Video Poker Variants

Video poker is not a single game; it is a category of machine-based card games that share the same core format but differ in structure. This page explains the structural differences between all major video poker variants: their deck configuration, wild card rules, minimum qualifying hand, and key paytable differences from the standard Jacks or Better baseline. No variant is recommended over another; the sections below describe how each one is built, not which to play. 

Free video poker is available with no deposit or registration required. Demo mode is a useful way to observe how variant rules and paytable structures work in practice; the paytable and variant name are always visible during play. 

All video poker variants share the same core format: five cards are dealt from a virtual deck, the player selects which cards to hold, replacement cards are drawn, and the final hand is evaluated against a fixed paytable. The differences between variants fall across four structural axes. 

The first is deck configuration: most variants use a standard 52-card deck, while Joker Poker uses a 53-card deck with one Joker added. The second is wild card rules: some variants have no wild cards (Jacks or Better, Double Bonus), some use specific cards as wilds (Deuces Wild uses all four 2s), and some add a single wild (Joker Poker). The third is the minimum qualifying hand, which varies depending on wild card presence. The fourth is paytable structure: which hands pay more, which pay less, and how the Four of a Kind row is segmented. 

Paytable variants such as Double Bonus Poker and Aces and Faces use the same deck and rules as Jacks or Better but modify specific payout rows; other rows are adjusted to offset the enhanced payouts. Wild card variants such as Deuces Wild and Joker Poker use cards that can substitute for any other card, which changes the frequency of certain hands and therefore requires a different minimum qualifying hand and a differently structured paytable. Format variants such as Multi-Hand Video Poker keep the same rules as the underlying variant but change how many hands are played simultaneously. 

For a full explanation of the core deal-hold-draw mechanics, see how to play video poker. For a category-level overview, see the video poker hub. For payout structure and hand probability reference, see video poker odds and payouts. 

The table below provides a single-view structural reference across all major video poker variants. It is a descriptive reference only; no column indicates which variant is recommended or preferable. For a full breakdown of hand rankings across variants, see video poker hand rankings. 

Note: paytable configurations vary by platform and game provider. The descriptions above represent standard configurations for each variant. 

Jacks or Better is the foundational video poker variant. Its rules and paytable structure serve as the reference point for all other variants described on this page. A standard 52-card deck is used, shuffled virtually before each hand. There are no wild cards; every hand is formed from the cards dealt and drawn. 

The minimum qualifying hand is a pair of Jacks, Queens, Kings, or Aces. A pair of tens or lower returns nothing. Paytable configurations are most commonly identified by the Full House and Flush multipliers: a 9/6 configuration pays 9 times for a Full House and 6 times for a Flush; an 8/5 version pays 8 times and 5 times for the same hands. Both are standard; neither is an error nor a promotional variant. For the full Jacks or Better structural breakdown, see Jacks or Better. 

Deuces Wild uses a standard 52-card deck with all four 2s acting as wild cards. Because wild cards significantly increase the frequency of straights, flushes, and four-of-a-kind hands, the minimum qualifying hand is raised to Three of a Kind. Pairs (including the Jacks or Better pair that qualifies in the standard variant) return nothing in Deuces Wild. 

The Royal Flush is divided into two separately valued hands: a Natural Royal Flush, formed without any wild cards, pays at a higher multiplier than a Wild Royal Flush, formed with one or more deuces substituted. The split reflects the different frequencies at which the two forms occur. For the full Deuces Wild structural breakdown, see Deuces Wild. 

Double Bonus Poker uses the same baseline rules as Jacks or Better: standard 52-card deck, no wild cards, and the same minimum qualifying hand. The paytable is modified to offer higher multipliers for specific Four of a Kind hands: four Aces pay at a premium rate, and four 2s, 3s, or 4s pay at a secondary elevated rate. 

To offset these enhanced payouts, other rows in the paytable (typically Full House, Flush, and Two Pair) are reduced compared to a standard Jacks or Better paytable. Understanding both the enhanced rows and the rows that are reduced to compensate gives an accurate picture of the full paytable structure. 

Double Double Bonus Poker builds on the Double Bonus structure. The same 52-card deck is used, there are no wild cards, and the minimum qualifying hand is the same as Jacks or Better. The key structural difference from Double Bonus is the addition of a kicker-specific Four of a Kind payout: four Aces accompanied by a 2, 3, or 4 as the fifth card pays at a premium rate above the standard four Aces payout. 

This additional payout tier requires further adjustments to other paytable rows; the offset applies across more hand categories than in standard Double Bonus Poker. As with all bonus variants, both the enhanced rows and the rows reduced to compensate are part of the full paytable structure. 

Joker Poker is the only standard video poker variant that uses a 53-card deck. One Joker is added to the standard 52-card deck and acts as a wild card, substituting for any other card. Because the Joker can complete hands that would not otherwise qualify, certain hand types become more achievable. The minimum qualifying hand is therefore raised to either Kings or Better or Two Pair, depending on the specific configuration encountered. 

Like Deuces Wild, the Royal Flush is divided into Natural Royal Flush and Wild Royal Flush. The Natural version pays at a higher multiplier because it is rarer; it requires the five specific cards with no wild substitution. The Joker changes hand frequency throughout the deck, and all paytable multipliers are adjusted to reflect the altered distribution. 

Aces and Faces uses the same baseline as Jacks or Better: standard 52-card deck, no wild cards, and the same minimum qualifying hand. The paytable modification focuses on the Four of a Kind row: four Aces and four face cards (Jacks, Queens, or Kings) each pay at elevated multipliers compared to a standard Jacks or Better paytable. 

Other paytable rows (typically Full House and Flush) are adjusted downward to offset the enhanced Four of a Kind payouts. As with Double Bonus and Double Double Bonus, the full paytable context includes both the enhanced rows and the rows that are reduced to compensate. 

Multi-Hand Video Poker is a format variant; it changes how many hands are played at once, not the underlying rules or paytable structure of the base variant. The player is dealt one initial five-card hand and selects which cards to hold. Those held cards are replicated across all active hands. 

Each hand then draws its replacement cards independently from its own shuffled deck. This means different hands can complete different final hands even from the same held cards. The paytable, minimum qualifying hand, and wild card rules are determined by the base variant selected; Multi-Hand Deuces Wild uses Deuces Wild rules and Multi-Hand Jacks or Better uses Jacks or Better rules. Each hand resolves independently; the number of simultaneous hands does not change the probability of any individual hand. 

The following variants are less commonly encountered than those described above but follow the same structural principles. No variant is evaluated or recommended.

Tens or Better

Tens or Better uses a standard 52-card deck with no wild cards.

The minimum qualifying hand is a pair of tens: lower than the Jacks or Better threshold.

The paytable is adjusted to reflect the lower minimum qualifying hand: other row payouts are typically lower than Jacks or Better to account for the reduced qualifying threshold.

Bonus Poker

Bonus Poker uses a standard 52-card deck with no wild cards. The minimum qualifying hand is a pair of Jacks: the same as Jacks or Better. It adds a modest enhanced payout for Four Aces compared to standard Jacks or Better; other paytable rows, typically Two Pair, are slightly reduced to offset.  

Bonus Poker sits between standard Jacks or Better and Double Bonus Poker in how much it enhances the Four of a Kind payout. 

Pick'em Poker

Pick'em Poker differs structurally from standard video poker. Two cards are dealt face-up, and two groups of additional cards are available face-down. The player selects one group to complete their hand. The final hand consists of the two dealt cards plus the three cards from the chosen group. There is no hold/discard phase in the standard sense; the decision is which group of cards to select, not which individual cards to keep. A standard 52-card deck is used; paytable structure varies by configuration.