Pay Tables

Pay Table Comparison

Not all video poker machines pay the same. The two numbers in the machine name (like 9/6) refer to the Full House and Flush payouts. A single unit difference in either number can cost you more than 1% in expected return per hand.

How to read a pay table

Every video poker machine displays a pay table showing the multiplier paid for each winning hand at maximum coin play. The most important numbers to identify are the Full House and Flush payouts. These two values determine the variant's name and its return-to-player percentage.

A machine labeled DDB 9/6 pays 9× for a Full House and 6× for a Flush. A DDB 8/5 machine pays 8× and 5× respectively. All other payouts (quads, straight flush, royal flush) are typically identical across variants.

Always check the pay table before sitting down. Two machines in the same casino with identical exteriors can have different pay tables. A 2% difference in RTP can mean hundreds of dollars per session at moderate stakes.

Double Double Bonus pay table variants

Hand DDB 9/6 DDB 8/5 DDB 7/5 DDB 6/5
Royal Flush (max bet) 800× 800× 800× 800×
Straight Flush 50× 50× 50× 50×
Four Aces + 2/3/4 kicker 400× 400× 400× 400×
Four 2/3/4 + kicker 160× 160× 160× 160×
Four Aces 160× 160× 160× 160×
Four 2s, 3s, or 4s 80× 80× 80× 80×
Four 5s through Kings 50× 50× 50× 50×
Full House 9× 8× 7× 6×
Flush 6× 5× 5× 5×
Straight 4× 4× 4× 4×
Three of a Kind 3× 3× 3× 3×
Two Pair 1× 1× 1× 1×
Jacks or Better 1× 1× 1× 1×
RTP (optimal play) 98.98% 96.79% 95.71% 94.66%

RTP impact: what the numbers really mean

The difference between 9/6 and 8/5 is 2.19 percentage points in expected return. On a $1 machine playing max bet ($5/hand) at 500 hands per hour, that gap costs:

This math explains why experienced players refuse to sit at anything less than a full-pay machine. The extra walk to find a 9/6 machine is always worth it.

Comparing game variants

Double Double Bonus is not the only game with full-pay variants worth seeking. Here's how the top video poker games compare at their best available pay tables:

Game Best pay table RTP (optimal play) Variance
Jacks or Better 9/6 99.54% Low
Double Bonus Poker 10/7 100.17% Medium
Deuces Wild Full pay 100.76% High
Double Double Bonus 9/6 98.98% Very High
Triple Double Bonus 9/6 98.15% Extreme

Games like full-pay Double Bonus and Deuces Wild can offer player edges on paper, but they're increasingly rare in modern casinos. DDB 9/6 at 98.98% is a realistic target in many venues and offers enough variance to make the game exciting.

Strategy changes between pay tables

The optimal strategy is not the same across pay tables. The 9/6 strategy (used by this analyzer) is calibrated to the specific payout structure. On an 8/5 machine, certain close decisions shift (Low Pair vs. Four to a Flush, for example) because the reduced Flush payout changes the relative EVs.

Always use strategy charts or an analyzer calibrated to the exact pay table you're playing. The Video Poker Analyzer and Strategy Guide on this site are built specifically for DDB 9/6. For details on how often premium hands occur with optimal play, see Odds & Probabilities.