Video Poker Variants
Video poker is not one game but a family of them. The core mechanic, deal, hold, draw, get paid, stays the same, but each variant tweaks the paytable, the minimum paying hand, or adds wild cards. Those tweaks change both the correct strategy and the RTP, so a hold that is right in one game can be wrong in another. This guide introduces the most common variants you will meet at CasinOnline and explains how each one shifts the maths.
The main variants
Jacks or Better. The classic and the best starting point. The minimum paying hand is a pair of jacks, and the full-pay 9/6 version returns around 99.5% with correct play.
Deuces Wild. All four 2s are wild and can stand in for any card. This makes strong hands easier, so the minimum payout rises to three of a kind and the paytable is rebalanced. Full-pay versions can return very high RTPs, but the strategy is quite different.
Bonus Poker. Similar to Jacks or Better but with enhanced payouts for certain four-of-a-kind hands, balanced by slightly lower payouts elsewhere.
Double Bonus. Pushes four-of-a-kind payouts higher still, especially for aces, again with trade-offs on lower hands that change the correct holds.
Joker Poker. Adds a joker to the deck as a wild card, creating a 53-card game with its own paytable and minimum paying hand.
How wild cards and bonuses change the maths
Two things drive the differences. Wild cards (the deuces in Deuces Wild, the joker in Joker Poker) make some hands far more common, so those games pay less for low hands and demand a different strategy chart. Bonus payouts (in Bonus Poker and Double Bonus) reward specific big hands more generously but claw it back on common hands, which shifts when it is worth chasing the bonus. In every case the correct hold and the overall RTP depend on the exact paytable, so learn one variant's strategy well and check the paytable before you play. No variant removes the house edge.
Frequently asked questions
Which video poker variant is best for beginners?
Jacks or Better is the usual recommendation. It has the simplest paytable, a clear minimum paying hand (a pair of jacks), and well-known strategy, which makes it the easiest game to learn correct play on before trying wild-card variants.
Do wild cards make video poker easier to win?
Wild cards make strong hands more common, but the paytables compensate by paying less for low hands and raising the minimum paying hand. They change the strategy rather than tilting the odds in your favour. The house keeps an edge in every variant.
Can I use one strategy across all variants?
No. Wild cards and bonus payouts change which holds are correct and what the RTP is. Each variant needs its own strategy chart matched to its paytable. Learn one game well, play within your limits, and remember you must be 18 or older.