This free video poker game runs in your browser with play money, so there is nothing to download and no cash is at stake. Play it like any video poker machine: bet one to five coins, deal, choose the cards to hold and draw. Edit Paytable changes the pays to match the machine you want to practice, and More Games switches to other video poker games. For practice with strategy warnings, use the single-hand video poker game.
How to play video poker online for free
Most video poker games use a standard 52-card deck. You play 1 to 5 coins, press deal, and receive five cards. Choose which cards to hold and which to discard, then draw. The game replaces the discards with cards from the remaining deck and pays according to the poker value of your hand and the posted pay table. The credits here are play money.
Edit Paytable sits above the game and lets you change the pay table. The buttons under the cards include Help, More Games, Speed, Stats, Bet One and Bet Max. Autoplay can stop on any win worth a set number of credits or more, when your balance increases or decreases by a set number of credits or more, or after a set number of hands.
Video poker hands and the pay table
Every hand is judged as a five-card poker hand, and the pay table lists what each hand pays. Pay tables differ from game to game, which is why this game includes the Edit Paytable control: enter the pays of the game you want to practice, then play it. The game opens on 9/6 Jacks or Better, named after its full house and flush pays of 9 and 6 per coin.
| Hand | Pays per coin |
|---|---|
| Royal flush | 250 (800 with five coins bet) |
| Straight flush | 50 |
| Four of a kind | 25 |
| Full house | 9 |
| Flush | 6 |
| Straight | 4 |
| Three of a kind | 3 |
| Two pair | 2 |
| Jacks or better | 1 |
The video poker basics page links to return tables for many games and to cheat sheets with the pay tables and returns of major games.
Why the pay table matters
Two games with similar names can return different amounts. These returns come from the site's strategy pages, for the strategy listed with each game:
- 9/6 Jacks or Better: 99.54% with optimal strategy
- 9/5 Jacks or Better: 98.44%
- 8/6 Jacks or Better: 98.39%
- Full-Pay Deuces Wild: 100.76% with optimal strategy
- 10/7 Double Bonus: 100.17%
Some pay tables, which are slightly in the machine's favor, can return over 100% once incentives such as cash back, free play, mailers and other comps are counted. The video poker analyzer calculates the return for a pay table you enter.
Video poker strategy and practice
This game does not flag mistakes. To use a video poker trainer, open the single-hand game or one of the classic games listed below, which have a strategy warning or advice option. Cards are chosen at random, and a royal flush can come along at any time with equal probability. A machine is never overdue.
For a written guide, the site publishes a 9/6 Jacks or Better optimal strategy (99.54%). It also lists a simple strategy (99.46%) and an intermediate strategy (99.52%) for the same game.
Playing video poker online for real money
Play money has no cash value, and nothing you collect in this game can be withdrawn. Real-money video poker is a different product. Online casino offers come with terms worth reading closely, including wagering requirements that can differ by game. Video poker may be restricted or treated differently from other games when a bonus is cleared, so check the terms before accepting anything. The site's page on bonus expected values in video poker shows how to estimate the chance of completing a play requirement.
Classic video poker games
These older single-game versions are still available, each with a strategy warning or advice option.
- Full-Pay Deuces Wild
- Double Bonus Poker
- Double Double Bonus Poker
- Jacks or Better
- Joker Poker
- 'Not So Ugly Ducks' (NSUD) Deuces Wild
About this game
Game programming by JB. Playing card images by Dingo Systems. If you get a Royal Flush, the game shows a secret word. Use it to enter the Royal Flush Club, or read about the Royal Flush Club first.
Free Video Poker Online FAQ
Yes. The game uses play money, runs in your browser and needs no download. You never put in cash, and the credits have no cash value. You can edit the pay table, switch games and play as many hands as you like.
No. The game is for practice and fun, and the credits cannot be withdrawn or exchanged for money. Real-money video poker is played elsewhere, and any offer there comes with terms and wagering requirements that are worth reading before you play.
The numbers are the pays per coin for a full house and a flush, 9 and 6. Other versions pay less on those hands and return less. The site lists 9/6 at 99.54% with optimal strategy, 9/5 at 98.44% and 8/6 at 98.39%.
Among the games on the site's strategy pages, Full-Pay Deuces Wild has the highest return at 100.76% with optimal strategy. The 10/7 Double Bonus game is listed at 100.17%, and 9/6 Jacks or Better at 99.54%. Returns depend on the pay table and on correct play.
Not in current browsers. Its Warnings and AutoHold modes relied on Java, which browsers no longer run. For practice with feedback, the single-hand video poker game and the classic games linked on this page have a strategy warning or advice option.