Video Poker NZ 2026

Video poker is a solo casino game based on 5-card draw poker. You are dealt 5 cards, choose which to hold, draw replacements for the discarded cards, and receive a payout based on the final 5-card hand according to a paytable. There is no dealer hand to beat — you are paid for the quality of your own hand. Video poker has the highest RTP of any slot-like game at NZ casinos: Jacks or Better full-pay pays back 99.54% with perfect strategy.

Jacks or Better (full-pay, 9/6 paytable) is the best starting video poker game: 99.54% RTP with optimal strategy, simple rules (minimum qualifying hand: Jacks), widely available. Deuces Wild (full-pay) has a theoretical 100.76% RTP but requires near-perfect strategy and the full-pay version is rare. For higher variance with large payouts: Double Double Bonus Poker (98.98%) or Triple Double Bonus (98.15%) — four Aces with specific kickers pay 400–800×.

The numbers refer to payouts for Full House and Flush: "9/6" means Full House pays 9× and Flush pays 6× your bet. This is the "full pay" version with 99.54% RTP. "8/5" paytable (Full House 8×, Flush 5×) has RTP of 97.3%. "7/5" is 96.2%. Always look for 9/6 before playing Jacks or Better — the difference between 9/6 and 8/5 is 2.24% in house edge, which is significant over a session.

Yes — strategy cards are legal and encouraged in video poker. The optimal strategy specifies exactly which cards to hold for every possible 5-card combination to maximise expected value. With a perfect strategy card, JoB achieves 99.54% RTP. Without one (guessing), most players achieve 95–97%. Strategy cards are freely available online and can be kept open beside the game at any NZ online casino. There is no penalty for using one.

Check the paytable before playing any video poker game. For Jacks or Better: look for Full House = 9 coins, Flush = 6 coins (per coin bet). Many online casinos offer 8/5 or 7/5 paytables rather than 9/6 — always check. At NZ online casinos, Microgaming, NetEnt and Play'n GO video poker titles are most common. The specific paytable is visible in the game's paytable screen. Ice Casino, BitStarz and V.Vegas carry video poker selections.

Video poker: skill element (card-holding decisions affect RTP), RTP 97–99.5% with strategy, fixed paytable (you know the exact RTP), no random bonus features, no progressive jackpots (usually). Slot machines: no skill element (RTP fixed regardless of decisions), RTP 94–96% (lower than video poker), random bonus features, jackpots possible. Video poker gives more control over the outcome and consistently higher RTP than comparable slot stakes.

Yes. All NZ online casino video poker games are HTML5-compatible and work on iPhone and Android. The card-holding interface is touch-friendly — tap cards to hold/unhold. Video poker is one of the most data-efficient casino games (no video streams, minimal animation), making it ideal for mobile play on limited data plans. Available at Ice Casino, V.Vegas, FastPay Casino and BitStarz on mobile.