What are the best video poker options in casinos right now in Australia? Jacks or Better at a 9/6 pay table remains the single highest-value game you can play, sitting at a 99.54% RTP when played with optimal strategy. But that is only the start of the story.
At Casino Chameleon, we have tested the video poker game selection across the top Australian online casino sites so you do not have to. The results are in: not all video poker online options are equal, and the casino site you pick will have a bigger impact on your returns than the variant you choose.
Australian players have access to more real money video poker variants right now than ever before. We break it all down below: the best paying games, the casinos offering the widest video poker selection, and the strategies that separate the smart players from the rest.
Video Poker Explained: How It Became Australia’s Most Underrated Casino Game
Video poker became popular in Australia through the 1970s and 1980s, following the rollout of IGT’s Draw Poker machines in Las Vegas in 1979. Unlike traditional poker, you are not playing against other players. You are playing against the machine. No bluffing, no reading opponents, no social pressure. That shift attracted millions of players globally, and Australian gamblers caught on fast.
Here is the core structure of every video poker game:
- You place your bet (one to five coins per hand).
- Five cards are dealt face-up.
- You choose which cards to hold.
- Discarded cards are replaced by new draws.
- Your final hand is paid out according to the game’s pay table.
The payout structure is fixed and public. That means video poker requires skill: knowing which cards to hold changes your expected return significantly. Classic poker instincts help, but video poker has its own set of hold rules, and learning them is the fastest route to the best payout casinos’ full return potential.
Top Video Poker Variants Available to Australian Players Right Now: RTP Compared
This is the table you actually need. Every online casino Australia lists “video poker” without telling you what matters: the return-to-player percentage and which variant it corresponds to. We have done that work.
| Variant | Full-Pay RTP | Wild Cards | Min Winning Hand | Best For |
| Jacks or Better (9/6) | 99.54% | No | Pair of Jacks | Beginners, strategy learners |
| Deuces Wild (full pay) | 100.76% | Yes (2s) | Three of a Kind | Advanced players |
| Double Bonus Poker | 99.11% | No | Pair of Jacks | Players chasing four-of-a-kind |
| Double Double Bonus Poker | 98.98% | No | Pair of Jacks | High variance hunters |
| Joker Poker (Kings or Better) | 100.65% | Yes (Joker) | Kings or Better | Wild card fans |
| Aces and Faces | 99.26% | No | Pair of Jacks | Bonus poker fans |
| Bonus Poker | 99.17% | No | Pair of Jacks | Casual real money play |
| Tens or Better | 99.15% | No | Pair of Tens | Low variance players |
Important: The RTP figures above are for full-pay versions of each game. Short-pay machines, where the casino reduces payouts on flushes or full houses, can drop the RTP by 2% to 5%. Always check the pay table before you play.
Jacks or Better: Still the Best Real Money Video Poker Game for Australian Players in 2026
Jacks or Better is the game that launched online video poker in Australia. Its 9/6 variant, paying 9-to-1 on a full house and 6-to-1 on a flush, is the benchmark that every serious player uses when evaluating a casino site.
Why does Jacks or Better dominate? Three reasons:
- The strategy is well-documented and learnable in an afternoon.
- A 99.54% RTP on full-pay machines means the house edge is under half a percent.
- Most Australian online casino sites carry it, so you are never short of options.
The hold strategy, in brief: always keep a winning hand, prioritise four-to-a-Royal-Flush over a made straight or flush, keep three-to-a-Royal-Flush over a low pair. Playing five coins per hand activates the Royal Flush bonus, paying 800-to-1 instead of 250-to-1. That bonus flip accounts for most of the RTP advantage, so always play max coins.
Deuces Wild Strategy: The Online Video Poker Game That Pays Over 100% RTP in Australia
Deuces Wild is the game that gets advanced Australian players excited. The full-pay version returns 100.76% RTP on optimal play, meaning the house edge flips negative in your favour. That does not mean you will win every session. Variance is high. But over thousands of hands, the maths is genuinely in your corner.
Key differences from Jacks or Better:
- All four 2s act as wild cards, substituting for any card.
- The minimum winning hand is three-of-a-kind, not a pair.
- Natural Royal Flush pays 800-to-1 at max coins. Wild Royal Flush pays 25-to-1.
- Strategy is more complex: holding a single deuce while discarding everything else is often correct.
Many real money online casino platforms in Australia carry Deuces Wild, but not all run the full-pay version. The tell is the pay table: a full-pay Deuces Wild pays 15-for-1 on five-of-a-kind. If it pays less, the RTP drops.
Land-Based Casino Video Poker in Australia: What’s Available Right Now
Video poker machines are available at major land-based Australian casinos. Crown Melbourne, The Star Sydney, and Treasury Brisbane all carry video poker poker machines on their gaming floors. The machine mix changes seasonally, but Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild are the most consistently available variants across all three venues.
| Casino | Location | Common Variants | Denominations |
| Crown Melbourne | Melbourne, VIC | Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Bonus Poker | 5c, 10c, 25c, $1 |
| The Star Sydney | Pyrmont, NSW | Jacks or Better, Double Bonus Poker | 5c, 25c, $1 |
| Treasury Brisbane | Brisbane, QLD | Jacks or Better, Joker Poker | 5c, 10c, 25c |
| Jupiters Gold Coast | Broadbeach, QLD | Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker | 5c, 25c |
| SkyCity Adelaide | Adelaide, SA | Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild | 5c, 10c, 25c |
Land-based machines are usually set to short-pay tables compared to the best online options. Playing video poker online in Australia at a licensed casino site will, in most cases, offer better RTP than the physical floor machine at any venue listed above.
Multi-Hand Video Poker Online Australia: Play 3, 10, or 52 Hands at Once
Multi-hand video poker is the fastest way to amplify both your wins and your losses. Playing at the best online casinos in Australia, you can choose between 3-play, 5-play, 10-play, and 52-play formats. The mechanics are the same: you pick your hold cards on one hand, and those holds replicate across every hand simultaneously.
The appeal is clear: 10 winning hands on a dealt four-of-a-kind pays ten times the single-hand payout. Microgaming and Playtech both offer multi-hand formats at Australian online casino sites, and Microgaming’s Power Poker series, covering Jacks or Better Power Poker, Aces and Faces Power Poker, and Deuces Wild Power Poker, is the most widely available.
The catch: your bankroll exposure per deal multiplies by the number of hands you are playing. A $1.25 five-coin bet on single-hand becomes $12.50 on a 10-play machine. Manage your session bankroll accordingly.
Video Poker vs Online Pokies in Australia: The Odds Are Not Even Close
This comparison gets asked constantly. The answer is clear:
| Factor | Video Poker (Jacks or Better 9/6) | Online Pokies (Average) |
| RTP | 99.54% (optimal play) | 92% to 96% |
| House Edge | 0.46% | 4% to 8% |
| Skill Required | Yes (hold decisions matter) | No |
| Strategy Available | Yes (published optimal charts) | No |
| Progressive Jackpot | Some variants | Common |
| Speed of Play | Moderate | Fast |
| Recommended for Real Money | Yes | For entertainment only |
Pokies involve no decisions. You spin and wait. Video poker gives you agency over your outcome. That agency, applied correctly, closes the gap between you and the casino to near zero. That is why poker fans who understand the maths always play video poker over online pokies when playing for real money in Australia.
How to Pick the Right Australian Online Casino for Real Money Video Poker in 2026
Not every casino offering video poker deserves your bankroll. Here is exactly what we check at Casino Chameleon before listing a casino site:
- Licence: Only trusted online casinos holding a current licence from a recognised regulator, such as Malta Gaming Authority, Gibraltar, Kahnawake, or Isle of Man, make our list.
- Pay table access before deposit: Full-pay machines must be verifiable without signing up.
- Video poker variant count: A strong casino site carries at minimum eight distinct video poker variants. Top Australian online casino sites carry 15 or more.
- Progressive video poker availability: Sites on our list carry at least one progressive jackpot video poker game.
- Mobile video poker: Every casino Chameleon recommends runs smoothly on mobile, with no loss of game quality on iOS or Android.
- Bonus terms on real money games: Some casino bonuses exclude video poker from wagering. We flag this clearly on every review page.
- Payout speed: Best payout casinos on our list process withdrawals within 24 to 72 hours.
All casinos listed on casinochameleon.com have been reviewed against every one of these standards. We do not list unverified sites.
Bonus Poker and Casino Bonuses for Australian Players: What to Look For
Bonus Poker is a video poker variant, not a promotional offer, but bonuses at real money casino sites can extend your play. Some Australian online casinos offer up to 300 free spins alongside their welcome bonus, though these are typically locked to pokies.
For real money video poker players, the relevant bonus categories are:
- Cashback bonuses: A percentage of losses returned, usually 10% to 20%, with no game restrictions.
- Reload bonuses: Top-up offers for existing players. Check that video poker contributes to wagering requirements (usually 10% to 20% weighting).
- Loyalty or VIP comp points: Money playing video poker earns comp points at most licensed casinos. Higher volume players earn cashback through the VIP tier.
Always read wagering requirements before claiming any offer. A 300 free spins bonus on pokies does not translate to free video poker credit. Real money games like video poker usually carry lower wagering contribution rates than pokies.
Mobile Video Poker for Australian Players: Play Real Money Games on Any Device
The best online Australian casino sites all run video poker through mobile browsers without a dedicated app download. Microgaming, Playtech, and IGT platforms are all fully mobile-compatible. You can play Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, or multi-hand formats on iOS and Android with no performance difference from desktop.
What to check on mobile:
- Card hold buttons are large enough to tap accurately without mis-holds.
- Pay table is accessible within the game screen without navigation loss.
- Banking and withdrawal functions work fully on mobile, not just the games.
Australian players searching for the best online video poker on mobile will find the widest selection at Microgaming-powered casino sites. Their Power Poker series offers the smoothest mobile experience across the range of video poker options available right now in Australia.
Australian Online Gambling and Responsible Play
Online gambling in Australia is legal for players at offshore-licensed casino sites under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) enforces this framework.
Video poker, like all real money casino games, carries financial risk. Every player on Casino Chameleon is encouraged to:
- Set a session bankroll before starting and always play within it.
- Use deposit limits available at safe online casino sites.
- Treat video poker as entertainment, not as a guaranteed income source.
- Contact the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858 if gambling stops being fun.
The best Australian online casinos listed on our site all provide responsible gambling tools including deposit limits, session time reminders, and self-exclusion options.
Frequently Asked Questions: Real Money Video Poker in Australian Casinos 2026
What is the best video poker game in Australian casinos right now?
9/6 Jacks or Better. It carries a 99.54% RTP on optimal play, making it the best value video poker option available to Australian players at both online and land-based casinos right now.
Can I win real money playing video poker online in Australia?
Yes. Real money video poker online at licensed casino sites pays out actual Australian dollars. Wins are processed through the standard banking options at each site, including PayPal, POLi, Visa, Mastercard, and bank transfer.
What does full-pay mean in video poker?
Full-pay refers to a pay table that offers the maximum payouts for key hands. On Jacks or Better, a full-pay machine pays 9-to-1 on a full house and 6-to-1 on a flush. Short-pay machines reduce these payouts and drop the RTP by between 1% and 5%.
Is Deuces Wild better than Jacks or Better?
On optimal play, full-pay Deuces Wild returns 100.76% RTP versus 99.54% for full-pay Jacks or Better. Deuces Wild is the higher-value game mathematically, but the strategy is more complex and variance is higher. Beginners get better results starting with Jacks or Better.
How many coins per hand should I play?
Always play five coins per hand. The Royal Flush bonus on most video poker games pays 800-to-1 at maximum coins and 250-to-1 on fewer coins. That difference accounts for roughly 2% of the total RTP. Playing fewer than five coins per hand costs you that advantage on every deal.
Are video poker machines at Australian land-based casinos the same as online?
The same variants are available, but the pay tables differ. Land-based machines at Crown, The Star, and Treasury commonly run short-pay versions with lower RTP. Online video poker at licensed casino sites in Australia typically offers full-pay or near-full-pay tables, making online play the better real money option.
What is Double Double Bonus Poker?
Double Double Bonus Poker is a high-variance variant of Jacks or Better that pays elevated bonuses on specific four-of-a-kind hands, particularly four Aces with a 2, 3, or 4 kicker. The RTP on a full-pay Double Double Bonus Poker machine is 98.98%, slightly below Jacks or Better, but the chance to win big money quickly through the bonus pays attracts players who prefer explosive sessions over steady grinding.
How do I know if a video poker casino site is safe?
Check the licence. Safe online casino sites hold valid licences from the MGA, Gibraltar, Kahnawake, or Isle of Man regulators. All casino sites on casinochameleon.com have been vetted for licence status, payout speed, and fair game certification before listing.
What is the difference between video poker and traditional poker?
Traditional poker involves playing against other players across multiple betting rounds, with the goal of winning a shared pot. Video poker is a single-player game against a machine, with one draw per hand and a fixed pay table determining payouts. The hand rankings are the same, but video poker requires no bluffing, no reading opponents, and no poker table etiquette. It is a self-contained real money poker game.
Can I play video poker for free before betting real money?
Yes. Free video poker is available at most Australian online casino sites, including those listed on Casino Chameleon. Free play uses demo credits instead of real money, letting you learn any video poker variant’s pay table and optimal strategy before risking actual funds.
