Be Careful 9/6 Video Poker Is Playing Is What You Think It Is

Many video poker players are aware that pay tables vary based on the type of game. Many video poker players know that the pay table for a specific game can also vary. They also know that most pay tables can be identified based on two lines in the pay table. These two lines are the pays for a full house and a flush. They represent the x-for-1 pay amount. For example, if a full house pays 8-for-1 and a flush pays 5-for-1, the pay table is commonly referred to as 8/5.

At one time – years ago – there were very few different video poker games. Jacks or Better was among the earliest video poker games available. Pay tables in the early video poker era tended to be quite generous. Almost all Jacks or Better games paid nine coins (yes, coins. Early games only took coins or tokens) for each coin bet for a full house and six coins for each coin bet for a flush. 

As video poker (virtually all of it was jacks or better) became more popular, casino management began to tinker with pay tables. The early tinkering only affected the full house and flush pays – and virtually always resulted in a reduction in the pay.

Some of the players who played on a somewhat regular basis noticed the reductions. Since the changes only affected the full house and flush, they were able to refer to the pay table in an abbreviated fashion. Those original Jacks or Better pay tables that paid 9-for-1 for a full house and 6-for-1 for a flush were referred to as 9/6. A 9/6 jacks or better pay table was also referred to as “full-pay” since it was the original pay table the paid 99.54 percent with perfect play. Virtually all other pay tables paid less than that.

Inexperienced players quickly pick up that a 9/6 pay table is the best because, after all, it is full pay. What these inexperienced (and some not so inexperienced) players sometimes do not realize is just because the pay table shows nine credits per credit played for a full house and six credits per credit played for a flush does not mean the return of the game is 99.54 percent. It could be higher, but most likely the return is lower. It all depends. 

This article explores several 9/6 pay tables and the games they belong to. It also shows the game names, returns, and variance for each of them. In each case, the 9 and 6 refer to the pays for a full house and a flush, respectively. Continue reading to make sure that when you play video poker you are, indeed, playing the game you think you are.

Please keep in mind that almost all wild card games such as Deuces Wild require more than just two lines of the pay table to define it. For that reason, wild card video poker is not included in this article.

Contents

1. The complete original Jacks or Better pay table and subsequent variants
2. Double Bonus Poker 9/6 pay table
3. Double-Double Bonus 9/6 pay table
4. Other video poker games having 9/6 pay tables
5. Some potentially great 9/6 pay tables that you will (almost) never find
6. Sometimes even a game labeled Jacks or Better is not Jacks or Better
7. The importance of checking the entire pay table
8. Summary

1 – The Complete original Jacks or Better Pay Table & Subsequent Variants

As stated in the introduction, the original Jacks or Better pay table returned 99.54 percent. This pay table also has a very low variance – among the lowest available. This is another reason why a 9/6 pay table is sought out.

Here is the entire pay table:

9/6 Jacks or Better “Full-Pay” – Payback: 99.54 Percent, Variance 19.5

Notice the highlighted rows. Each column shows the same pay per coin – 9-for-1 for a full house and 6-for-1 for a flush. 

As the years went on and casino management became more influenced by accountants, pay tables were altered to reduce the return (to help the casino’s bottom line). In today’s casinos it is rare to find a pay table as shown above. One of the most common Jacks or Better pay tables on casino floors today is the following:

8/5 Jacks or Better “Short-Pay” – Payback: 97.29 Percent, Variance 19.3

This is the 8/5 Jacks or Better pay table. Notice that the highlighted rows pay 8-for-1 for a full house and 5-for-1 for a flush. Notice that each of the other pay lines are the same as the 9/6 pay table. Also notice the return has dropped by two-and-a-quarter percent. The variance has also dropped a little.

This pay table has been included just to show that the minor changes can make a big different in return. This is why players look for a 9/6 pay table.

Other Jacks or Better pay tables can also be found. They include 9/5, 8/6, and 7/6. None of them match the return of the original 9/6.

2 – Double Bonus Poker 9/6 Pay Table

Double Bonus Poker was introduced a few years after Jacks or Better. It gives players a bit more excitement by bumping the pays for hands containing four of a kind. Here is the “full-pay” version as it was first introduced.

10/7 Double Bonus “Full-Pay” – Payback: 100.17 Percent, Variance 28.3

This original version actually came with a player advantage. Of course, the casinos did not realize it at the time. The paying public was also unskilled at properly playing the game to get the advantage. Casinos still made money off this game – for a while.

Here is what most of the 9/6 Double Bonus pay tables look like now: 

9/6 Double Bonus “Short-Pay” – Payback: 97.8 Percent, Variance 30.8

Notice that this 9/6 pay table returns approximately the same as the 8/5 Jacks or Better pay table – about one and three fourth’s percent less than 9/6 Jack or Better. The variance also increases to about one and a half times that of Jacks or Better. Truly, this 9/6 pay table is not a good one. 

3 – Double Bonus Poker 9/6 Pay Table

Double Bonus Poker was introduced a few years after Jacks or Better. It gives players a bit more excitement by bumping the pays for hands containing four of a kind. Here is the “full-pay” version as it was first introduced.

9/6 Double-Double Bonus – Payback: 98.98 Percent, Variance 42

The return of this 9/6 pay table is better than the previous one. It returns almost 99 percent of the players money with perfect play. It is not as high a return as 9/6 Jacks or Better, however, and the variance is more than double.

In the past there were some 10/6 versions of the pay table. It returns 100.07 percent with nearly the same variance as the 9/6 pay table. It is virtually nonexistent in today’s casinos.

4 – Other Video Poker Games Having 9/6  Pay Tables

The previous examples were for games that are generally available on today's casino floors (or online). There are several other video poker games that also have pays of 9-for-1 for a full house and 6-for-1 for a flush. I will not post the pay tables as these casino games are not all that common. I you happen to find one and want to know the entire pay table, return and variance, the information can be found by Google the game. Here is a brief look at some of them.

Bonus Poker Deluxe

This game differs from Bonus Poker in that it pays the same for all four of a kind hands – normally 400-for 5 (80-for-1). The 9/6 version of the pay table returns 99.64 percent and the variance is 32.1. Bonus Poker Deluxe with a 9/6 pay table has a very good return – even better than 9/6 Jacks or Better, but it is very hard to find.

Triple Double Bonus

This game is like Double-Double Bonus. To add excitement for the player, it pays the same as a royal flush – 4000-for-5 (800-for-1) for four aces with a 2, 3, or 4 and 2000-for-5 (400-for-1) for four 2s, 3s, or 4s with an ace, 2, 3, or 4. It returns 98.15 percent and has a huge variance of 100.1

Double Aces and Faces

This game is like Bonus Poker but pays double the amount for four aces or faces (kings, queens or jacks). The return is only 97.97 percent and the variance is 30.3.

Triple-Triple Bonus

This game is like Triple-Double Bonus but four aces with a 2, 3, or 4 -or- four 2s, 3s, or 4s, with an ace pays the same as a royal flush – 4000-for-5 (800-for-1). It returns 99.74 percent. Not a bad return if you can find it and afford the astronomical variance of 133.

5 – Some Potentially Great 9/6 Pay Tables That You Will (Almost) Never Find

Not all 9/6 pay tables are bad. Some can be very good. There are certain video poker games where a 9/6 pay table would produce a player advantage. Should you ever find one in a casino, you may want to consider playing it. Here is a list of the games. In each case, a 9/6 pay table is a great play (assuming all the other pay lines are normal).

• Bonus Poker – 9/6 returns 101.4 percent with a variance of 22.1
• Super Aces Bonus – 9/6 returns 102.1 percent with a variance of 62.9
• Super Double Bonus – 9/6 returns 100.8 percent with a variance of 37.6
• Super Double-Double Bonus – 9/6 returns 101.9 percent with a variance of 50.6
• Triple Bonus Plus – 9/6 returns 100.9 percent with a variance of 43.9
• White Hot Aces – 9/6 returns 100.7 percent with a variance of 43.4
• Aces and Faces – 9/6 returns 101.5 percent with a variance of 21.1

Do not expect to find any of these, but if you do, consider giving them a try.

6 – Sometimes Even a Game Labeled Jacks or Better is Not Jacks or Better

Sometimes even seasoned video poker players have an off night. I have seen video poker players I know well sit down at a video poker game labelled “Jacks or Better” on the lower front glass, check the pay table and see the desired 9/6 pay lines, and begin to play. However, it was a multi-game machine and the game that was on the screen was not Jacks or Better – it was Double-Double Bonus. 

It may not always be bad, however. A friend of mine did the same thing and ended up hitting a royal within the first few hands. Do not expect that to happen to you. Make sure the game on the screen is 9/6 Jacks or Better if that is the game you want to play.

7 – The Importance of Checking the Entire Pay Table

Not only is it important to check the screen to make sure it is the correct game, checking the entire pay table is also important. Even though the full house and flush pay lines are normally the only ones changed, that is not always the case.

Any of the pay lines can be changed. Sometimes the royal flush or straight flush pays are reduced. Sometimes the four-of-a-kind. Sometimes the straight. Any of the pay lines can change. The only way to be sure you are playing the game (and pay table) you want is by checking the entire pay table.

8 – Summary

At one time Jacks or Better was the only video poker game on live casino floors and the 9/6 pay table had a great return and many video poker players knew that.

• With the introduction of multiple variants of video poker, 9/6 pay tables were no longer necessarily good.
• A 9/6 pay table on other games can be good, but more often it is not so good.
• Make sure the game you are playing is the one you want to play by checking the name of the game on the screen, and check the entire pay table to make sure it is the one you want.

It is important to be observant to get the return that is expected. Make sure that you are