Average Return And Variance In Online Video Poker

Added: April 22, 2016

If you intend to play serious video poker at online casinos, then there are two terms you should be absolutely clear about. The first is the average return to the player and the second is the variance or volatility of the game.

The average return to the player is the amount that you can expect to win back in the long run for every AU$100 wagered. It is usually expressed as a percentage. Since online video poker variants are games of skill, the average return would depend on the expertise of the player. In order to eliminate this variability, the average returns are specified assuming that the optimum video poker strategy is used by the player. If you are new to this game then this task may appear daunting. But optimum video poker strategy for all the variants is easily available and you will pick it in no time.

One of the reasons for the popularity of video poker variants at Australian online casinos is the high average return to player of these games. The average returns for the more popular online video poker variants are packed between 98.5% and 99.5%. Unless you intend to play for long hours or high stakes the average return is not a critical factor in the game selection. The returns to player for the common video poker are listed below.

• Jacks or Better - 99.5%

• Bonus Poker - 99.2%

• Double Bonus Poker - 99.1%

• Tens or Better - 99.1%

• Aces and Eights - 98.7%

• All American - 98.5%

• Deuces and Joker - 98.5%

More pertinent to the choice is the variance of the video poker variant. A very simple but somewhat incomplete way to describe variance is the spread of the payouts. In some video poker variants the payouts for the higher rankings are greater. But since these rankings occur less frequently you do not win these large payouts often. Further, to ensure that the average return does not exceed 100% in these online video poker variants, the payouts for the low ranking but frequently occurring hand rankings are slightly reduced. These video poker variants are the ones with high variance. You need to be a risk taking aggressive player who does not mind frequent losses in pursuit of large gains.

In the other online video poker games the payouts are more range bound. You will not lose as often but you will not win as much. These are low variance video poker games for the more conservative players. All American is an example of a high variance video poker variant, whereas Jacks or Better has a lower variance.