Video Poker in 2026: Which Pay Tables Pay Best, and How Jacks or Better Differs from Deuces Wild

In video poker, the pay table is not a cosmetic detail—it is the game. Two machines can look identical, accept the same stake, and still have very different long-term value because the payouts for just two hands (usually the full house and flush) shift the return by whole percentage points. This guide focuses on the two most common families players compare: Jacks or Better (JoB) and Deuces Wild, and it explains which pay tables are considered the most favourable in 2026 and why the strategies are not interchangeable.

How to read a pay table and spot “full-pay” Jacks or Better

When someone says “9/6 Jacks or Better”, they are describing two specific payouts on a one-coin basis: 9 for a full house and 6 for a flush. Those two numbers are the quickest shortcut for identifying whether a JoB game is close to the best version, because many casinos reduce one or both to create a “short-pay” schedule while keeping the rest of the table similar.

In 2026, the benchmark “full-pay” JoB pay table is still 9/6, which is widely cited as returning 99.54% with perfect play. Common lower schedules include 8/6 (often listed around 98.39%), 9/5 (around 98.4–98.45% depending on the source), and 8/5 (around 97.30%). Those differences may look small on paper, but they are the difference between a game that is relatively efficient for entertainment value and one that is simply expensive over time.

A quick practical check: if you see a JoB game where the full house is 9 but the flush is 5, or where the full house is 8, you are not looking at the top schedule. In physical venues, the pay table is usually visible before you insert money; in many online clients, it sits behind an “Info”, “Rules”, or “Pay Table” button—worth opening every time because the game name alone does not guarantee the same payouts.

Why JoB’s best tables reward “boring” strategy and lower volatility

Jacks or Better is comparatively straightforward: there are no wild cards, and you need at least a pair of jacks to get paid on the lowest qualifying hand. That structure means a large part of your return comes from ordinary made hands (pairs, two pairs, three of a kind, straights, flushes) rather than rare bonus events. As a result, JoB usually feels steadier session-to-session than many Deuces Wild variants.

On 9/6 JoB, correct play often looks conservative: you keep high pairs, protect made hands, and follow a disciplined priority order for draws. The pay table matters because optimal decisions assume those exact rewards—change the full house or flush payout and you may change the best hold on borderline hands. This is one reason copying a generic “video poker strategy chart” without matching it to the pay table can quietly cost you money.

JoB also tends to have less extreme swings than games that inflate premium hands. That does not mean it is “safe”—no house game is—but it does mean a sensible bankroll lasts longer for the same stake size. If your goal is to minimise volatility while keeping the return relatively high for a casino game, 9/6 JoB is still the reference point in 2026.

Deuces Wild pay tables: the best schedules and what the numbers actually mean

Deuces Wild changes the deck by turning all four twos into wild cards, which dramatically increases the frequency of strong hands. To balance that, the pay table removes some hands entirely (in most variants, a straight and flush may not pay at all) and shifts value into hands that become more reachable with wilds, such as five of a kind and wild royals.

The most famous “full-pay” Deuces Wild schedule is commonly summarised as 25/15/9/5/3 (with the rest of the table specified in the rules), and it is widely reported at about 100.76% with perfect play. In real life, that schedule is comparatively rare; what players see more often—both online and in many venues—is a slightly reduced “Not So Ugly Ducks” (often abbreviated NSUD), usually described by key payouts such as 16 for five of a kind and 10 for a straight flush, and commonly cited around 99.73% with correct strategy.

The important detail is that Deuces Wild is not one game: it is a family of games sharing the same wild-card idea but with noticeably different returns and volatility. Two Deuces Wild machines may both say “Deuces Wild” while paying very differently for hands like four deuces, wild royal flush, or straight flush. If you only check one or two lines on the table and assume the rest is standard, you can easily end up on a much weaker schedule than you intended.

Why Deuces Wild can beat JoB on paper, yet feel harsher in practice

On the best schedules, Deuces Wild can mathematically edge above 99/100% returns with perfect play, but it often does so by concentrating value into relatively rare premium hands (especially four deuces and the various royal/straight-flush outcomes). That design can create longer dry spells punctuated by occasional big hits—great when it lands, frustrating when it doesn’t.

Strategy differences are also bigger than most newcomers expect. In JoB, a flush draw is usually valuable; in many Deuces Wild tables, a flush may not pay at all, so the “obvious” hold can be wrong. Wild cards also change what you should chase: sometimes breaking a made straight is correct if it improves your chances of reaching a high-value five-card hand that the pay table favours.

Because of this, the best Deuces Wild table for you is not only the one with the highest theoretical return. If you dislike sharp swings or you are playing with a smaller bankroll, a slightly lower-RTP schedule with more frequent mid-tier payouts may produce a better experience, even if it is marginally “worse” in theory. The pay table tells you both the maths and the temperament of the game.

Choosing the most выгодні option in 2026: a practical checklist for JoB vs Deuces Wild

If your goal is the most favourable pay table you can realistically find, start with a simple rule: for JoB, prioritise 9/6; for Deuces Wild, look for NSUD or full-pay schedules if available. If you cannot find those, decide how far down you are willing to go before switching games entirely, because a weak Deuces Wild table can be worse than a decent JoB table even if the name sounds more exciting.

Next, match your strategy resource to the exact table. Many players lose value by using a “one size fits all” approach—especially on Deuces Wild, where the presence or absence of straight/flush payouts and the exact rewards for five of a kind, straight flush, and four deuces can change correct holds. In practical terms: before playing for meaningful stakes, confirm the pay table, then use a strategy chart or trainer built for that schedule.

Finally, treat return as only one part of the decision. Think about volatility, your session length, and how you react to downswings. A high-return Deuces Wild game may still feel unpleasant if you are waiting on premium hands, while 9/6 JoB can feel more consistent. In 2026, the “best” table is the one that balances return, swinginess, and your own discipline—because a theoretically strong game played poorly becomes a weak game very quickly.

Quick reference: what to check before you place your first bet

For Jacks or Better, look at the full house and flush first. If you see 9 for the full house and 6 for the flush, you are on the classic full-pay schedule; if either number is lower, expect a noticeable drop in long-term return. Also confirm whether the royal flush pays 800-for-1 at max coins (the usual structure), as unusual royal payouts can shift value further.

For Deuces Wild, identify the variant by its key premium payouts, not by the title. Check the payout for four deuces, the wild royal, the straight flush, and five of a kind; then look for whether straights and flushes pay (many tables remove them). This tells you immediately whether you are closer to full pay, NSUD, or a more reduced schedule.

For both games, keep one discipline rule: never assume two machines with the same name have the same pay table. In 2026, casinos and online operators still offer multiple schedules under the same label, and the differences are usually visible in one glance. Taking ten seconds to read the table is the simplest edge a player can realistically keep.