2026 FULL-PAY CASINO GUIDE · STRIP · DOWNTOWN · LOCALS
Best overall for full-pay video poker in Las Vegas: Downtown (Fremont Street). El Cortez, Plaza, Four Queens, and the D Las Vegas regularly carry 9/6 Jacks or Better (99.54% RTP), NSU Deuces Wild (99.73%), and 10/7 Double Bonus (100.17%). Locals casinos along Boulder Highway and in Henderson are a close second — Stations and Boyd properties target regulars and run aggressive paytables to attract them.
The Strip has become difficult. Over the past decade, MGM, Caesars, and the major Strip resorts have systematically replaced 9/6 machines with 8/5 or 7/5 short-pay versions. A few exceptions remain in high-limit rooms and at lower-tier Strip properties, but if you're optimizing for return, you'll find better paytables a 10-minute Uber ride away in Downtown.
Before you go: Always cross-check current paytables at vpFREE2.com, the community-maintained Vegas video poker database. Casino paytables change month to month, sometimes machine to machine within the same casino. This guide gives you the long-term patterns; vpFREE2 gives you what's actually on the floor today.
Video poker is one of the only casino games where the same game name can mean a 99.54% RTP machine or a 95.0% RTP machine — and from the player's seat, the only visible difference is one number on the pay table screen. That single digit difference between 9-for-Full-House and 8-for-Full-House converts to about 1.1% extra house edge. Over a long Vegas trip, that compounds into hundreds of dollars in lost expected value.
The reason paytables vary by location comes down to who the casino is trying to attract:
The result: the better the paytable, the further you typically travel from the Strip.
Before sitting down, look at the on-screen pay table for these tells:
Look at the rows for Full House and Flush. At the 1-coin bet column:
Look at Four of a Kind. At the 1-coin bet column:
Look at Full House and Flush:
Pro tip: Some Vegas casinos mix machine versions on the same bank. Two machines side-by-side might be 9/6 and 8/5. Always check the screen on the specific machine you're about to play — never assume.
Downtown is the heart of Vegas video poker. The casinos cluster along Fremont Street, walkable end-to-end in 15 minutes. Most run 9/6 Jacks or Better as a standard, with NSU Deuces Wild and 10/7 Double Bonus available on selected banks.
The classic. El Cortez has long carried full-pay machines including 9/6 Jacks or Better, NSU Deuces Wild, and 10/7 Double Bonus. Bartender stations historically have some of the best mixed-variant machines in town. Plays well at low coin denominations (quarter and half-dollar games available).
Owned by Derek Stevens (also Circa, Golden Gate). The D's video poker bank is well-curated and includes 9/6 JoB and Full Pay Deuces Wild on most denominations. Good comp program for regulars.
Recently renovated, with good variety. Generally has 9/6 Jacks or Better and Full Pay Deuces Wild. Plaza is also known for occasional promotion-driven paytables that exceed standard full-pay.
A long-time video poker destination. Solid selection of 9/6 JoB and 10/7 Double Bonus. Less updated decor than Plaza or the D, but the paytables remain competitive.
A mixed bag. Some 9/6 machines remain, but Golden Nugget has moved more aggressively toward short-pay than other Downtown properties. Verify on screen before playing.
Newer property (opened 2020). Skews toward slots and sports betting; video poker selection is thinner than older Fremont casinos but generally fair when present.
The locals market is where you find genuinely well-maintained video poker programs. Stations Casinos (Red Rock, Green Valley Ranch, Boulder Station, Sunset Station, Palace Station) and Boyd Gaming (Sam's Town, Cannery, Suncoast, the Orleans on the edge of the Strip) both target regulars and need to keep paytables sharp.
Sam's Town and Boulder Station have historically run consistent 9/6 JoB, NSU Deuces Wild, and sometimes 10/7 Double Bonus. Lower minimum bets than the Strip, friendlier comp programs.
Green Valley Ranch (Station Casinos) and the M Resort offer well-rounded paytables and a less crowded floor than Downtown or the Strip. M Resort in particular has a reputation among Vegas regulars for fair video poker offerings.
Red Rock Casino and Suncoast cater to a wealthier locals demographic. Higher-denomination machines (dollar and up) often have better paytables than quarter machines, but Red Rock and Suncoast also keep quarter-level 9/6 JoB consistently available.
The Strip is the toughest area to find full-pay video poker. MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, which together control most of the Strip, have systematically downgraded paytables since the 2008 recession. That said, exceptions exist:
If you're staying on the Strip and want to play video poker as your primary activity, plan to spend at least one evening Downtown or at the Orleans.
Multi-hand cabinets (3-Play, 5-Play, 10-Play, 50-Play, 100-Play) are everywhere in Vegas now. They use the same optimal strategy as single-hand for the same variant — the math doesn't change because each hand draws independently. But a few practical differences matter on a casino floor:
If you want to see the exact EV and variance math for any 5-card hand at any multi-hand level, try our Video Poker Calculator.
| Variant | Paytable | RTP (optimal play) | Where to find |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacks or Better | 9/6 (Full Pay) | 99.54% | Downtown, locals casinos, high-limit rooms |
| Jacks or Better | 8/5 | 97.30% | Most Strip casinos |
| Deuces Wild | 25/15/9/5 (Full Pay) | 100.76% | El Cortez, the D, occasionally Plaza |
| Deuces Wild | NSU (Not So Ugly) | 99.73% | Widely available Downtown and locals |
| Double Bonus | 10/7 | 100.17% | El Cortez, Four Queens, occasional Boyd |
| Double Double Bonus | 9/6 | 98.98% | Common Downtown and Strip alike |
| Joker Poker (Kings or Better) | Full Pay | 100.64% | Rare, occasional Downtown bartender stations |
Downtown Las Vegas (Fremont Street). El Cortez, Plaza, Four Queens, and the D regularly carry full-pay Jacks or Better, NSU Deuces Wild, and 10/7 Double Bonus. Locals casinos along Boulder Highway and in Henderson are a close second.
Limited. High-limit rooms at major Strip resorts ($5+ denomination) and some lower-tier Strip properties carry better paytables. For most players, Downtown or the Orleans (off-Strip but close) is a better choice.
Full Pay Deuces Wild at 100.76% RTP is the highest-RTP standard variant available. It's found at El Cortez, the D, and occasionally other Downtown properties. With perfect play, this is a positive-EV game.
Theoretically, full-pay machines combined with cashback and promotions can produce positive EV (this is called "video poker advantage play" or "comp hustling"). In practice, the edge is small, the variance is huge, and the time required is significant. For most players, video poker is a low-house-edge entertainment option, not a profit center.