Quick answerVideo poker is a single-player game based on five-card draw: you get five cards, choose which to hold, draw replacements, and are paid by a pay table for the final hand. Unlike slots, its RTP is known from the pay table and your decisions matter. 9/6 Jacks or Better (9 for a full house, 6 for a flush) returns 99.54% with perfect strategy; the common 8/5 version returns 97.30%. Deuces Wild and Double Bonus Poker can return even more on full-pay tables, which are rare online. Video poker is available at many casinos serving Canada, mostly as RNG games with free demos.
Best casinos for video poker in Canada
- LeoVegas 8.4/10 · MGA · payout 1–3 days · min deposit C$10 · 100% to C$1,500 + 300 FS over 3 deposits
- Casumo 8.2/10 · MGA · payout 1–3 days · min deposit C$10 · 100% to C$2,000 + 99 FS
- Rexbet 8.2/10 · Curaçao · payout ≤24h · min deposit C$10 · 200% to C$500 + 50 FS
- Merlin Casino 8.2/10 · Curaçao · payout ≤24h · min deposit C$30 · Wager-free welcome up to C$1,200 + 300 FS
- Frumzi 8.1/10 · MGA · payout 1–3 days · min deposit C$10 · 100% to C$750 + 200 FS
These casinos list video poker among the 165 we review. Not every casino carries it, so check the table games section of the lobby.
How video poker works
- Choose your bet, usually 1 to 5 coins at a set coin value.
- You are dealt five cards.
- Hold the cards you want to keep.
- Draw: the other cards are replaced from the same 52-card deck.
- You are paid according to the pay table for your final hand.
Bet the maximum five coins if you can afford it: on most machines, a royal flush pays 800 for 1 on five coins but only 250 for 1 on fewer, which is worth about 1.5% of RTP.
Jacks or Better pay table
The full-pay 9/6 Jacks or Better table, per coin with five coins bet:
| Hand | Pays |
|---|
| Royal flush | 800 |
| Straight flush | 50 |
| Four of a kind | 25 |
| Full house | 9 |
| Flush | 6 |
| Straight | 4 |
| Three of a kind | 3 |
| Two pair | 2 |
| Pair of jacks or better | 1 |
Machines are named by the full house and flush payouts. Their RTPs with perfect strategy:
| Pay table | RTP |
|---|
| 9/6 Jacks or Better | 99.54% |
| 9/5 | 98.45% |
| 8/6 | 98.39% |
| 8/5 | 97.30% |
| 7/5 | 96.15% |
| 6/5 | 95.00% |
Always look at the pay table before you play: the same game name can hide a 4.5% difference in house edge.
Jacks or Better strategy
The full strategy has dozens of lines, but these rules capture most of its value, in order of priority:
- Hold any paying hand of four of a kind or better, and any four to a royal flush.
- Hold a straight, flush or full house, except break a flush or straight to go for four to a royal.
- Hold three of a kind; hold two pair.
- Hold a high pair (jacks or better).
- Hold four to a straight flush.
- Hold three to a royal flush.
- Hold four to a flush.
- Hold a low pair (2s to 10s) over four to an open-ended straight.
- Hold four to an open-ended straight, then two high cards of the same suit, then high cards.
- With nothing, draw five new cards.
Never hold a kicker (an unpaired high card) with a pair. Many online video poker games show the correct hold as a hint; use it while you learn.
Other video poker games
- Deuces Wild: all 2s are wild, so the pay table starts at three of a kind. The full-pay version returns about 100.76% with perfect strategy, but it is very rare online; most versions return 94–99%.
- Bonus Poker and Double Bonus Poker: extra payouts for four of a kind, lower for two pair. Full-pay Double Bonus (10/7) returns about 100.17%.
- Joker Poker: a 53-card deck with a joker as wild.
- Multi-hand video poker: play 3, 10, 50 or 100 hands at once from the same held cards, which raises volatility but not the RTP.
Is video poker better than slots?
On the numbers, often yes. A 9/6 Jacks or Better machine played well returns 99.54%, while most slots return 94–97%. Video poker also has lower volatility than most slots, though royal flushes, roughly once every 40,000 hands, are where a big part of the return sits. The trade-off: you need to learn the strategy, and the biggest win is 4,000 coins on five coins bet, far below slot max wins.
Free video poker online
Most RNG video poker games have a free demo with play credits. Practising in demo mode with the hint feature is the best way to learn Jacks or Better strategy before playing for money.
Is video poker legal in Canada?
Yes. Video poker is a casino game: in Ontario and Alberta, play at registered sites; elsewhere, provincial sites and licensed offshore casinos offer it. Some provincial land-based venues also have video poker terminals. See casinos by province.
Video poker and bonuses
Many bonuses exclude video poker or count it at 10–20% toward wagering because of its high RTP. Read the terms; see wagering requirements.
Video poker vs live poker
Video poker is played against a pay table, not other players or a dealer. It is closer to a slot with decisions than to Texas Hold'em. Live casino poker games such as Casino Hold'em are played against a dealer's hand; see live casino.
Video poker glossary
- Pay table: the list of payouts for each final hand.
- Full pay: the best available pay table for a game.
- Hold: keeping a card for the draw.
- Kicker: an unpaired high card kept alongside a pair.
- Max coins: the bet level that unlocks the full royal flush payout.
Jacks or Better: what to hold, with examples
| Your five cards | Hold | Why |
|---|
| K♠ K♦ 7♣ 4♥ 2♠ | K♠ K♦ | A high pair pays; never keep a kicker |
| 10♥ J♥ Q♥ K♥ 3♣ | 10♥ J♥ Q♥ K♥ | Four to a royal flush beats a flush draw |
| 5♣ 5♦ 8♠ 9♥ 10♣ | 5♣ 5♦ | A low pair beats four to an open-ended straight |
| A♦ K♦ 7♣ 4♠ 2♥ | A♦ K♦ | Two suited high cards |
| 3♣ 6♦ 8♠ 9♥ 2♣ | Draw five | No pair, no strong draw |
| 9♠ 9♥ 9♦ 4♣ 4♠ | All five | A full house pays 9 on full-pay tables |
How often do you hit a royal flush?
With correct Jacks or Better strategy, a royal flush comes about once every 40,000 hands. At 600 hands an hour, that is roughly once every 65–70 hours of play. A large part of the 99.54% RTP depends on the royal's 800-for-1 payout, which is why short sessions usually return less than the theoretical figure and why max coins matter.
Video poker volatility
Jacks or Better has low to medium volatility: frequent small pays from high pairs and two pair, with rare big wins. Double Bonus and Deuces Wild are more volatile, with more of the return in four-of-a-kind and wild-card hands. Multi-hand games multiply both the stake and the swings. Choose single-hand Jacks or Better if you want a steady session.
Video poker vs other games
| Game | Best RTP | Skill |
|---|
| Video poker (9/6 Jacks or Better) | 99.54% | Hold strategy |
| Blackjack | About 99.5% | Basic strategy |
| Baccarat | 98.94% | None |
| Slots | Up to about 97% | None |
If you enjoy decisions and want the best long-run return, video poker and blackjack are the top choices. For the classic machines, IGT's Game King series is the best known; many online casinos carry similar Jacks or Better games from other providers.
Play responsibly
Video poker is fast and can run hundreds of hands an hour. Set a budget and use deposit limits. Free help: ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600, or call or text 9-8-8 anywhere in Canada.
