To the untrained eye, a video poker cabinet looks exactly like a standard, luck-based slot machine.

If played with absolutely perfect strategy, certain video poker variations offer some of the highest payout percentages in the entire casino.

Finding the Best Paytables (9/6 Jacks or Better)

The casino adjusts its house edge entirely by changing the payouts for specific hands, usually the Full House and the Flush.

A '9/6' machine pays 9 coins for a Full House and 6 coins for a Flush, yielding an incredible 99.54% Return to Player (RTP).

• Always play 'Max Coins' (usually 5 coins); the payout for a Royal Flush jumps exponentially when playing the maximum bet
• If you cannot afford to play 5 coins at the $1 level, drop down to the $0.25 level so you can afford the maximum bet
• Never sit down at a '6/5' Jacks or Better machine; the casino has increased its edge dramatically to steal your money

The Importance of Perfect Strategy in Video Poker

Once you find a 9/6 machine, you must play every single hand with mathematical perfection to actually achieve that 99.54% return.

Casinos legally allow you to hold a printed strategy chart in your hand while playing video poker; they do not consider it cheating.

Leave the flashy, high-variance slot machines to the tourists, and grind out the video poker machines like a professional.