Video Poker Payout Schedule

Dear Jim,

Thanks to your column, I pay close attention to the video poker payout schedule. It took some looking, but I found full pay (9-6) machines most of the time. In my searching, I found many 9-6 machines that paid the same for two pairs as for one pair (one credit). Is this a new payout scheme or did I just not notice it before? Hal M.

Unfortunately, Hal, your question is scant of some vital information, most notably, the rest of the pay-table story.

When you find a full-pay Jacks or Better game machine that pays 9 coins for a full house, and 6 for a flush, you'll know you're in the fast lane with a return rate of approximately 99.5%, making it an excellent wager.

Keen video poker players understand the difference between full-pay and partial-pay machines. The full-payers shell out the maximum for each winning hand; the partials don't.

In your example, Hal, a standard Jacks or Better full-pay machine returns 9-for-1 on a Full House, and 6-for-1 for a Flush. But keep reading. If the machine pays only 8-for-1 on a Full House, it would be considered a partial-pay machine. Obviously, we both know which is the better play. But there's a slight aroma of equation-warpage behind your question, Hal. The full-versus-partial equation changes when the machine only pays 1-for-1 for two pairs. Odds-on, you were probably playing on some hybrid Bonus Poker machine, where the payoff bonus for Four-of-a-Kind is reduced to 1-for-1.

If the paytable looked anything like this:

• Royal flush 250-for-1
• Straight Flush 50-for-1
• four Aces 80-for-1
• four 2s, 3s or 4s 40-for-1
• four 5s through Kings 25-for-1
• Full House 9-for-1
• Flush 6-for-1
• Straight 4-for-1
• Three-of-a-Kind 3-for-1
• two Pair 1-for-1
• pair of Jacks or Better 1-for-1

Take a deep breath, you could be giving the house an extra 5-plus percent on your play. Reducing the return on two-Pair hands penalizes the player too far, even with the increased payoffs on Four-of-a Kinds. But again, Hal, without knowing the complete paytable, I cannot give you an unequivocal answer.

Meanwhile, keep looking for those Full Pay 9/6 machines where you are paid 2-for-1 for two Pair, and scoff at any machine whose paytable remotely resembles the one sketched out above.