How Much Can You Make Annually Playing Video Poker Full Time?

Video poker is a rare casino game that gives you a realistic chance to beat the house. You can win guaranteed profits by playing the right variations.

With that said, you could theoretically turn video poker into a job. But exactly how good of a living would full-time video poker provide?

The following guide discusses what kind of profits you can expect with video poker. It also covers how much you could potentially earn with this game per year.

What Video Poker Games Deliver Theoretical Profits?

Few video poker variations exist that offer over 100% RTP. You can make guaranteed profits on any of the following games over time, though, with expert strategy.

Deuces Wild

Deuces Wild is a game where all twos are wild. These deuces can fill in for any other card to complete a winning hand.

Besides its wildcards, Deuces Wild is unique for the fact that it can deliver up to 100.76% RTP—the highest of any video poker variation.

You’ll need to find the full-pay variation to enjoy this lofty payout percentage. The full-pay machine offers the following pay table:

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Natural Royal Flush	250	500	750	1,000	4,000
Four Deuces	200	400	600	800	1,000
Wild Royal Flush	25	50	75	100	125
Five of a Kind	15	30	45	60	75
Straight Flush	9	18	27	36	45
Four of a Kind	5	10	15	20	25
Full House	3	6	9	12	15
Flush	2	4	6	8	10
Straight	2	4	6	8	10
Three of a Kind	1	2	3	4	5

Unfortunately, full-pay Deuces Wild is an extremely rare game. You can only find it in a handful of Las Vegas casinos.

Joker Wild (Kings or Better)

Joker Wild uses a 53-card deck instead of the common 52 cards. The extra card is a wild joker that can help complete winning hands.

This game is slightly less exciting than Deuces Wild because it only offers one wildcard, instead of four. But it’s still entertaining, nonetheless, thanks to the joker.

It also has the potential to offer the second-highest payback out of any video poker game. It features 100.65% RTP with the optimal pay table.

Speaking of which, you want to look for the full-pay variation. Like full-pay Deuces Wild, this version is rare and only found in a few Vegas casinos.

Here’s the full-pay Joker Wild (Kings or Better) pay table:

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Natural Royal Flush (no joker)	750	1,500	2,250	3,000	5,000
Five of a Kind	200	400	600	800	1,000
Royal Flush With Joker	100	200	300	400	500
Straight Flush	50	100	150	200	250
Four of a Kind	20	40	60	80	100
Full House	7	14	21	28	35
Flush	5	10	15	20	25
Straight	3	6	9	12	15
Three of a Kind	2	4	6	8	10
Two Pairs	1	2	3	4	5
Kings or Better	1	2	3	4	5

10/7 Double Bonus

Double Bonus is aptly named for the fact that it offers bonuses for certain four of a kind hands. These hands include the following:

• Four aces
• Four 2s through 4s
• Four 5s through kings

You can enjoy up to 100.17% RTP with a 10/7 Double Bonus machine. The latter pays 10 coins for a full house and seven for a flush.

Unlike the first two machines covered above, this game can be found throughout Nevada. With that said, you can still enjoy it in Reno, Laughlin, or any other Nevada casino town.

10/6 Double Double Bonus

Double Double Bonus is a variation of the game covered above. It differs slightly, though, by offering double the payouts for the same bonus hands.

You can look forward to 100.07% RTP with a 10/6 Double Double Bonus machine. This game delivers 10 coins for a full house and 6 for a flush.

10/6 Double Double Bonus is just like 10/7 Double Bonus in that it’s available throughout Nevada. All things considered, you won’t have much trouble finding it in the Silver State.

Deuces Wild Is the Obvious Choice Here

You have several options when seeking guaranteed profits with video poker. But if you’re looking to maximize winnings, then you definitely want to go with Deuces Wild.

This game offers over a half percent better RTP than Double Bonus and Double Double Bonus poker. While this might not sound like a big edge, it does make a difference in the long run.

Of course, Joker Wild isn’t a bad alternative. Its 100.65% RTP rivals what Deuces Wild offers. Nevertheless, you might as well go for the best of the best if you can find a full-pay Deuces Wild machine.

Here’s a look at how much your theoretical hourly profits would be with Deuces Wild:

• You play 1,000 hands per hour (a really fast rate).
• You bet five coins ($1.25) per hand.
• You use perfect strategy.
• 1,000 x 1.25 x 0.0076 = $9.50
• The casino’s comp rate is 0.1%.
• 1,000 x 1.25 x 0.001 = $1.25
• 9.50 + 1.25 = $10.75 per hour

What Kind of Salary Will You Earn With Deuces Wild?

Deuces Wild is the king when it comes to earning profits in video poker. But exactly how much will this game pay if you played it daily as a job?

The example in the section above shows that Deuces Wild pays $10.75 an hour under the right conditions. Obviously, this amount isn’t a lot by today’s standards, but it does compare to certain jobs.

How much you’d earn largely depends upon how many hours you want to put into the matter. You may see video poker as a part-time or full-time job. You might even want to log long hours with this game.

Here’s a look at how much you’d earn annually under different scenarios:

Part Time (20 Hours)

• You play 1,000 hands per hour.
• You bet 5 coins ($1.25) per hand.
• 1,000 x 1.25 x 0.0076 = $9.50
• The casino’s comp rate is 0.1%.
• 1,000 x 1.25 x 0.001 = $1.25
• 9.50 + 1.25 = $10.75 per hour
• You play 20 hours each week.
• 20 x 10.75 = $215 per week
• 215 x 52 = $11,180 per year

Full Time (40 Hours)

• Same variables as above.
• You play 40 hours each week.
• 40 x 10.75 = $430 per week
• 430 x 52 = $22,360 per year

Full Time (60 Hours)

• Same variables as above.
• You play 60 hours each week.
• 60 x 10.75 = $645 per week
• 645 x 52 = $33,540 per year

Video Poker Used to Offer Bigger Profits

You’re certainly not going to enjoy a high standard of living as a professional video poker player today. Years ago, though, you could expect serious winnings.

Casinos offered better opportunities up until the early 1990s. The following three factors provided a chance to win serious money through video poker back then:

• Draw Till U Win was available.
• Dollar full-pay Deuces Wild games existed.
• Comps were higher.

Draw Till U Win was a quarter game that featured 103.2% RTP. If you plug this payout percentage into the Deuces Wild examples, you’d make $41.25 per hour and $85,800 annually (40-hour week) with Draw Till U Win.

These amounts become even more impressive when adjusted for inflation. Based on the value of the dollar in 1988, you’d be earning $189,718 a year through Draw Till U Win by modern standards.

As for dollar full-pay Deuces Wild, this game allows you to bet up to $5 per hand rather than the $1.25 standard of today.

Your bet size means that you’d win four times the amount of money. Using the previous Deuces Wild examples, you’d earn $39.25 per hour or $81,640 per year (40-hour week) with the dollar version.

The comps, meanwhile, were worth about three or four times what they are today. With that in mind, you’d be adding an extra 0.2% or 0.3% to the common 0.1% comp rate of today.

Video Poker Is a Low-Paying Grind

Video poker certainly isn’t like it used to be. You can’t feasibly earn $40 an hour by playing this game. Instead, you’re looking at closer to $10 an hour, tops.

You might still consider playing video poker for a living if you’re desperate to be a professional gambler. Assuming you live in Las Vegas, you could make it as a low-paid video poker grinder.

Of course, you’ll need to have a large starting bankroll to do it. Video poker is a volatile game that may or may not deliver immediate profits.

You also have to consider logging 50 to 60 hours just to make any kind of living at all. Even at this rate, you’ll need to find cheaper housing and eat frugally.

You’ll have to play perfect, or near perfect, to achieve the $10.75 hourly rate covered before. And you must do it while playing at a blistering rate of 1,000 hands an hour.

Conclusion

Professional video poker used to be a more glamorous career due to the better opportunities. As covered in one of the examples, you could earn nearly $190,000 per year, when adjusted for inflation, with Draw Till U Win.

These days are long past, though. You can still eke out a living as a video poker pro, but you won’t make any more than with a normal job.

Under the absolute best circumstances and a 60-hour workweek, you’re looking at $33,540 per year. While this isn’t a terrible annual salary in many parts of the country, it’s not amazing either.

With that said, you really must be dedicated to the grind to pursue a professional video poker career. You also have to put in lots of work just to develop pro skills.