Calculating The Video Poker House Edge
The first characteristic of the game is to understand the house edge. As in any casino game, the house has a certain percentage of advantage. This is understood by players and it directly corresponds to the amount of money received from payouts. You can find the odds easily in any casino game’s rules section.
There are many variations of the game to be considered as well. The most common are standard Casino Hold’Em, Ultimate Casino Hold’Em, and Live Casino Hold’Em. When participating in a single deck game, the house edge comes to 0.82% for Ante bets and 6.26% when it comes to the AA or Bonus side bet, where available.
Casino Hold’Em Hand Odds
The odds in Casino Hold’Em shift throughout the course of the game because more cards are coming into play. The tables below will lend more insight into the probability of hands through the progression of the game as well as the probability of landing a winning hand in the poker hierarchy.
Odds Of Receiving Two Card Hands Upon Initial Deal
| Hand | Probability | Odds |
| A/K (or any specific suited cards) | 0.302% | 331:1 |
| A/A (or any specific pair) | 0.453% | 220:1 |
| A/K, K/Q, Q/J, or J/10 (suited cards) | 1.21% | 81.9:1 |
| A/K (or any specific non-pair, incl. suited) | 1.21% | 81.9:1 |
| A/A, K/K, or Q/Q | 1.36% | 72.7:1 |
| A/A, K/K, Q/Q, or J/J | 1.81% | 54.3:1 |
| Suited cards, Jack or better | 1.81% | 54.3:1 |
| A/A, K/K, Q/Q, J/J, or T/T | 2.260% | 43.2:1 |
| Suited cards, T or better | 3.02% | 32.2:1 |
| Suited cards of consecutive rank | 3.92% | 24.5:1 |
| Connected cards, T or better | 4.83% | 19.7:1 |
| Any two cards with rank Q or higher | 4.98% | 19.1:1 |
| Any pocket pair | 5.88% | 16:1 |
| Any two cards with rank J or higher | 9.05% | 10.1:1 |
| Any two cards with rank T or higher | 14.3% | 5.98:1 |
| Cards of consecutive rank | 15.7% | 5.38:1 |
| Any two cards with rank 9 or higher | 20.8% | 3.81:1 |
| Neither consecutive nor suited, at least one 2-9 | 53.4% | 0.873:1 |
When it comes to the possibilities after the deal, the came becomes more complex they can be expressed in a table that reviews the player’s probability of making a hand with a given number of outs, be it on the flop, turn or the river.
Odds Landing A Hand On The Flop
| Hand | Odds | Percent |
| A flush | 118:1 | 0.8% |
| A straight when holding any two connecting cards J-10 through 5-4 | 76:1 | 1.3% |
| Three of a kind when holding a pocket pair | 7.5:1 | 11.8% |
| A hidden pair (one card in hand and one card in community pool) | 2.45:1 | 29% |
Odds Of Landing A Hand On The Turn
| Hand | Probability | Odds |
| Inside straight flush; | 2.13% | 46:1 |
| Four of a kind | 2.13% | 46:1 |
| Open-ended straight flush; | 4.26% | 22.5:1 |
| Three of a kind | 4.26% | 22.5:1 |
| High pair | 6.38% | 14.7:1 |
| Inside straight; | 8.51% | 10.8:1 |
| Full house | 8.51% | 10.8:1 |
| Three of a kind or two pair | 10.64% | 8.40:1 |
| Either pair | 12.77% | 6.83:1 |
| Full house or four of a kind; (see note) | 14.89% | 5.71:1 |
| Inside straight or high pair | 14.89% | 5.71:1 |
| Open-ended straight | 17.02% | 4.88:1 |
| Flush | 19.15% | 4.22:1 |
| Inside straight or pair | 21.28% | 3.7:1 |
| Open-ended straight or high pair | 23.4% | 3.27:1 |
| Inside straight or flush; | 25.53% | 2.92:1 |
| Flush or high pair | 25.53% | 2.92:1 |
| Open-ended straight or pair | 29.79% | 2.36:1 |
| Open-ended straight or flush; | 31.91% | 2.13:1 |
| Flush or pair; Inside straight, | 31.91% | 2.13:1 |
| flush or high pair | 31.91% | 2.13:1 |
| Inside straight or flush or pair; | 38.3% | 1.61:1 |
| Open-ended straight, flush or high pair | 38.3% | 1.61:1 |
| Open-ended straight, flush or pair | 44.68% | 1.24:1 |
Odds Of Landing A Hand On The River
| Hand | Probability | Odds |
| Inside straight flush; | 2.17% | 45:1 |
| Four of a kind | 2.17% | 45:1 |
| Open-ended straight flush; | 4.35% | 22:1 |
| Three of a kind | 4.35% | 22:1 |
| High pair | 6.52% | 14.3:1 |
| Inside straight; | 8.7% | 10.5:1 |
| Full house | 8.7% | 10.5:1 |
| Three of a kind or two pair | 10.87% | 8.2:1 |
| Either pair | 13.04% | 6.67:1 |
| Full house or four of a kind; (see note) | 15.22% | 5.57:1 |
| Inside straight or high pair | 15.22% | 5.57:1 |
| Open-ended straight | 17.39% | 4.75:1 |
| Flush | 19.57% | 4.11:1 |
| Inside straight or pair | 21.74% | 3.60:1 |
| Open-ended straight or high pair | 23.91% | 3.18:1 |
| Inside straight or flush; | 26.09% | 2.83:1 |
| Flush or high pair | 26.09% | 2.83:1 |
| Open-ended straight or pair | 30.43% | 2.29:1 |
| Open-ended straight or flush; | 32.61% | 2.07:1 |
| Flush or pair; Inside straight, | 32.61% | 2.07:1 |
| flush or high pair | 32.61% | 2.07:1 |
| Inside straight or flush or pair; | 39.13% | 1.56:1 |
| Open-ended straight, flush or high pair | 39.13% | 1.56:1 |
| Open-ended straight, flush or pair | 45.65% | 1.19:1 |
Video Poker Payouts
Payouts will vary from one game of Casino Hold’Em to the next. The hierarchy of poker hands will give you a good indication of the payout structure and the AA/Bonus bet payouts will also lend some insight into expected returns. These payouts are always on display directly on the game table.
By now you’ve got a clear picture of how the odds stack up throughout the progression of the game and how good of a chance you have of landing a hand at any point in time. With this in mind, you can attack every hand with fierce determination and pinpoint accuracy when it comes to making the right play. If you would like to learn more about Casino Hold’Em, please review our how to play, rules, and strategy resources. When you are ready, head over to our recommended casinos resource for a selection of the best online casinos offering Casino Hold’Em games and lucrative player rewards.
