Online Video Poker Strategies

A list of video poker strategies for different games

Best Video Poker Sites

Like any good table game, video poker strategies can be learned with enough practice and a little memory. If all else fails, have these open in another tab or save them on your phone and start learning.

How to use these Video Poker strategy cards

To find the best strategy for video poker slots you first need to know your way around pay tables and poker hands. So have a read at our article about full pay video poker machines and the basics of video poker before starting.

All the strategies below work the same and have one aim in mind: to increase your casino video poker odds.

You look at the first set of cards drawn and we’ve put, in order, the set of cards you should keep in order of importance. So if you have more than one choice, go down the list and see which ones come up higher in the list and keep those to increase the odds of getting the best hand on your second draw.

A little word of explanation, when we say ‘high cards’ we mean the cards it would take to make a paying pair – usually Jacks or higher. However with a 10 or better machine, 10 would also be a high card.

Jacks or Better

The basic video poker strategy for a 9/6 machine

Four of a kind, straight flush, royal flush
4 cards to a royal flush
Three of a kind, straight, flush, full house
4 to a straight flush
Two pairs
A high pair
3 cards to a royal flush
4 cards to a flush
Low pair
4 in a row to a straight (with the card missing on either end of the straight, not in the middle of a straight, i.e.. 10, J, Q, K, missing either the 9 or Aces)
2 high cards of the same suit
3 to a straight flush
2 high cards of a different suit. If more than two on the screen, pick the lowest ones to give you better odds of getting something on either side.
10/J, 10/Q or 10/K of the same suit
One high card
You got nothing? Better discard everything

The optimal strategy

Royal flush, straight flush or four of a kind on your first go? Well look at you, jackpot winner.
4 cards to a royal flush
Full house or flush
3 of a kind
Straight
4 cards to a straight flush
Two pairs
High pair
3 cards to a royal flush
4 cards to a flush
10, J, Q, K of a different suit
Low pair
4 cards to a straight with the missing card sitting on either side of the set. (ie. Your card is 6, 7, 8, 9 and you are missing 5 or 10).
3 cards to a straight flush
J/Q of the same suit
4 cards to a straight, but with 4 high cards and the missing number sits inside the set. (ie., 10, J, K, A and you are missing the Q).
K/Q or K/J of the same suit
A,/K or A/Q, or A/J of the same suit
4 cards to a straight, but with 3 high cards and the missing number sits inside the set. (ie., 9, J, Q, K and you are missing the 10).
3 cards to a straight flush
J, Q, K of different suits
J/Q of different suits
10/J of the same suit
2 high cards with king, but different suit
10/Q of different suits
2 high cards with ace, but different suit
J only
10/K of the same suit
Queen only
King only
Ace only
3 to a straight flush
You got nothing. Might as well try your luck and discard everything.

Bonus Video Poker

Strategy for an 8/5 machine

Four of a kind, straight flush or royal flush
4 cards to a royal flush
Straight, flush or full house
Three of a kind
4 cards to a straight flush
Two pairs
A high pair
3 cards to a royal flush
4 cards to a flush
10, J, Q, K of different suits
A low pair
4 cards to a straight with the missing card sitting outside of the set. (ie. Your card is 5, 6, 7, 8 and you are missing 4 or 9).
3 cards to a straight flush, but with at least one high card and one or no inside card missing and the possibility of getting a card on either side. (ie. 9, 10, J or 8, 9, J would work, but J, K, A wouldn’t as you can’t get anything on the other side of the ace, so look for another hand with better odds.)
J, Q, K, A of different suits
2 high cards of the same suit
3 cards to a straight flush, but no high cards and no inside card missing. (ie. 7, 8, 9)
4 cards to a straight, but with 3 high cards and one missing in the inside of the set (ie. 10, J, K, A)
J, Q, K of different suits
J, Q of different suits
3 to a straight flush, but with one high card and 2 cards missing inside the set. (ie. 7, 8, J would work)
K/Q, or K/J of different suits
10, J of the same suit
A/K or A/Q or A/J of different suits
Ace, all alone, by himself.
3 cards to a straight flush, with no high card, 1 missing inside the set, but the possibility of getting more cards either end of the set. (ie. 3, 4, 6 would work, but 2, 3, 5 wouldn’t as you can’t get a card on the other side of 2)
10/K or 10/Q of the same suit
A single Jack, Queen or King
3 cards to a straight flush, but no high cards and two cards missing within the set (ie. 4, 7,8 or 2, 4, 6 etc…)
None of the above? Might as well try your luck and draw them all again.

Double Bonus Video Poker

Strategy for an 10/7 machine

Straight flush, four of a kind or royal flush
4 cards to a royal flush
Three aces
Straight, flush or full house
Three of a kind (three aces ranks higher – keep reading up)
4 cards to a straight flush
Two pairs
A high pair
4 cards to a flush
3 cards to a royal flush
4 cards to straight, with the possibility of getting a card on either side (ie. Any set with 2 or aces)
A low pair
J, Q, K, A of different suits
3 cards to a straight flush, but without a two or ace and where the number of high cards in your hand equals or has more than gaps within the set. Ie. 9, J, K would be acceptable as though you are missing two cards within the set, but you have two high cards. If you had 7, 9, J that wouldn’t work as you have only one high card.
4 cards to a straight with 3 high cards
J/Q of the same suit
3 cards to a flush, but with 2 high cards
2 high cards of the same suit
4 cards to a straight, but with 2 high cards
3 cards to a straight flush, with one or two gaps but at least one high card. Ie. 8, 9, J or 9, 10, K
4 cards to straight, but with 1 high card
J, Q, K of different suits
10/J of the same suit
J/Q of different suits
3 cards to a flush, but with at least 1 high card
10/Q of the same suit
3 to a straight flush but with two gaps within the set and no high card, ie. 6, 8, 10 or 2, 5, 6 etc…
J/K or Q/K of different suits
A single ace
10/K of the same suit
Single Jack, Queen or King
4 cards to a straight with no high cards and card missing is within the set (ie. 3, 4, 5, 7)
3 cards to a flush, but no high cards
Nothing above? Redraw and try your luck

Double Double Bonus Video Poker

Strategy for a 10/6 machine

Straight flush, royal flush or four of a kind
4 cards to a royal flush
Three aces
Straight, flush or full house
Three of a kind, except aces which are higher up the list.
4 cards to a straight flush
A high pair of Aces
Two pairs
J, Q, K of the same suit
A high pair (a pair of aces are higher up the list)
3 card of the same suit to a royal flush (not J,Q,K which is higher up the list)
4 cards to a flush
4 cards to a straight, with 1 or more high cards and missing card sitting outside the set. ie. 9, 10, J, Q and you need either 8 or K to finish the set. So no gap in the hand
A low pair
J, Q, K, A of different suits
4 cards to a straight, with no high cards but no gap in the middle of the cards. Ie. 6, 7, 8, 9 and NOT 5, 7, 8, 9
3 cards to a straight flush, but the number of high cards equals or exceeds number of gaps within the set. No twos or aces allowed. Ie. . 9, J, K would be acceptable as though you are missing two cards within the set, but you have two high cards. If you had 7, 9, J that wouldn’t work as you have only one high card.
2 high cards of the same suit
4 cards to a straight with 3 high cards, but the missing card is inside the straight. Ie. 9, J, Q, K and your are missing the 10.
3 cards of the same suit to a straight flush, with only one gap, or two gaps if you have one high card. Ie. 7, 8, 10 (only on card missing within the set) or 8, 10, Q (two gaps within the set, but you have the queen)
J, Q, K of different suits
4 to a straight with 2 high cards, but the card missing is for within the hand. Ie. 9, 10, Q, K
J/Q of different suits
A single ace
10/J of the same suit
J/K or Q/K of different suits
10/K or 10/A of the same suit
A single Jack, Queen or King
3 cards to a straight flush, but no high cards and at least 2 gaps inside the set. I.e. 6, 9, 10
4 cards to a straight with no high cards and the card missing is inside the set i.e. 5, 7, 8, 9
Nothing above? Bad luck, redraw everything, you never know you might get a lucky pair.

Deuce Wild Video Poker

Strategy for a full pay machine

The deuce wild strategy has been written a little differently, as here the optimal strategy is dependent on whether or not you have a wild 2 in your hand. 2’s are sometimes called ‘deuce’, hence the name of the machine, and how we will refer to them below.

If you have 4 deuces in your hand

Hallelujah. Keep those fours and draw again to see what the best possible hand you’ll get.

If you have 3 deuces

Royal flush
Keep the 3 deuces only

If you have 2 deuces

Any four of a kind or higher hand that can be made using the deuce in combination.
4 cards to a royal flush
4 cards to a straight flush, with two cards in order, from 6 or higher. So you need a 6/7, 7/8, 8/9 or 9/10, consecutively.
4. Keep the 2 deuces only

If you have 1 deuce

Any straight four of a kind or higher that can be made using the deuce.
4 cards to a royal flush
Full house
4 cards to a straight flush, with at least 3 cards in order, from 5 or higher. i.e. 5,6,7,9 would work, but so would 5, 6, 7, 8 or 6, 8,9,10. It doesn’t matter where the card is missing as long as you have those three consecutive cards.
3 of a kind, straight, or flush
Any other 4 cards to a straight flush
3 cards to a royal flush
3 cards to a straight flush, with at least 2 cards in order, from 6 upwards. So you need a 6/7, 7/8, 8/9 or 9/10, consecutively
Keep your deuce only and draw again

No wild card

Either 4 or 5 cards to a royal flush
Three of a kind to straight flush
4 cards to a straight flush
3 cards to a royal flush
Any pair
4 cards to a flush
4 cards to a straight which doesn’t start with 2 or end with Ace.
3 cards to a straight flush
4 cards to a straight, which starts with 2 or ends with Ace or has a missing number within inside the hand. i.e. 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, 8, 9, 10
2 cards to a royal flush
A single J or Q high
Don’t see your hand? Might as well draw again as there is nothing good to keep.

Winning at video poker games

These strategies will help in making you a smarter video poker player. The strategies we’ve written about above are the ones that we use and have worked for us in the past. There are more complicated strategies out there, but you’ll have to pay to get to most out of them.

However, video poker, as with all casino games are random and are dependent on luck, so simply because you pick the right cards doesn’t guarantee you’ll win.

From our point of view, we are looking for fun and entertainment. If you let a program or software do all the calculations for you, it takes away from the human skill and personal touch. We don’t want to have huge charts in front of us when we play, but we also want the best odds of getting a winning hand.

That’s what a good video poker strategy should do. Give you a map to head off on your own adventure rather than have a robot experience the whole journey for you.

So to bring back the softer more instinctual side of the game, we’ve also written our top tips and tricks we’ve learnt in our own video poker quest.

Next up: Video poker tips & tricks »