Full Pay Video Poker

Finding a full-pay video poker machine is your first and foremost task when learning to be an advantage video poker player. A full-pay machine is one which has a pay-schedule that has not been altered in a way that lowers the overall payback percentage of the machine.

With all of the variations in the Video Poker world, it's hard to keep things straight, and harder still when two very similar machines have different pay-tables.

Let's take the most common game, Jacks or Better, as an example. You'll often hear people refer to something called 9/6 Jacks or Better. The 9/6 part of it is a reference to the pay table. On a single coin you are paid 9 for a full house, and 6 for a flush. This is clearly indicated in the pay-schedule. Many Jacks or Better machines though, offer 8 coins for a full house and 5 for a flush, robbing you of a coin or two. 9/6 Jacks or better machines are said to be full-pay.

Unless the pay table has been altered in other ways, seeing the 9 and 6 on a Jacks or Better pay schedule is all you need to know you're playing a full pay game. For other variations though it can get more complicated, and not many people in this world are about memorizing pay-schedule differences. We built computers for that.

There are many software programs available that can analyze a custom pay table (perhaps your favorite machine at the local parlor, or the game you like to play at an online casino) and tell you what the theoretical return rate of the machine is. The closer to 100% (or more) the better you're doing.

Some machines are capable of paying over 100%, so the house edge has turned over to the player. This means you can win in the long term, if you play the right machine enough. The problem is of course, you'd have to play the machine for a very long time, to make a very small percentage. Rather, you want to be there playing when the big hands get hit, without having to spend everything you make back from the winnings.

Full Pay video poker is unique as the only game in the casinos that offers a long term advantage to the player. Video poker machines as a whole are still weighted to the casino, but the casinos known not many people can tell the full-pay machines apart from the rest.

Take that step towards becoming an advantage video poker player, learn basic strategy and hunt down some good machines. Online casinos will not offer anything with a return percentage too high, but you can still find full-pay Jacks or Better machines sprinkled around the net. Take your money to these, and you're playing what is likely the best bet in online gambling.