Video Poker Paytables & RTP
In video poker, the paytable is everything. Two machines can look identical and play by the same rules, yet one returns over 99% and the other far less, purely because of the numbers printed on the paytable. Learning to read it before you sit down is the single most valuable habit in the game. This guide shows you how a paytable works, why a couple of lines on it set the overall RTP, and how to spot a short-pay machine.
How to read a paytable
A paytable lists each winning hand and what it pays per coin bet, usually across columns for one to five coins. Video poker games are often named by two of those numbers. "9/6 Jacks or Better" means a full house pays 9 coins and a flush pays 6 coins (per coin bet). Those two figures are the shorthand because they vary the most between machines and have the biggest effect on return. Read down the whole column so you also know the payouts for a straight, three of a kind, and the big hands like four of a kind, straight flush and royal flush.
Why full house and flush set the RTP
Full house and flush come up often enough that small changes to their payouts move the overall return significantly. Full-pay 9/6 Jacks or Better returns around 99.5% with perfect play. Drop it to 8/5, a common short-pay version, and the return falls to roughly 97%, a large difference over time, even though the rest of the paytable looks the same. Spotting short-pay machines is simply a matter of checking those two numbers: if the full house or flush pays less than the full-pay version, the machine is keeping more of your money. Always compare before you play. Even full-pay machines return under 100%, so the house keeps an edge. To turn a good paytable into a good result, pair it with correct strategy.
Frequently asked questions
What does "9/6" mean in video poker?
It refers to the payouts for a full house (9 coins) and a flush (6 coins) per coin bet in Jacks or Better. These two figures vary the most between machines and largely determine the overall RTP, so the game is named after them.
How do I spot a short-pay machine?
Compare the full house and flush payouts against the full-pay version. If a Jacks or Better machine pays 8/5 instead of 9/6, it returns noticeably less over time. Lower payouts on those lines mean a higher house edge, even if everything else looks the same.
Does a full-pay machine mean I will win?
No. A full-pay paytable with perfect play can exceed 99% RTP, but that is a long-run average and still under 100%, so the house retains an edge. Any single session is random. Play within your limits; you must be 18 or older.