Joker Poker online video poker is video poker played with a standard 52-card deck plus a Joker. The minimum paying hand is a pair of Kings or Better, as opposed to a pair of Jacks or Better that is most often the minimum paying hand for video poker games without a Joker. What makes Joker Poker so appealing is that paytables do exist that offer an advantage to the player — if played optimally, of course.
While there is no Joker Poker offered online that has a player edge (also referred to as a +EV, for “positive expected value”), Bodog.com online casino comes close at 99.97%.
For a complete analysis of all forms of online video poker, see my online video poker page.
Jacks or Better (JoB) video poker is the game that started the video poker craze. Every online gambling software vendor that deals any form of video poker deals Jacks or Better. The best odds on JoB are found at what is called a “9/6” machine — 9 for a Full House, 6 for a Flush — and has a 0.46% house edge at optimal play. Compare this to “8/6”, “8/5”, and even “6/5” machines that offer increasingly worse odds for the player.
Online “9/6” Jacks or Better is easy to find, so where you decide to play is mainly about customer service, bonuses, and speed of payout. The top-rated site that offers “9/6” Jacks or Better and that accepts players from most regions in the world — including all US states — is the download version of BetUs.com Casino. Another good choice is BoDog, where you can practice for free without having to download or register.
For a complete analysis of all forms of online video poker, see my online video poker page.
Four online casino software providers deal Double Double Bonus Jacks or Better online video poker: Microgaming Casino (MGS), Realtime Gaming (RTG), Grand Virtual (GV), and Bodog Casino (Bodog). Here are the paytables and house edge offered by each.
Paytables for Double Double Bonus video poker by software vendor |
|
MGS |
RTG |
GV |
Bodog |
Royal Flush |
4000 |
4000 |
4000 |
4000 |
Straight Flush |
250 |
250 |
250 |
250 |
4 of a Kind – Aces |
800 |
800 |
800 |
800 |
4 of a Kind – Aces w/any 2, 3, 4 |
2000 |
1750 |
2000 |
2000 |
4 of a Kind – 2s, 3s, 4s |
400 |
400 |
400 |
400 |
4 of a Kind – 2s, 3s, 4s w/any A, 2, 3, 4 |
800 |
800 |
800 |
800 |
4 of a Kind – All others |
250 |
225 |
250 |
250 |
Full House |
45 |
45 |
40 |
45 |
Flush |
30 |
30 |
35 |
30 |
Straight |
20 |
20 |
20 |
20 |
3 of a Kind |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
2 Pair |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Jacks or Better |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
House Edge (%) |
1.02 |
2.15 |
0.76 |
1.02 |
Unfortunately, Grand Virtual online casinos do not accept US-based real money players. And Microgaming has stopped accepted new US-based real money players (although players that had an account prior to approximately October 2006 can still play). The best option for US-based real-money players that want the best return on this variety of video poker should go with Bodog. All players are welcome to practice for free with no download and no registration needed.
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