Betsoft is a Malta-based developer of online casino software, and it is best known for its innovative, cutting-edge 3D slots that impress with realistic graphics, beautiful animations, and a user-friendly interface. The company’s portfolio is even more diverse, featuring a wide range of blackjack, roulette, poker, and video poker titles.
Its HTML5 games are available for desktop and mobile play, loading instantly and running smoothly on nearly all modern devices. Currently, Betsoft offers an impressive collection of about 200 titles that can be played at some of the largest online casino websites. Betsoft is also one of the few developers that still supply gaming content to US-friendly casinos, which is certainly an advantage over many of its competitors.
Standard Rules in Betsoft Video Poker Games
Betsoft has created more than 20 versions of video poker, most of which are based on the classic Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild games. They follow the standard video poker rules, making them straightforward and easy for most casino patrons to play. The studio also offers several intriguing games called Pyramid Pokers. These games differ from regular video poker in their structure and payouts, so players should consider using a different strategy.
Rules and Gameplay
Paytables and RTP
Pyramid Poker
Rules and Gameplay
The rules are largely the same, whether you pick a single or multi-play video poker version by Betsoft. The game uses a standard 52-card deck that is shuffled before each round. The same rule applies to multi-hand video poker, where each hand is dealt from its own deck. Once players select their bet size (both the number and value of coins), they click the Deal button and receive 5 cards. They can hold any cards they wish to improve their chances of winning.
The aim is to form a winning poker hand: usually, a hand of Jacks or Better (a pair of Jacks) is the lowest-paying hand, while the top payout goes to a Royal Flush. This hand consists of a 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of the same suit. After players decide which cards to keep, they press the Deal button again, and a new set of cards is drawn from the deck, while all held cards remain in place.
The computer then determines whether a winning hand has been formed and pays out according to the paytable. Players can also collect or gamble their winnings with the Double Up feature, which can be triggered multiple times per round.
Paytables and RTP
Before wagering on real-money video poker, players should always review the paytable of each specific game. It contains the most important information, namely how poker hands are ranked and how much each hand pays. The most basic versions, such as Jacks or Better, typically pay from 1:1 for a pair of Jacks to 250:1 for a Royal Flush.
There are many other variations of video poker, and some offer higher payouts for certain combinations. Other games pay less for the same hands, which ultimately changes their expected return. The return, or Return to Player (RTP), is the percentage of the total bet players can expect to win back after playing a large number of rounds. If you play a game with an RTP of 99%, you should expect to get back $99 from every $100 bet. Of course, this is only a theoretical average, which could differ greatly during an actual gaming session, but the higher the RTP, the better the expectation.
Pyramid Poker
Betsoft offers a unique line of video poker variations called Pyramid Poker. They may look very different from the classic game, but after playing a few rounds you quickly realize they are based on the same rules and principles as regular Jacks or Better. In these games, players place bets in increments of 3 coins for every possible winning hand. Along with the full 5-card poker hand, there are two mini combinations formed by the right three cards and the left three cards, so players make three bets in each round.
For this reason, available wagers are 3, 6, 9, 12 or 15 coins. The bet size is displayed as 1, 1, 1 (for a 3-coin wager), 2, 2, 2 (for a 6-coin wager) and so on. As in standard video poker, players can also choose the size of each coin before the beginning of every round. The maximum payout is 4,200 coins if players form three winning combinations from the single 5-card hand they are dealt.
Video Poker Variations by Betsoft
Jacks or Better Multihand
Bonus Poker Deluxe Multihand
Tens or Better
Deuces & Jokers Poker
Split Way Royal
Jacks or Better Pyramid Poker
All American Progressive
Jacks or Better Multihand
This is the simplest video poker version by Betsoft, but due to its multi-hand nature, it is also one of the most exciting options. Players can activate up to 100 hands, which means their total bet increases with every hand they play. If they choose the 100-hand Jacks or Better and decide to bet the maximum 5 coins, they will be wagering 500 coins per round.
As you can see, adjusting the coin size is crucial in this type of game. Choosing the highest denomination ($0.50) would cost $250 per round, while sticking to the minimum of $0.01 would require betting only $5 each round. Another thing to point out is the reduced payouts for Four of a Kind and Straight Flush. Rather than paying 25 and 50 times the bet, the game offers 20:1 and 40:1 for these two hands. This results in an RTP of 98.25%, which is significantly lower than the regular return in most versions of Jacks or Better, 99.54%.
Bonus Poker Deluxe Multihand
Again, this is a multi-play version of video poker that allows betting on 5, 10, 25, 50 or 100 hands simultaneously. There are no wild cards in play, and each hand is drawn from a standard 52-card deck. The game includes the Fast Play and Double Up features that are common to all Betsoft video poker titles.
What sets this variation apart is its paytable and the higher payouts for a Straight Flush and Four of a Kind: 50 and 80 times the stake, respectively. The rest of the payouts also differ from the standard paytable, contributing to a very high RTP of 99.70%, which is among the highest in any type of game, not just video poker. Here is the full paytable for Betsoft’s Bonus Poker Deluxe Multihand based on 1-coin play:
- Royal Flush – 250:1
- Four of a Kind – 80:1
- Straight Flush – 50:1
- Full House – 10:1
- Flush – 5:1
- Straight – 4:1
- Three of a Kind – 3:1
- Two Pair – 1:1
- Jacks or Better – 1:1
Tens or Better
Tens or Better is a popular video poker game found in most land-based and online casinos. It is based on Jacks or Better, but the lowest paying hand is a pair of Tens, hence the name. Typically, this variation is not especially profitable for players because it does not pay well for most combinations. However, Betsoft’s version features an excellent paytable and a theoretical return of 99.14%.
- Royal Flush – 800:1
- Four of a Kind – 50:1
- Straight Flush – 25:1
- Full House – 6:1
- Flush – 5:1
- Straight – 4:1
- Three of a Kind – 3:1
- Two Pair – 2:1
- Tens or Better – 1:1
As you can see, this is a 6/5 game (based on the payouts for Full House and Flush), while standard Jacks or Better pays 9/6. The difference is offset by a much higher top prize. Rather than paying 250:1, the Royal Flush pays 800:1. The Tens or Better hand also favors players.
Deuces & Jokers Poker
This is a single-hand game, and it features not one but two types of wild cards: Deuces and Jokers. All Deuces (Twos) are wild, and a Joker is added as the 53rd card in the deck. Because of this, the game differs significantly from the classic version. Its paytable also differs, featuring several additional winning combinations. Payouts start with a Three of a Kind, and the RTP of the game is 99.07%.
- Five Wilds – 2,000:1
- Natural Royal Flush – 800:1
- Four Deuces – 25:1
- Wild Royal Flush – 12:1
- Five of a Kind – 9
- Straight Flush – 6:1
- Four of a Kind – 3:1
- Full House – 3:1
- Flush – 3:1
- Straight – 2:1
- Three of a Kind – 1:1
Split Way Royal
Split Way Royal is a rare video poker variation found in only a handful of online casinos, and Betsoft is one of just two developers to create a game using the concept of two types of Royal Flush. Along with the standard Royal Flush (10, J, Q, K, A of the same suit), the game pays the same amount for the so-called Low Royal Flush (2, 3, 4, 5, 6 of the same suit). Thanks to this unusual paytable, Split Way Royal offers the highest theoretical return of all Betsoft video poker variations at 99.80%.
- Low Royal Flush – 800:1
- High Royal Flush – 800:1
- Straight Flush – 50:1
- Four of a Kind – 40:1
- Full House – 6:1
- Flush – 5:1
- Straight – 4:1
- Three of a Kind – 3:1
- Two Pair – 2:1
- Jacks or Better – 1:1
Jacks or Better Pyramid Poker
This is the most basic Pyramid Poker version by Betsoft, and although it is similar to standard Jacks or Better, it features a different paytable and an expected return of around 83.73%. As explained above, players can form three different winning combinations with each 5-card hand they receive. Still, winning is not necessarily easier, as potential profits are quickly reduced by the higher number of coins wagered each round.
The odds, as well as the RTP, vary significantly depending on the number of coins wagered each round. Playing only the main 5-card hand may prove to be the best option. The game features three paytables for the three possible combinations in each round:
| Left 3 Cards | Payout | All 5 Cards | Payout | Right 3 Cards | Payout |
| Royal Flush (Q, K, A) | 100 | Royal Flush | 800 | Royal Flush (Q, K, A) | 50 |
| Straight Flush | 15 | Straight Flush | 50 | Straight Flush | 20 |
| Three of a Kind | 5 | Four of a Kind | 25 | Three of a Kind | 10 |
| Straight | 3 | Full House | 9 | Straight | 5 |
| Flush | 2 | Flush | 6 | Flush | 1 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | Straight | 4 | Jacks or Better | 1 |
| | Three of a Kind | 3 | | |
| | Two Pair | 2 | | |
| | Jacks or Better | 1 | | |
All American Progressive
In addition to its regular video poker and Pyramid Poker titles, Betsoft offers a progressive variation of All American. The game is available only for real-money play, so players must sign up at an online casino and make a deposit to access it. The best part is that no side bet is required to qualify for the progressive jackpot. To hit the big prize, players simply need to land a Royal Flush while betting the maximum 5 coins.
- Royal Flush – 250:1
- Straight Flush – 100:1
- Four of a Kind – 25:1
- Full House – 8:1
- Flush – 8:1
- Straight – 8:1
- Three of a Kind – 3:1
- Two Pair – 1:1
- Jacks or Better – 1:1
Jacks or Better Multihand at a Glance
| Jacks or Better Multihand |
| Wild Cards |
No |
| Bet Limit |
€0.05 – €2.50 per hand |
| Number of Hands |
up to 100 |
| Max Payout |
4,000 coins |
| Gamble Feature |
Yes |
| House Edge |
1.75% |
Bonus Poker Deluxe Multihand at a Glance
| Bonus Poker Deluxe Multihand |
| Wild Cards |
No |
| Bet Limit |
€0.05 – €2.50 per hand |
| Number of Hands |
up to 100 |
| Max Payout |
4,000 coins |
| Gamble Feature |
Yes |
| House Edge |
0.30% |
Tens or Better at a Glance
| Tens or Better |
| Wild Cards |
No |
| Bet Limit |
€0.02 – €25.00 per hand |
| Number of Hands |
1 |
| Max Payout |
800 to 1 for a single coin |
| Gamble Feature |
Yes |
| House Edge |
0.86% |
Deuces & Jokers Poker at a Glance
| Deuces & Jokers Poker |
| Wild Cards |
All Deuces plus Joker |
| Bet Limit |
€0.05 – €2.50 per hand |
| Number of Hands |
1 |
| Max Payout |
€20,000 |
| Gamble Feature |
Yes |
| House Edge |
0.83% |
Split Way Royal at a Glance
| Split Way Royal |
| Wild Cards |
No |
| Bet Limit |
€0.01 – €2.00 per hand |
| Number of Hands |
1 |
| Max Payout |
800 to 1 for a single coin |
| Gamble Feature |
Yes |
| House Edge |
0.20% |
Jacks or Better Pyramid at a Glance
| Jacks or Better Pyramid |
| Wild Cards |
No |
| Bet Limit |
€0.01 – €5 per hand |
| Number of Hands |
3 |
| Max Payout |
4,200 coins |
| Gamble Feature |
Yes |
| House Edge |
~16.27% |
All American Progressive at a Glance
| All American Progressive |
| Wild Cards |
No |
| Bet Limit |
€0.02 – €25 per hand |
| Number of Hands |
1 |
| Max Payout |
4,000 coins plus a progressive jackpot |
| Gamble Feature |
Yes |
| House Edge |
Varies according to the progressive jackpot |
