Las Vegas has some of the best video poker pay tables in the world. Most are not found on the Las Vegas Strip. These games are mostly in the downtown and locals markets.
Five different Las Vegas video poker games return over 100 percent. This means when the player uses perfect strategy and wagers five coins, the game returns more than the bet, on average. However, none of these games theoretically win more than a few dollars an hour. Also, the payback is based on millions of hands. Short-term variance can cause losing sessions, even on positive games. Most video poker games that return over 100 percent do not pay slot points.
In 2023, Sam’s Town removed the last full-pay Deuces Wild machines in Las Vegas. That left full-pay Joker Poker as the best video poker game in the market based on the theoretical return.
Plaza Has the Best Las Vegas Video Poker
In 2015, Las Vegas Club closed and was replaced by Circa. Plaza owned the casino and moved about 35 coin-operated slot and video poker machines there from Las Vegas Club. Four of these machines were full-pay Joker Poker. With perfect play and five coins wagered, these machines returned 100.65%. However, perfect play for this game is nearly impossible for a human to learn.
In 2019, Plaza removed its remaining coin games. Having become known for this game, the casino brought four ticket-in/ticket-out machines with the same pay tables as the obsolete coin games. Over the years, three of the machines were removed. Only one machine remains. It is in a bank behind the sportsbook bar. It sticks out because the pay table is on the glass where the Game King design usually is. Plaza does not pay slot points on Joker Poker.
Full-pay Joker Poker is exclusive to Plaza. No other Las Vegas casino offers this pay table.
The same bank of machines has 99% and better video poker at $0.25, $0.50, $1, and $2 denominations. The options are 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe (99.64%), 9/6 Jacks or Better (99.54%), 8/5 Bonus Poker (99.17%), 9/7 Double Bonus (99.11%), and Deuces and Joker Poker (99.07%). These games are found at Omaha Bar, Sand Dollar Lounge, and Carousel Bar at $0.50, $1, $2, and $5 denominations. Sand Dollar Lounge and Carousel Bar are nonsmoking.
Four Queens
Staying downtown, Four Queens ties for the second-best Las Vegas video poker game. That is 10/7 Double Bonus Poker (100.17%). It is available in quarter and dollar denominations. Four Queens has several banks with 9/6 Jacks or Better. The denominations include $0.25, $0.50, and $1.
If you prefer bar video poker, 9/7 Double Bonus is the best game. It is on all bartops at $0.50 and $1 denominations. The next best game is 15/9 Deuces Wild (98.91%). It is offered in $0.25, $0.50, and $1 denominations.
California
California has the best nickel and dime video poker downtown. That is 16/10 Deuces Wild (99.73%). That game is sometimes referred to as Not-So-Ugly-Deuces. These games, found near the hotel front desk, also come in $0.25 and $0.50 denominations. Coin droppers have 9/6 Jacks or Better. Quarter ones are under the escalators that go up to the Main Street Station bridge. The dollar ones are between the hotel front desk and keno lounge.
El Cortez
All the best El Cortez video poker is on coin machines in the back room. These are odd games, like $1 Double Deuces Wild (99.62%), $0.25 11/7 Triple Bonus Poker (99.59%), $0.25 20/9 Bonus Deuces Wild, and $0.25 and $1 18/7/5 Joker Poker (99.29%).
If you choose Triple Bonus Poker, note two coin machines have this game. Only one has the 11/7 pay table. The other has a lower return.
Station Casinos
All Station Casinos with hotels, except Durango, have 100% video poker. This includes Boulder Station, Green Valley Ranch, Palace Station, Red Rock Resort, Santa Fe Station, and Sunset Station. These machines have quarter 10/7 Double Bonus, Loose Deuces (100.15%), and 10/6 Double Double Bonus (100.06%). Double Bonus and Double Double Bonus are also available in denominations of $0.50 and $1.
These casinos also have “Up to 99.8%” games in $0.25, $0.50, and $1 denominations. Triple Bonus Plus (99.8%), 16/10 Deuces Wild, 9/5 Super Double Bonus (99.69%), 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe, and Aces and Faces Double Double Bonus (99.46%) are among the full-pay games available. The denominations are quarter, half-dollar, and dollar.
Santa Fe Station and Sunset Station have nickel Triple Deuces Wild (99.92%). This game left the other Station Casinos over the years.
Sam’s Town and Other Boyd Gaming Casinos
Sam’s Town is a Boyd Gaming casino on Boulder Highway. It has the Triple Deuces Wild described above. It also has quarter 9/7 Double Bonus with a progressive royal flush that resets to $1500, as opposed to the normal $1000. The game returns just over 100% before accounting for the amount in the meter over $1500.
All Las Vegas Boyd Gaming locals casinos except Jokers Wild have “Up to 99.8%” machines. Most have the same selection as Station Casinos in the previous section. The Orleans has a limited selection. However, The Orleans has $1, $2, and $5 Jacks or Better at all bars. Main Street Station has nickel, dime, and quarter 9/6 Jacks or Better.
M Resort
M Resort has the “Up to 99.8%” machines mentioned earlier. Denominations are $0.25, $0.50, and $1.
South Point
South Point has the largest selection of 99% and better video poker in Las Vegas. While none return over 100%, there are hundreds of video poker machines, including at bars, with games like 16/10 Deuces Wild, 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe, 9/6 Jacks or Better, and many others.
Emerald Island
Emerald Island in downtown Henderson has the best nickel video poker game in Las Vegas. It is 10/7 Double Bonus with a progressive. Emerald Island also has the highest pay tables for multi-hand video poker. The Triple, Five, and Ten Play machines have 40/10/6 Double Bonus (99.96%), 16/10 Deuces Wild, 8/5 Super Double Double Bonus, 9/7 Triple Bonus (99.58%), 9/6 Jacks or Better, and more games above 99%. The denominations are $0.01, $0.02, and $0.05. It only takes five coins to get the full 800/1 royal flush payout. However, you can bet up to 30 coins, making the nickel max out at $1.50 per line.
Emerald Island also has great video poker variant pay tables. Options include Spin Poker, Split Card, and Ultimate X.
Rainbow Club
Rainbow Club is also in downtown Henderson. It has the same owner as Emerald Island. Rainbow Club has the same games mentioned in the Emerald Island section except 10/7 Double Bonus. It also offers 9/6 Jacks or Better at the bar in $0.25, $0.50, and $1 denominations.
Best Las Vegas High Limit Video Poker
Caesars Palace has the best video poker at $25, $50, and $100 denominations. That is 9/7 Triple Bonus Poker. It also has 9/6 Jacks or Better. Cosmopolitan, MGM Grand, Wynn, Encore, Venetian, and Palazzo also have 9/6 Jacks at high denominations.
