Video poker sits in a curious spot within the Australian gambling landscape. It is not as visible as the pokies that dominate pubs and clubs, nor as celebrated as the table games found in premium casino rooms. Yet for players who value strategy over pure chance, video poker offers something rare: a game where decisions genuinely influence outcomes. Return-to-player rates on well-played video poker can reach 99.5 per cent or higher, compared with roughly 85 to 92 per cent on typical Australian poker machines. That gap is not marketing spin; it is mathematics. For more details, visit SCR55 australia.
This guide breaks down the main variants you will encounter, how each one plays, and where the smart money tends to sit.
The Core Variants Worth Knowing
Jacks or Better is the foundation stone of video poker. A pair of jacks, queens, kings or aces pays even money, and the full pay version returns 99.54 per cent with perfect strategy. Most Australian venues offering video poker start here, and it remains the best training ground for newcomers because the strategy chart is relatively compact.
Deuces Wild removes all four twos from the paying ranks and turns them into wild cards. This dramatically increases the frequency of big hands, but it also means the pay table must be scrutinised carefully. A full pay Deuces Wild machine returns 100.76 per cent, yet reduced-pay versions can drop below 97 per cent. The difference between a good and a mediocre Deuces Wild machine is often a single credit on the flush payout.
Bonus Poker tweaks the Jacks or Better pay table to reward four-of-a-kind hands more generously, with four aces paying 80 credits on a five-credit bet instead of the standard 25. The trade-off is a slightly lower two-pair payout on some versions. Bonus Poker Deluxe pushes further, paying 80 credits for any four-of-a-kind but reducing the two-pair return to even money.
Double Double Bonus is the volatile cousin. Four aces with a low kicker pays a massive 400 credits, and four twos, threes or fours with a kicker pays 160. The catch is that two pair pays only even money, and the variance is brutal. Bankroll swings of several hundred dollars in a session are entirely normal.
Pay Tables, Strategy and Where to Play
Every video poker variant lives or dies by its pay table. The golden rule for Australian players is simple: never play a machine without checking the full-pay schedule first. A Jacks or Better machine paying 9 credits for a full house and 6 for a flush (known as 9/6) returns 99.54 per cent. Drop to 8/5 and that figure falls to 97.30 per cent. Drop to 7/5 and you are looking at 96.15 per cent. Over a thousand hands, that difference compounds into serious money.
Strategy charts exist for every variant, and memorising them is the single highest-value activity a player can undertake. For Jacks or Better, the optimal strategy involves roughly 36 distinct decision rules. For Deuces Wild, it climbs past 50. Software and mobile apps make drilling these decisions straightforward, and most players can reach near-perfect play within a few weeks of consistent practice.
In terms of where to play, land-based options in Australia are limited but growing. Crown properties in Melbourne and Perth, along with The Star in Sydney and Brisbane, offer video poker terminals, though pay tables vary. Online, the selection is broader. This platform carries a solid range of video poker titles with transparent pay tables, which matters enormously when you are chasing that 99 per cent-plus return.
| Variant | Full Pay RTP | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Jacks or Better | 99.54% | Pair of jacks pays |
| Deuces Wild | 100.76% | All twos wild |
| Bonus Poker | 99.17% | Boosted four-of-a-kind |
| Double Double Bonus | 98.98% | Kicker bonuses, high variance |
The takeaway for Australian players is straightforward. Learn one variant thoroughly before moving to another, always verify the pay table, and treat video poker as a skill game that happens to involve cards. The edge belongs to the patient.
