blackjack.
Where to Play Video Poker at UK Operators
Video poker is less heavily promoted at UK operators than slots or live casino. Ladbrokes, Coral carry Playtech and Microgaming video poker variants. Casumo, 10Bet carry NetEnt and Microgaming variants. Pay tables at UK operators are typically 8/5 or 9/6 Jacks or Better — verify the specific pay table before committing play.
Key Takeaways
Pay tables are the critical variable — identify favourable pay tables before playing extensively. 9/6 Jacks or Better (99.54% RTP) is the benchmark accessible variant. Positive-expectation variants (Deuces Wild, Double Bonus Poker) essentially don't exist at UK operators in 2026. Use strategy charts during play — they're permitted and necessary for achieving published RTP. Video poker with correct play and favourable pay tables has among the best RTPs of UK casino games. See online poker guide, house edge explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best UK video poker pay table?
9/6 Jacks or Better at 99.54% RTP with optimal strategy — the benchmark favourable pay table. Positive-expectation variants (like full-pay Deuces Wild at 100.76%) essentially don't exist at UK operators in 2026.
Why do pay tables matter so much?
They're the primary variable affecting RTP. 9/6 Jacks or Better is 99.54% RTP; 6/5 Jacks or Better is 95.00% — same game variant, 4.5 percentage-point RTP difference.
What's the difference between 9/6 and 8/5 Jacks or Better?
9/6 pays 9:1 for full house and 6:1 for flush (99.54% RTP). 8/5 pays 8:1 and 5:1 (97.30% RTP). Meaningful difference across wagering volume.
Is video poker better than blackjack mathematically?
On favourable pay tables with correct strategy, yes — 99.54% for 9/6 Jacks or Better exceeds blackjack basic strategy's ~99.57% (0.43% edge). Both are among the best UK casino games mathematically.
Can I consult a strategy chart while playing video poker?
Yes — fully permitted at UK online video poker tables. Required for achieving published RTP; intuitive play typically costs 1-5% RTP.