Different video poker machines offer different payout structures. This can be true of two different machines in the same game at the same casino. In other words, just because it is a Jacks or Better game does not mean that the game is the best one for you to choose. You need to carefully check the paytable of the game so that you can choose your machine wisely as this can improve your odds.
Payout Structures for Video Poker
It is important to find a reference to the payout structure of the video poker machine you are looking at playing. In the most popular video poker game, Jacks or Better, you may find a 9/6 game, an 8/5 game or a 7/5 game. You may even come across 6/5 or 5/4 games.
These references indicate the payout for a Full House and for a Flush. In other words, in a 9/6 machine, for every one coin you bet, you will be paid out 9 coins for a Full House and 6 coins for a Flush. 9/6 machines are known as full pay video poker machines and these are the ideal machines to play on with the highest payout percentage for Jacks or Better of 99.54%. The most common Jacks or Better machines are the 8/5 machines.
These pay out 8 coins for a Full House and 5 coins for a Flush. These machines offer a payout percentage of 97.3% - significantly lower than the 9/6 machines. In other words, the most common option will have you losing $2.70 for every $100 you bet, compared to $0.46 in the 9/6 machines. Compare this to the other options and you can see how simply by choosing your machine wisely you can significantly impact the outcome of your game. If you were to play on a 5/4 machine you would find a payout percentage of only 92.78% - a loss of $7.22 for every $100 bet.
Understanding the Odds
If you understand the payout structure for the different machines and understand the odds associated with them, you can choose a game wisely. If you are playing casually, you will probably not feel a big difference between the 0.46% and the 2.7% house edge between the 9/6 and 8/5 machines; however you should certainly avoid anything lower than that and if you cant find that machine, it may be time to look for a different game.
