🎰 Bonus Poker (Video Poker): the real odds & smartest way to play

Q: What is the house edge on Bonus Poker (Video Poker)?

~0.83% (8/5 full-pay, 99.17% RTP). Full-pay 8/5 Bonus Poker's optimal-play return is approximately 99.17% (house edge ~0.83%) — published, exact-to-4dp from full analysis over all 2,598,960 deals. The boosted quad payouts (e.g. quad aces pay 80-for-1) are offset by the slightly lower flush/full-house relative to other variants, netting just under Jacks-or-Better's 99.54%.

~0.83% (8/5 full-pay, 99.17% RTP)house edge
YOUR SHOT: BEST

A hugely popular Jacks-or-Better cousin that pays more for four of a kind. Full-pay (8/5) returns ~99.17% with perfect play — close to break-even but still a small grind against you. As always with video poker, the paytable matters as much as the strategy.

Updated June 2026 · VegasEdge · Education, not a way to beat the house

✅ Best bet

Full-pay 8/5 Bonus Poker (full house pays 8, flush pays 5) returns ~99.17% with perfect strategy. It's a Jacks-or-Better variant that boosts the four-of-a-kind payouts (extra for quad aces and quad 2s-4s) in exchange for a slightly different paytable.

🚫 Sucker bet to avoid

A reduced paytable — a 7/5 or 6/5 Bonus Poker machine quietly returns ~98% or less. The full-house/flush payouts on the glass (the '8/5') are the whole ballgame; the same-looking machine can pay far worse.

How the edge is computed

Full-pay 8/5 Bonus Poker's optimal-play return is approximately 99.17% (house edge ~0.83%) — published, exact-to-4dp from full analysis over all 2,598,960 deals. The boosted quad payouts (e.g. quad aces pay 80-for-1) are offset by the slightly lower flush/full-house relative to other variants, netting just under Jacks-or-Better's 99.54%.

Optimal strategy

Bonus Poker has its own optimal strategy (slightly different from Jacks or Better because the quad payouts are higher). Always read the paytable first — confirm full house pays 8 and flush pays 5 — and play max coins (5) so the royal pays its bonus.

What to expect

Play it smart. Gambling is entertainment, not a way to make money — the house always has the long-run edge, and no system beats it. Set a budget you can afford to lose and stick to it. If gambling stops being fun, call or text the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537), available 24/7.

Compare other games

🃏 Blackjack — ~0.5%🎲 Craps — 1.41% (Pass) → ~0.37% with full odds 🀄 Baccarat — 1.06% (Banker)🎰 Video Poker — 0.46% (9/6 Jacks or Better, optimal play)🔴 Roulette — 5.26% (double-zero) / 2.70% (single-zero)🂡 Pai Gow Poker — ~2.5% (with 5% commission)← Full best & worst odds ranking All gambling guides & etiquette →

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