Can Casinos Change Odds On Video Poker?

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No, casinos cannot modify the odds of a ranking hand. However, they can change the payout amount for the winning hands. This is how the casinos get their edge over players.

If you have played at a casino where the odds of winning a particular hand were different from what you would find in a regulated casino, it was probably a rogue casino.

Let’s take a look at the odds and return to the player percentages that you would find at top casinos online.

Odds On Video Poker

Odds on Video Poker

To fully grasp how the odds in video poker work, you must have a firm understanding of the rules. Video poker is played with a 52-card deck on a slot like machine. The casino game is based on the simple five-card draw poker game.

Remember that video poker is played using a random number generator. Meaning all cards are dealt randomly.

You will be dealt five cards, and you can choose to draw, hold, or discard your cards. There is also about 32 ways to play each hand that you get dealt with. So, you have to know the various winning hand rankings in poker to play your hand well.

Hand Odds
Any Pair 2.37 to 1
K, Q, J, or Ace pair 7.69 to 1
Two Pairs 21 to 1
Three of a kind 47 to 1
Straight 255 to 1
Flush 509 to 1
Full house 694 to 1
Four of a kind 4165 to 1
Straight Flush 72 193 to 1
Royal Flush 649 740 to 1

 

Return to Player

One of the things that make video poker popular is that you can maximize your chances of winning. To find a fair video poker machine, you have to look at the payout percentage. The RTP is a percentage of your wagered amount paid back to you over time.

For instance, jacks or better video poker machines will have an RTP of 99.54%. What this means is that for every $100 wagered, you get $99.54 in winnings. However, this is not guaranteed. As with any other casino game, there is no way to predict that you will win each time.

The return to the player is calculated over some time and considers millions of rounds for each game. It is a theoretical return that you can expect if you play the game accurately and using the maximum bet.

Jacks or Better Odds on Video Poker

Jacks or Better is the most popular video poker variation.  When you bet max in the game, you can get a payout of 800 to 1. However, if you bet with fewer coins, the payout is usually between 200 to 1 and 250 to 1.

To get a higher payout, you should always bet all five coins and play using the optimal strategy. Chances of getting the winning hand are sitting at 45%. There are many other variations of the game, and some will use a deck with 53 cards rather than 52. This will change the odds slightly.

When you play a full Jacks or better game, the RTP is 99.54%. A full-pay game means that the full house pays nine times your original bet, and the flush is six times your bet. Here is what a 9/6 Video poker paytable would look like

Hand one coin two coins three coins Four coins five coins
 Royal flush 250 500 750 1000 4000
Straight Flush 50 100 150 200 250
Four of a kind 25 50 75 100 125
Full house 9 18 27 36 45
Flush 6 12 18 24 30
Straight 4 8 12 16 20
Three of a kind 3 6 9 12 15
Two Pair 2 4 6 8 10
Jacks or Better 1 2 3 4 5

 

Conclusion

Apart from casinos changing the payout amount, video poker is a relatively profitable casino game. If you are playing at reputable casinos online, you should not be worried about the odds changing. However, if you are playing at a casino that isn’t quite regulated; anything is possible.

Some casinos are not necessarily looking out for you, which is why you need to play at casinos that are regulated and licensed. This way, you can rest assured that the RNG is being audited to ensure that all games are fair.

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