The Video Poker Mistakes That Cost the Most
Most lost return comes from a small number of repeatable errors. Fix these and your play is already close to optimal.
1. Playing a short-pay machine
The biggest leak happens before you touch a card. A 6/5 Jacks or Better machine returns about 95.00% versus 99.54% on a 9/6 table — same game, same strategy, several percent worse. Read the pay table every time.
2. Not betting five coins
The royal flush pays 250 per coin on one to four coins and 800 per coin on the fifth. Betting short throws away that bonus and costs about 1.5% of return. Drop the denomination if you must, but always bet five.
3. Keeping a made flush over four to a royal
It feels wrong to break a paying hand, but four to a royal is worth 19.55 in expected value versus 6.00 for the flush. Breaking the flush is correct.
4. Holding a kicker with a pair
Keeping an ace "for luck" alongside a low pair only reduces your chances to improve. Hold the pair alone unless the strategy chart says otherwise.
5. Chasing inside straights
A four-card inside straight (one gap) is usually not worth holding over a paying or higher-EV draw. The chart ranks it below a low pair for a reason.
Common questions
What's the single most expensive mistake?
Playing a bad pay table without noticing. A 6/5 machine can cost several percent of return before you make a single hold decision — more than most in-play mistakes combined.
Is not betting max really a mistake?
Yes, a costly one. The royal flush bonus only applies to the fifth coin, so betting short drops your return by about 1.5%. If max is too much, play a lower denomination and still bet five.