Video poker generally comes in two different types. The first is known as Five Card Draw, which is fairly common, and is based on the live version of poker that most people know and love. The second variation of the game comes in the form of Jacks or Better, which is extremely popular, and the original type of video poker that first hit the market.

One well-known variation is Deuces Wild, where the 2 serves as a wild card. Some other variations that you may come across include Joker’s Wild, Bonus Poker, Double Bonus Poker, Deuces Wild, among others.

Video poker machines also different depending on the payout schedule that is assigned to that game, very similar to the pay tables one would find with real slots NZ. Some may offer higher payout percentages than others, with the ones offering the highest payout known as a full pay game.  It’s advised to spend some time searching through different schedules to find one that looks the most promising – and it’s also important to note that all percentage payouts found on these schedules are always theoretical.

Payback percentages

Almost all machines will offer their highest payback percentage only if the maximum number of credit bet per round. In order to maintain this theoretical payout in the long-run, you will need to play each game to perfection – playing sub-optimally will see lower percentage payouts – although maintaining perfect rounds is next to impossible.

Jacks or Better

Perhaps the most entertaining and common type of video poker on the market right now, the aim of the game for the player is to have at least a pair of jacks in their final five-card hand by the time the game comes to the end.

There are other variations of Jacks or Better, which are usually determined by their different payouts for both full houses and flushes. The different payouts are denoted by a 2 prefix before each name, which is the best way to quickly find the value of a hand while checking out a game’s specific pay schedule.

Deuces Wild

This variation of the game has all the wilds with a prefix of 2, and many Deuce Wild machines will offer schedules that theoretically offer a return of over 100 per cent, but only under certain conditions – and these types of games are also extremely difficult to find.

Double Bonus

This is a straight variation of Jacks or Better that offers a bonus pay-out for four aces. It can offer a theoretical return of 100.2%.

Like Deuces Wild, finding a machine that offers over 100% payout is next to impossible, and it can take endless hours of searching to find the right one.

Double Double Bonus

This is another variation of Jacks or Better, which can offer bonus pay-outs for different four-of-a-kindhands. Many full pay versions of this game will offer payouts of over 100%, making it a great investment. These have become more popular in recent years, especially among those looking for higher payout percentages.