A video-poker paytable describes a particular game and payout schedule; it is not a promise about your session. Check the variant, denomination, credits per hand, every payout row and any special features. A familiar cabinet or “9/6” label alone is not enough.
This guide explains how to compare the displayed information. It does not provide freshly verified Las Vegas machine locations or recommend increasing a stake to reach a theoretical return.
What the common labels describe
| Reference game | What to check | Published theoretical benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| 9/6 Jacks or Better | Full house 9, flush 6, plus the rest of the standard schedule | About 99.54% with the reference payouts and optimal decisions |
| 9/5 Jacks or Better | Full house 9, flush 5, plus the rest of the standard schedule | About 98.45% under its reference assumptions |
| Full-pay Deuces Wild | The complete Deuces Wild schedule, not just one or two rows | About 100.76% for the specific reference schedule and optimal decisions |
| Double Bonus | Its rank-dependent four-of-a-kind awards and every other payout | Depends on the exact schedule; do not transfer another variant’s return |
The numeric benchmarks come from the published video-poker analysis tables at Wizard of Odds. Its author’s analysis methodology describes evaluating card outcomes and possible discards. These are mathematical references, not measured results for every player.
Read the complete screen and the correct credit column
Confirm the game name first. Jacks or Better, Double Bonus and Deuces Wild are different games; similar-looking payout rows do not make their rules interchangeable.
Then inspect all rows and the actual bet column. Published return calculations commonly assume a particular royal-flush award. A 4,000-credit royal for a five-credit wager normalizes to 800 credits returned per credit wagered. A different award or coin column changes that comparison.
This is a unit explanation, not a reason to buy a larger wager. Compare the amount you would actually risk and skip a game if the required spending does not fit your limit.
The denomination changes the cost of a hand
Illustration: five credits at $0.25 per credit cost $1.25 for one hand. Five credits at $1 per credit cost $5. Those are arithmetic examples, not recommendations or a verified machine listing.
Check whether the screen also enables multiple hands or an optional feature charge. Count the total displayed cost, not only the denomination printed on the machine. A higher theoretical percentage does not establish lower dollar exposure.
What a return percentage does and does not mean
Return refers to the modeled average amount paid back relative to cumulative wagers under specified assumptions. It does not mean your original cash will finish at that percentage, and it does not predict the next hand.
Illustration using the rounded reference figures: across $1,000 in total wagers, 99.54% implies $995.40 returned on average in the model, or $4.60 expected loss. At 98.45%, the corresponding figures are $984.50 and $15.50. These are expectations under those assumptions, not a likely range or a promise for a $1,000 session.
Cumulative wagers include money wagered again. They are different from the cash you bring. Actual results can differ substantially, and mistakes or a different schedule change the calculation.
Keep the Deuces Wild comparison specific
The above-100% benchmark applies to a particular full-pay reference schedule with optimal decisions. It does not establish that a current local machine offers that schedule, that you will make the modeled decisions, or that a visit will be profitable.
Our separate full-pay Deuces Wild guide shows the reference rows and credit normalization. This broader guide compares how to read different games.
A practical screen-check list
- Read the exact variant and rules.
- Check all payout rows and the credit column you would use.
- Confirm denomination, credits, number of hands and any feature cost.
- Distinguish a theoretical reference from current machine availability.
- Keep any gambling allowance within an amount you can afford to lose.
Use our gambling-budget guide to separate that allowance from essential travel costs. No paytable guarantees playing time or funds the rest of a trip.
Mathematical references checked October 15, 2026. Calculations use the stated rounded benchmarks and assumptions. No new casino visit or current machine-location survey is claimed.
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