Video poker is one of the few types of casino games that allow players to generate sustainable, often significant profits by simply avoiding errors and implementing a good money management plan. Allocating a gambling budget and sticking to it, however, is not always easy, and even seasoned gamblers sometimes find themselves betting more than they intended to.
Even worse, some casino players may end up losing their entire bankrolls by choosing the wrong game or trying to recoup their losses. This is why money management is fundamental to every successful gambling strategy: with proper preparation and a solid plan in place, players can dramatically reduce their losses and increase their chances of winning at video poker in the long term.
Importance of Money Management in Video Poker
Unlike most casino games, video poker does not rely solely on chance but also involves skill. Players should understand, however, that even with perfect strategy the game is still governed by probabilities, so winning every round is impossible. Video poker is played with a single 52-card deck, and players receive an initial five-card hand, then decide which cards to keep and which to replace. The round is resolved on the second draw when all discarded cards are substituted with new ones.
As you can see, the odds for the initial hand are fixed, but they change drastically depending on the player’s decisions. For example, players who hold an Ace, Queen, Jack, and Ten of hearts and need just one more card for a Royal Flush face odds of 47 to 1. If they hold a Three of a Kind (three Sevens, for instance), the odds of turning this hand into a Full House are 16 to 1. Clearly, even the best strategy cannot guarantee success because the outcome still depends on chance.
Even when we play a video poker variation with positive expectation (yes, some versions of this game have a theoretical RTP above 100%), we will still lose some hands. Small losses can accumulate and lead to financial ruin unless players adjust their stakes properly in line with their total bankroll. Two main factors determine a player’s chances of winning in video poker: the house edge and the game’s variance.
House Edge in Video Poker vs Other Games
Volatility in Video Poker
Is Gambling For You?
House Edge in Video Poker vs Other Games
The house edge and the expected return (return to player, or RTP) are fundamental gambling concepts that indicate how profitable a particular game is. The house edge represents the percentage of wagers the casino keeps over time, while the RTP shows how much money players can expect to receive back for every $100 they bet. As you can see, they are two sides of the same coin: a standard Jacks or Better game has a house edge of 0.46%, so its RTP is 99.54%, meaning players should get back $99.54 for every $100 wagered.
For comparison, online slots offer RTP values of roughly 97%–98%, whereas land-based slot machines usually return around 95% or even less. Single-zero roulette, also called European roulette, offers an RTP of 97.30%, and American roulette, which uses a double-zero wheel, returns 94.74%. The RTP in craps varies depending on the type of bet, but for the most basic wagers it hovers around 98.60%. Blackjack can reach 99.50%, although most players find it difficult to stick to basic strategy, which increases the casino’s advantage.
Several video poker variations offer a theoretical return above 100%, which means that, in the long term, these games are expected to be profitable. Players should understand, however, that these percentages are based on perfect play and represent an average rather than an immediate outcome. Achieving them would require playing millions of rounds. Here are some versions of video poker that are more profitable than you might expect, at least theoretically:
- Full-pay Joker Wild: 101.0%
- Full-pay Deuces Wild: 100.76%
- 10 / 7 / 5 Double Bonus: 100.17%
- 10 / 6 Double Double Bonus: 100.07%
Volatility in Video Poker
As we have shown above, the outcome of a video poker game still depends heavily on chance, so there will be short-term fluctuations in both results and bankroll. These swings are determined by the game’s variance, or volatility. The higher the volatility, the larger these fluctuations will be. Volatility is influenced by the paytable and the hit frequency of the game, both of which are fixed and cannot be altered by the player.
The classic Jacks or Better video poker is considered low-volatility, meaning it delivers relatively stable wins over time. Deuces Wild, by contrast, is highly volatile, and players can expect to win smaller amounts at far less regular intervals. They will likely play thousands of rounds before hitting Four Deuces or a Natural Royal Flush, the two top-paying hands in this variation. Games with progressive jackpots are even more volatile. Progressive slots, for instance, have particularly high volatility, and although they may offer a huge jackpot, most casino patrons could play their entire lives without ever hitting it.
Is Gambling For You?
Skill-based casino games such as blackjack or video poker are especially popular among advantage players and people who gamble for a living. However, most players are casual, and for them gambling is purely entertainment. They do not need complex bankroll management techniques; sticking to the basics is enough, otherwise they may become bored by the calculations and careful planning required.
There is another group of players who aim to turn a profit at the casino without relying on gambling for their livelihood. They understand that all gambling involves risk and that video poker is no exception. Moreover, they have a risk tolerance, and their bankroll is large enough to absorb the inevitable losing streaks that occur in video poker. With proper money management, they can minimize losses and preserve their bankroll over the long term.
Setting up a Video Poker Bankroll
A common mistake among casino players is wagering every cent they have, and it is easy to see how this can lead to financial ruin. An equally poor decision, however, is to bring too little money to the casino and lose it within an hour. That is why players should establish a proper bankroll to support their gaming sessions.
A bankroll is a fixed amount of money set aside exclusively for gambling. It must be separate from a player’s main bank account and day-to-day living funds. Whether the amount is $100, $1,000, or $10,000, it should be reserved solely for playing video poker.
Long-Term Bankroll
Session Bankroll
Royal Flush to Bankroll Ratio
Betting Units
Long-Term Bankroll
One method of structuring a gambling budget is to create a long-term bankroll. This fund should be large enough to cover at least three or four casino visits. Such an approach is suitable for regular video poker players who can afford to allocate a substantial sum for gambling. When playing online video poker, the bankroll may need to cover a dozen sessions or more.
Establishing a long-term bankroll is not easy, especially for novices. They may be better off starting with a session bankroll and gradually building it up, a process that could take weeks or even months.
Session Bankroll
Most players prefer to set up a session bankroll because it involves a smaller amount of money. There are several ways to calculate this figure, but, most importantly, it must be an amount the player is comfortable risking. In practical terms, players should be prepared to lose the entire session bankroll, because that outcome is always possible. Therefore, the session bankroll should be sized so that, even if it is lost, it will not significantly affect the overall gaming experience or the long-term bankroll.
Royal Flush to Bankroll Ratio
Many video poker players calculate the size of a long-term bankroll as a multiple of the Royal Flush payout in the game they play. Specifically, the bankroll should equal three or four times the five-coin payout for this hand, taking coin size into account.
Suppose we bet five coins at a $0.10 denomination. In a standard Jacks or Better game, a Royal Flush pays 4,000 coins, or $400. Accordingly, the long-term bankroll should be three or four times that amount, which is between $1,200 and $1,600. Because the bet size is $0.50 per round, dividing the bankroll into ten session bankrolls would give us ten smaller bankrolls of roughly $140 each.
Betting Units
Another way to monitor your gambling budget and determine an appropriate session bankroll is to use betting units. The base betting unit is the smallest amount you plan to wager per round. You can always raise the stakes later, but this is the minimum bet placed at the start of play. In the previous example, the base unit is $0.50, derived from wagering five coins at $0.10 each.
Most players prefer a session bankroll that is at least 50 times the base unit. In this case, they would feel comfortable beginning the session with at least $25, although a $50 budget is even better. The larger the bankroll, the more resistant it is to financial swings. Therefore, holding $140 or more—280 betting units—is an even safer tactic, ensuring that you can play at least 280 rounds even if you encounter significant losses.
Additional Bankroll Management Tips
A solid money management plan not only helps players control their casino spending but also aims to improve their chances of winning and, when possible, to reduce potential losses. Countless tips can help gamblers stay on top of their finances. For example, they should avoid using their everyday credit cards for casino deposits, because having a nearly unlimited source of funds readily available is never wise when gambling.
Regarding video poker bankroll management specifically, players should concentrate on a few key points: seek out full-pay variations, learn the optimal strategy for the chosen game, and slow down their betting pace.
Go for Full-Pay Games
Stick to Optimal Strategy
Slow Down the Game
Take Advantage of Casino Bonuses
Go for Full-Pay Games
Video poker generally offers higher payback percentages than most casino games, but some variations pay significantly less than others. When we open several online versions of video poker, it is easy to see that the payouts for certain hands vary slightly. Even small deviations from the standard paytable reduce the return percentage, which is why players should always choose the so-called full-pay versions.
Spotting full-pay games is simple when examining paytables: check the payouts for a Full House and a Flush. In a standard Jacks or Better game, these hands pay 9 to 1 and 6 to 1, respectively, which is why full-pay games are known as 9/6 games. By contrast, some versions pay 8 and 5 coins or even less for the same hands. The RTP of an 8/5 Jacks or Better is only 97.30%, whereas the full-pay version returns 99.54%.
Stick to Optimal Strategy
The only way players can achieve returns close to a game’s theoretical payback percentage is by applying the optimal strategy. Each video poker variation requires a specific strategy made up of decisions for every hand dealt. Games with wild cards, such as Deuces Wild, or with bonus payouts for certain hands, require even more complex strategies.
Slow Down the Game
Some players believe that by playing video poker at a rapid pace they can reach the average return more quickly and finish with a profit. While this is theoretically possible, we must remember that the RTP figures shown in games are averages calculated over thousands or even millions of plays. No player can realistically complete that many rounds; such numbers are attainable only in computer simulations.
In real play, variance will dominate, disrupting the mathematical averages to which video poker enthusiasts often refer. One player might finish a session $50 ahead, while another could end $30 down. By slowing the pace, players have more time to make optimal decisions on each hand, the only practical way to influence the game’s outcome.
Take Advantage of Casino Bonuses
Finally, online video poker players can boost their bankrolls with casino bonuses. Most online casinos offer promotions to both new and existing customers, including cash bonuses, free chips, cashback, deposit matches, and more. Before claiming any bonus, however, be sure you can meet all associated terms and conditions.
For example, deposit bonuses (and most other bonuses) must be wagered a certain number of times before winnings become withdrawable. A $20 bonus with a 30-times wagering requirement would require at least $600 in bets ($20×30) before cash-out. Additionally, many casinos limit bonus play to slots, meaning wagers on video poker might not count toward the requirement at all.
