Obviously, casino gambling enthusiasts all over the country consider Las Vegas to be their home away from home. The Strip alone is home to 30 casino resorts, spanning the spectrum from the opulence of Bellagio and Venetian to the gritty, old-school gambling halls like Casino Royale and O'Shea's.
Video poker can be easily deemed one of the most popular games in online casinos. Its popularity can be attributed to the fact the game is more simple in comparison to its traditional casino counterpart, not to mention video poker is among the few casino games where the house hardly has any edge or advantage over players.
- Best Bonus for Video Poker. Finding the best video poker online casino bonus can be a bit tricky. Some poker variations have frequent payouts, while others are less. You see, at many online casinos, video poker games are excluded from playing with bonus funds or come with a very low wagering contribution.
- Often, 8/5 'Bonus Poker' is the best available version of video poker in a casino. It does not offer the same stellar results as several of the games listed below, but learning 8/5 Bonus Poker strategy is important, because of how common the game is. 8/5 Bonus Poker.
Branching out away from The Strip offers dozens of additional options, so its no wonder why so many video poker fans flock to Las Vegas every single year.
https://download-nat.mystrikingly.com/blog/steam-2014-download. On the flip side though, I know many players who only make it out here once or twice a year. For them, visiting Las Vegas offers just a few days to experience the country's best video poker options.
So what about the other 360 or so days during the year?
https://millsoft.mystrikingly.com/blog/alice-in-wonderland-mad-tea-party-slot-machine. Hopefully folks have a quality local casino – either commercial or tribal – where they can enjoy their favorite video poker variants. And that's a fair bet, based on the map marking casino presence in all 50 states that you can check out down below: Winpalace casino complaints.
As you can see, only nine states in the U.S. Loch ness monster game. – Utah, Hawaii, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont, and New Hampshire – are casino no-go zones. Las Vegas style casino resorts can be found from coast to coast, in California and New Jersey and everywhere in between.
But here's the big question for video poker grinders – how do these non-Vegas venues compare with the real thing?
Examination of Las Vegas Casino Pay Tables for Comparison
As you well know, video poker pay tables are becoming increasingly hostile for low-stakes players. Pch spin and win. The trend definitely started in Las Vegas, where casinos aren't shy about offering the inferior pay tables shown below for a game like Jacks or Better:
Jacks or Better Pay Table Comparison
TABLE | PAYBACK |
9/6 | 99.54 percent |
9/5 | 98.45 percent |
8/6 | 98.39 percent |
8/5 | 97.30 percent |
7/5 | 96.15 percent |
6/5 | 95.00 percent |
It's the same sorry situation for other popular versions of video poker too. As the tables below show quite clearly, any game – even the strategic gambler's fan favorite Deuces Wild – can be turned into a money pit when the casinos start tinkering with pay tables:
Deuces Wild Pay Table Comparison
TABLE | PAYBACK |
25/15/9/5/3/2 | 100.76 percent |
25/15/11/4/4/3 | 99.96 percent |
25/16/10/4/4/3 | 99.73 percent |
25/15/9/4/4/3 | 98.91 percent |
20/12/10/4/4/3 | 97.58 percent |
20/12/9/4/4/3 | 97.06 percent |
25/16/13/4/3/2 | 96.77 percent |
20/10/8/4/4/3 | 95.96 percent |
25/15/10/4/3/2 | 94.82 percent |
Double Bonus Poker Pay Table Comparison
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TABLE | PAYBACK |
10/7 | 100.17 percent |
9/7/5 | 99.11 percent |
9/6/5 | 97.81 percent |
9/6/4 | 96.38 percent |
8/5 | 94.19 percent |
7/5 | 93.11 percent |
Double Double Bonus Poker Pay Table Comparison
TABLE | PAYBACK |
10/6 | 100.07 percent |
9/6/4 | 98.98 percent |
9/5 | 97.87 percent |
8/5 | 96.79 percent |
7/5 | 95.71 percent |
6/5 | 94.66 percent |
If you're a video poker player who doesn't get out to Las Vegas as often as you'd like, but you still want to find the best pay table options near you, look no further than the vpFREE2 database. Id rather we got casinos. This invaluable video poker resource allows you to search your region (just use the 'FILTER' tab to get started) for every machine and pay table in the area.
I'll let you play around with the vpFREE2 search tool on your own, but the list below has been compiled to highlight the five best video poker venues in every corner of the country. Leaving aside Nevada and its various gambling zones, vpFREE2 breaks things down into five key regions – East, Midwest, Gulf Coast, West, and Canada.
On that note, I'll take the top contender for best video poker provider in each of the five regions.
1 – Fort McDowell Casino in Fountain Hills, Arizona
The vpFREE2 database reveals 10 casinos in the West region where 99.9 percent payback rates can be found.
Puppy Poker Las Vegas
But it's Fort McDowell that has the most, as this tribal casino located to the Northeast of Phoenix, Arizona house three variants which reach the 'golden' number video poker players crave:
Fort McDowell's Best Video Poker Options
VARIANT DENOMINATION(S) | FULL PAYBACK | COIN |
Deuces Wild 44 | 99.96 percent | 25¢, $1 |
Double Double Bonus | 99.96 percent | 25¢, $1 |
Super Aces | 99.94 percent | 25¢ |
Deuces Wild | 99.81 percent | $1 |
Double Bonus Deuces Wild | 99.81 percent | 25¢, $1 |
Triple Bonus Plus | 99.80 percent | $1 |
Not So Ugly Ducks (Deuces Wild) | 99.73 percent | 25¢, $1 |
Triple Double Bonus | 99.58 percent | 25¢, $1 |
Jacks or Better | 99.54 percent | $1 |
The centerpiece of Fort McDowell's video poker lineup is Deuces Wild 44, which takes its name from the following pay table:
Deuces Wild 44 Pay Table
HAND | PAYOUT |
Natural Royal Flush | 800 |
Four of a Kind (with 2s) | 200 |
Royal Flush (w 2s) | 25 |
Five of a Kind | 15 |
Straight Flush | 11 |
Four of a Kind | 4 |
Full House | 4 |
Flush | 3 |
Straight | 2 |
Three of a Kind | 1 |
You'll also find 9.6 full pay Jacks or better at the Fort, and low limits of $0.25 make the games accessible for everybody.
2 – Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
With hundreds of machines offering nine different variants – eight of which meet the minimum 99.0 percent payback rate – Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan is like a little slice of Las Vegas meets Midwestern charm.
And as you can see below, this venue's video poker lineup is top-notch:
Soaring Eagle's Best Video Poker Options
VARIANT DENOMINATION(S) | FULL PAYBACK | COIN |
Double Double Bonus | 99.96 percent | 25¢, 50¢, $1 |
Triple Bonus Plus | 99.80 percent | $1 |
Not So Ugly Ducks (Deuces Wild) | 99.73 percent | 25¢, 50¢, $1 |
Bonus Poker | 99.66 percent | 25¢, 50¢, $1 |
White Hot Aces | 99.57 percent | 25¢, 50¢, $1 |
Jacks or Better | 99.54 percent | 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5 |
Pick'em (Pick a Pair) | 99.24 percent | 25¢, 50¢, $1 |
Double Bonus | 99.11 percent | 25¢, 50¢, $1 |
With coin denominations ranging from a nickel to a five-spot, nobody is left out of the premium pay table party at Soaring Eagle.
3 – Silver Slipper Casino Hotel in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Of all the casinos found in the Gulf Coast region, only the Silver Slipper in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi has four different variants offering a full pay table.
Well, the Deuces Wild game isn't 100.76 percent payback, but the Not So Ugly Ducks version and its 99.73 percent rate is the best you're going to get outside of Las Vegas:
Silver Slipper's Best Video Poker Options
VARIANT DENOMINATION(S) | FULL PAYBACK | COIN |
Not So Ugly Ducks (Deuces Wild) | 99.73 percent | $1 |
Bonus Deluxe | 99.64 percent | $1 |
Jacks or Better | 99.54 percent | $1 |
Bonus Poker | 99.17 percent | 25¢ |
4 – Mohegan Sun Casino Resort in Uncasville, Connecticut
One of two massive mega-resort casinos in Connecticut (along with Foxwoods), the Mohegan Sun Casino holds a special distinction among East Coast video poker venues.
As the only place back East offering a player edge game – albeit at the high-limit $10 coin denomination – Mohegan Sun has the best pay tables around:
Mohegan Sun's Best Video Poker Options
VARIANT DENOMINATION(S) | FULL PAYBACK | COIN |
Double Bonus Double Jackpot | 100.09 percent | $10 |
Pick'em (Pick a Pair) | 99.95 percent | 25¢, $1, $5, $10, $25 |
Double Bonus Deuces Wild | 99.81 percent | $1 |
Jacks or Better | 99.54 percent | 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5, $10, $25 |
Double Double Bonus | 98.98 percent | 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5, $10 |
5 – Pure Casino Calgary in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Unfortunately for the canucks out there, Canada's video poker scene is as sparse as the Great White North landscape in winter.
You won't find a single 9/6 full pay Jacks or Better machine, for example, and ditto for most popular variants.
With that said, Pure Casino Calgary in Alberta has an array of low-stakes options that make the weaker pay tables much more palatable:
TABLE | PAYBACK |
9/6 | 99.54 percent |
9/5 | 98.45 percent |
8/6 | 98.39 percent |
8/5 | 97.30 percent |
7/5 | 96.15 percent |
6/5 | 95.00 percent |
It's the same sorry situation for other popular versions of video poker too. As the tables below show quite clearly, any game – even the strategic gambler's fan favorite Deuces Wild – can be turned into a money pit when the casinos start tinkering with pay tables:
Deuces Wild Pay Table Comparison
TABLE | PAYBACK |
25/15/9/5/3/2 | 100.76 percent |
25/15/11/4/4/3 | 99.96 percent |
25/16/10/4/4/3 | 99.73 percent |
25/15/9/4/4/3 | 98.91 percent |
20/12/10/4/4/3 | 97.58 percent |
20/12/9/4/4/3 | 97.06 percent |
25/16/13/4/3/2 | 96.77 percent |
20/10/8/4/4/3 | 95.96 percent |
25/15/10/4/3/2 | 94.82 percent |
Double Bonus Poker Pay Table Comparison
Best Of Video Poker App
TABLE | PAYBACK |
10/7 | 100.17 percent |
9/7/5 | 99.11 percent |
9/6/5 | 97.81 percent |
9/6/4 | 96.38 percent |
8/5 | 94.19 percent |
7/5 | 93.11 percent |
Double Double Bonus Poker Pay Table Comparison
TABLE | PAYBACK |
10/6 | 100.07 percent |
9/6/4 | 98.98 percent |
9/5 | 97.87 percent |
8/5 | 96.79 percent |
7/5 | 95.71 percent |
6/5 | 94.66 percent |
If you're a video poker player who doesn't get out to Las Vegas as often as you'd like, but you still want to find the best pay table options near you, look no further than the vpFREE2 database. Id rather we got casinos. This invaluable video poker resource allows you to search your region (just use the 'FILTER' tab to get started) for every machine and pay table in the area.
I'll let you play around with the vpFREE2 search tool on your own, but the list below has been compiled to highlight the five best video poker venues in every corner of the country. Leaving aside Nevada and its various gambling zones, vpFREE2 breaks things down into five key regions – East, Midwest, Gulf Coast, West, and Canada.
On that note, I'll take the top contender for best video poker provider in each of the five regions.
1 – Fort McDowell Casino in Fountain Hills, Arizona
The vpFREE2 database reveals 10 casinos in the West region where 99.9 percent payback rates can be found.
Puppy Poker Las Vegas
But it's Fort McDowell that has the most, as this tribal casino located to the Northeast of Phoenix, Arizona house three variants which reach the 'golden' number video poker players crave:
Fort McDowell's Best Video Poker Options
VARIANT DENOMINATION(S) | FULL PAYBACK | COIN |
Deuces Wild 44 | 99.96 percent | 25¢, $1 |
Double Double Bonus | 99.96 percent | 25¢, $1 |
Super Aces | 99.94 percent | 25¢ |
Deuces Wild | 99.81 percent | $1 |
Double Bonus Deuces Wild | 99.81 percent | 25¢, $1 |
Triple Bonus Plus | 99.80 percent | $1 |
Not So Ugly Ducks (Deuces Wild) | 99.73 percent | 25¢, $1 |
Triple Double Bonus | 99.58 percent | 25¢, $1 |
Jacks or Better | 99.54 percent | $1 |
The centerpiece of Fort McDowell's video poker lineup is Deuces Wild 44, which takes its name from the following pay table:
Deuces Wild 44 Pay Table
HAND | PAYOUT |
Natural Royal Flush | 800 |
Four of a Kind (with 2s) | 200 |
Royal Flush (w 2s) | 25 |
Five of a Kind | 15 |
Straight Flush | 11 |
Four of a Kind | 4 |
Full House | 4 |
Flush | 3 |
Straight | 2 |
Three of a Kind | 1 |
You'll also find 9.6 full pay Jacks or better at the Fort, and low limits of $0.25 make the games accessible for everybody.
2 – Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
With hundreds of machines offering nine different variants – eight of which meet the minimum 99.0 percent payback rate – Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan is like a little slice of Las Vegas meets Midwestern charm.
And as you can see below, this venue's video poker lineup is top-notch:
Soaring Eagle's Best Video Poker Options
VARIANT DENOMINATION(S) | FULL PAYBACK | COIN |
Double Double Bonus | 99.96 percent | 25¢, 50¢, $1 |
Triple Bonus Plus | 99.80 percent | $1 |
Not So Ugly Ducks (Deuces Wild) | 99.73 percent | 25¢, 50¢, $1 |
Bonus Poker | 99.66 percent | 25¢, 50¢, $1 |
White Hot Aces | 99.57 percent | 25¢, 50¢, $1 |
Jacks or Better | 99.54 percent | 5¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5 |
Pick'em (Pick a Pair) | 99.24 percent | 25¢, 50¢, $1 |
Double Bonus | 99.11 percent | 25¢, 50¢, $1 |
With coin denominations ranging from a nickel to a five-spot, nobody is left out of the premium pay table party at Soaring Eagle.
3 – Silver Slipper Casino Hotel in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Of all the casinos found in the Gulf Coast region, only the Silver Slipper in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi has four different variants offering a full pay table.
Well, the Deuces Wild game isn't 100.76 percent payback, but the Not So Ugly Ducks version and its 99.73 percent rate is the best you're going to get outside of Las Vegas:
Silver Slipper's Best Video Poker Options
VARIANT DENOMINATION(S) | FULL PAYBACK | COIN |
Not So Ugly Ducks (Deuces Wild) | 99.73 percent | $1 |
Bonus Deluxe | 99.64 percent | $1 |
Jacks or Better | 99.54 percent | $1 |
Bonus Poker | 99.17 percent | 25¢ |
4 – Mohegan Sun Casino Resort in Uncasville, Connecticut
One of two massive mega-resort casinos in Connecticut (along with Foxwoods), the Mohegan Sun Casino holds a special distinction among East Coast video poker venues.
As the only place back East offering a player edge game – albeit at the high-limit $10 coin denomination – Mohegan Sun has the best pay tables around:
Mohegan Sun's Best Video Poker Options
VARIANT DENOMINATION(S) | FULL PAYBACK | COIN |
Double Bonus Double Jackpot | 100.09 percent | $10 |
Pick'em (Pick a Pair) | 99.95 percent | 25¢, $1, $5, $10, $25 |
Double Bonus Deuces Wild | 99.81 percent | $1 |
Jacks or Better | 99.54 percent | 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5, $10, $25 |
Double Double Bonus | 98.98 percent | 25¢, 50¢, $1, $5, $10 |
5 – Pure Casino Calgary in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Unfortunately for the canucks out there, Canada's video poker scene is as sparse as the Great White North landscape in winter.
You won't find a single 9/6 full pay Jacks or Better machine, for example, and ditto for most popular variants.
With that said, Pure Casino Calgary in Alberta has an array of low-stakes options that make the weaker pay tables much more palatable:
Casino Calgary's Best Video Poker Options Play family guy online.
VARIANT DENOMINATION(S) | FULL PAYBACK | COIN |
Double Double Bonus | 98.98 percent | 50¢, $1 |
Jacks or Better | 98.45 percent | 50¢, $1 |
Triple Double Bonus | 98.15 percent | $1 |
Bonus Poker | 98.01 percent | 50¢, $1 |
And in an honorable mention, check out Casino de Montreal for quarter-stakes machines.
Conclusion
Playing video poker against an inferior pay table leaves sharp gamblers feeling a little empty inside – just like 6 to 5 blackjack or watered down 3x-4x-5x on the Odds bet in craps. When you know the casino could offer a game at standard odds that give players a chance, only to see the house pad their edge with substandard pay tables, the blood can start boiling in a hurry. Fortunately, the vpFREE2 database makes it easier than ever before to avoid the sucker machines and confine your action to the best video poker venues around.