Best Video Poker In Vegas 2016
High limit video poker, video slots $250 per hand, video poker strategy. Jacks or better, Live Play. Poker action at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
It’s a well-known fact downtown beats the pants off the Las Vegas Strip when it comes to player-friendly casino odds. It’s true for video poker, too. (On average, slots downtown are about 10% “looser” than slots on The Strip.)
Video poker players have a wide selection of variants to choose from. Here are some of the best video poker games available online: Jacks or Better: This is one of the best variations available on video poker casinos. Players get to enjoy massive payouts of up to nine times their bet amount. 100.76% fpdw: 25¢ 100.65% jw: 25¢ 100.17% db: 25¢ 100.07% ddb: 25¢ 99.96% apdw: 5¢, 10¢ 99.96% ddb: 5¢, 10¢ 99.58% tdb: 25¢ 99.54% job: 25¢ 99.29% jw: 5¢, 10¢.
According to a popular video poker expert who goes by “Coach Kitty,” downtown boasts some of the best machines and odds in all of Las Vegas.
She’d know. Coach Kitty estimates she plays an average of 850 hands an hour, or about 14 hands a minute. That’s 14 decisions a minute, and we can barely decide what to have for lunch.
We prodded Coach Kitty to reveal some of her favorite video poker bars and machines, and she was up to the challenge.
There are a number of factors that make certain video poker bars “better” or “worse” (many serious players value casino freebies like food “comps” nearly as much as the money they make from their video poker wins), we asked our expert to name her favorite video poker spots with an emphasis on the most appealing odds of winning.
Vue Bar at The D
Among the benefits of this second floor watering hole at The D is the quality of the drinks, says our expert. We have independently verified this assertion.
Vue Bar happens to serve up some very good video poker odds as well.
Our video poker coach says, “You not only have the best chance of getting the best quality drinks, there’s also a good full-pay game with a progressive, in quarters.”
To be specific, the best game is Bonus Poker in quarters.
The ultimate goal of many video poker players, of course, is to try and find games that give as close to 100% payback, or “full-pay,” as possible.
Casino Bars at Four Queens
Happily, Coach Kitty names the casino bars at Four Queens as having great video poker. We say “happily” because we play there often and had no idea why. (Hint: It was mostly the liberal comps and long liquor pours.)
Coach Kitty says, “At both the casino bars at Four Queens, they have almost full pay Double Double Bonus video poker in 50 cents.”
Remember, the denomination is multiplied by five, so that’s $2.50 a hand. For the most part, the higher the denomination, the better the payback.
The two bars are Kings Bar (near the casino’s west entrance, pictured below) and Palace Bar (near Wana Taco).
Among the other attributes of these bars, our expert says the bartenders are among the friendliest in town.
Boar’s Head Bar at Main Street Station
Our expert not only loves the video poker at Boar’s Head Bar, but also the beer.
“It’s a very nice bar, especially because they have microbrews from the nearby Triple 7 [Restaurant and Brewery] on tap. The bartenders are very nice there, too.”
Ultimately, though, it’s the gamble that makes Boar’s Head one of the best places to play video poker in Las Vegas.
Coach Kitty says, “They have 9-6 Jacks or Better, which is really the best game with the lowest variance, in quarters, 50 cents and $1.”
Best Las Vegas Video Poker
The “9-6” refers to the payout for full house and flush. It’s kind of a shorthand for video poker players to tell if a game gives them more bang for the buck.
Now You Know the Best Video Poker Bars Downtown
Now you know some insider secrets about downtown’s best video poker bars!
Video poker is unique in casinos because, unlike a shot machine, skill plays a big part in how your session goes. The more you know about the game you’re playing, the better your chances of winning.
Each video poker game has nuances in strategy, so bone up on the game you’d like to try with an app.
The WinPoker app ($9.99 in the Apple store) is popular among aspiring video poker players looking to get an edge.
If you find the right game, and the right bartender, video poker can be fun and lucrative, and offers some of the best odds for players in the casino.
You’re Not Going to Believe This, But…
Here’s an update to our story!
Following our chat with Coach Kitty, we started playing at her recommended video poker bars, and just a few weeks later, our very first royal flush! That’s a $1,000 win.
That’s right. We got our first royal flush after nearly two decades of playing video poker, and we got it at the video poker bar at Four Queens. Thanks, Coach Kitty!
While winning in casinos has a lot to do with luck, the more you know about the games, the luckier you’ll be!
Downtown Las Vegas is known for its value gambling. When compared to the Las Vegas Strip, video poker odds are almost always better downtown, especially at lower limits.
There are 11 downtown Las Vegas casinos. Each is ranked below in terms of its video poker quality.
Al bar tops are closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. These video poker games are still included in this list for when they are available again.
Plaza
Plaza wins the award for best video poker in downtown Las Vegas. It has the two best video poker games found around Fremont Street. Both theoretically return over 100 percent with five coins and perfect play. It also has quality pay tables throughout its casino floor and at the bar.
Best Video Poker In Vegas 2016 Schedule
The best game is full pay Joker Poker in quarter and half-dollar. There is also quarter, half-dollar and dollar 10/7 Double Bonus and full pay Double Bonus Plus. None of these games pay points or allow free play redemption. The rest of the games mentioned below do.
Both bars have a wide selection of quarter, half-dollar and dollar full pay games. This includes 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe, 9/6 Jacks or Better, 8/5 Bonus Poker and 9/7 Double Bonus. There are about 25 other Game King video poker machines on the casino floor with these games that add a $2 denomination.
Four Queens
Four Queens takes second place for downtown Las Vegas video poker. It offers 10/7 Double Bonus for quarter and dollar. These take twice as much coin-in for a point than normal on these machines. Players earn one point for every $16 played as opposed to the normal $8.
The best bar top video poker in all of Las Vegas is at Four Queens. This is 10/6 Double Bonus with a slight short pay on a straight flush to get it just under 100%. This game is offered in half-dollar and dollar. There is quarter 9/7 Double Bonus and 9/6 Double Double Bonus with a progressive. The casino floor is home to 9/6 Jacks or Better and 8/5 Bonus Poker. Combining these games with a generous players club makes Four Queens better than most locals casinos for video poker loyalty.
Main Street Station
Main Street Station has yet to reopen as of the time of publication. It will eventually, so it is included in the list. Little has changed there in terms of video poker quality so it is assumed it will remain the same when it reopens.
Best Video Poker In Vegas
The best video poker game at Main Street Station is 10/7 Double Bonus. It is spread in quarter, half-dollar and dollar denominations. There is also quarter full pay Triple Deuces Wild and No-so-ugly Deuces Wild. Full pay Jacks or Better is spread at the bar and on several machines on the floor at quarter, half-dollar and dollar. The same can be said of 9/7 Double Bonus. There is 8/5 Bonus Poker throughout the casino.
California
California is home to quarter, half-dollar and dollar 10/7 Double Bonus. Nickel, dime, quarter and half-dollar Not-so-ugly Deuces Wild is available, as well as quarter, half-dollar and dollar full pay Super Double Bonus, Triple Double Bonus, Jacks or Better and Bonus Poker. Jacks or Better is available in coin games for quarter and dollar.
Fremont
You will not find any 100 percent games at Fremont like at the other two Boyd Gaming properties in downtown Las Vegas. However, the action is still well above average.
Fremont is home to the typical Las Vegas Boyd Gaming ‘up to 99.8%’ video poker machines. These offer Triple Bonus Plus, Not-so-ugly Deuces Wild, Super Double Double Bonus, Bonus Poker Deluxe, Double Deuces Wild, Bonus Deuces Wild and others with paybacks above 99 percent. These are available in quarter, half-dollar and dollar.
El Cortez
El Cortez pulled its last 100 percent games in July. The best pay tables are all on coin games. This includes full pay Double Deuces Wild, Triple Bonus, Bonus Deuces Wild, Not-so-ugly Joker Poker, Loose Deuces and full pay Bonus Poker. All these games return over 99 percent. The denominations are mostly quarter and dollar with a few half-dollar games.
Binion’s
The video poker at Binion’s tops out at 99.17 percent. That is on Bonus Poker. There is also 9/7 Double Bonus and 9/6 Double Double Bonus. The denominations are quarter, half-dollar and dollar.
Downtown Grand
Downtown Grand once had the best video poker in downtown Las Vegas. These days, it is like what you will find above at Binion’s. The best game is 8/5 Bonus Poker with 9/7 Double Bonus and 9/6 Double Double Bonus. The denominations are quarter, half-dollar, dollar and two-dollar.
Golden Gate
Best Video Poker In Vegas 2016
The best video poker game at Golden Gate is 8/5 Bonus Poker. It offers quarters with a progressive, as well as half-dollar and dollar. There is also 9/6 Double Double Bonus in the dollar denomination. From there, it drops to 8/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe, which returns 98.49 percent.
The D
The best video poker game at The D is 8/5 Bonus Poker. It is available in quarter, half-dollar, dollar and two-dollar denominations. The quarter games have progressives. From there, the next best game is 8/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe.
Best Video Poker In Vegas 2016 Nfl
Golden Nugget
Golden Nugget takes last place for downtown Las Vegas video poker quality. There are no video poker games above 99 percent in the house. The best single line game is 8/6 Jacks or Better, which returns 98.39 percent. It requires playing at least the $5 denomination. It is also spread in 100 play for quarter and half-dollar. There is 9/5 Jacks or Better on three and five plays. The best $1 single line game is 7/5 Bonus Poker, which returns right at 98 percent.
Some of this information was learned from VPFree2. This is a database of the best video poker games at each casino.