Online casino players often come across the term Average Return To Player (RTP). An understanding of this term is important. RTP is expressed as a percent value, which is usually between 94% and 99.5%, and is associated with an individual online casino game or game category. An RTP of 95% on a slots game means that if a player repeatedly wagers $100 on that game on an average over the long term he will get back $95 and lose $5. It therefore is obvious that players should wager on those games that offer the highest RTP, other factors being equal.

Online video poker games also have RTP associated with them. The RTP of a video poker game can be computed mathematically based on the probability of occurrence and the payout of each poker hand ranking. These calculations are complex and most online casino players would not be able to perform them. But these are reported in online and print literature for the different video poker variants. There is a very crucial aspect to the RTP of video poker games. Since these games are skill based the returns would depend on the skill of the player. The RTP reported in literature assume that the player is using optimum video poker strategy.

The RTP for online video poker variants are generally clustered in a narrow band of 1%, from 98.5% to 99.5%. Video poker variants like All American and Deuces and Joker offer an RTP of 98.5%. At the top is the most popular video poker variant Jacks or Better with an RTP of 99.5%. The RTP of some other video poker variants are as follows: Aces and Eights – 98.7%; Double Bonus Poker – 99.1%; Tens or Better – 99.1%; Bonus Poker – 99.2%. These are based on the Microgaming online video poker payout tables.

A purist would argue that if an online casino players wagers on video poker then he should wager on Jacks or Better only, and not on any other video game. That argument is subject to other factors being equal, which they are not. But before getting involved with the other factors one should be clear about the monetary implications. Assume an online casino player is wagering $100 on each Deuces and Joker and Jacks or Better. He will on an average lose $1 more while playing Deuces and Joker. If he wagers $1,000 on each game then his average loss on Deuces and Joker will be $10 more. If he wagers $10,000 on each game then his average loss on Deuces and Joker will be $100 more. Hence in practical terms the minute differences in the RTP of online video poker games become important for high rollers. They may not matter as much for low rollers.

Variations have been introduced in video poker games to make them more interesting and exciting. Foe example Deuces and Joker is played with a 53 card deck, the extra card being a joker. The four deuces and the joker are wild cards. This is one way of increasing the interest level. In most video poker variants the highest paying hand is a royal flush. In Deuces and Joker, a hand consisting of the four deuces and the joker pays more than a royal flush. A low roller with a bankroll of $100 might find it worthwhile to “pay” $1 for the excitement of Deuces Wild. But a high roller with a bankroll of $10,000 might not be willing to “pay” $100 for the same excitement. Online casino video poker players have to balance the RTP with the pleasure derived from wagering on a particular variant.