How to Win a $100k Video Poker Jackpot

Video poker is already a game that can offer large payouts. The royal flush pays 4,000 coins on a five-coin wager ($1.25), which is worth $1,000.

You can actually win much more than this with video poker. Some players have even managed to make over $100,000 instantly.

How exactly do you win this kind of money through video poker, though? The following guide covers how this game’s payouts normally work, a couple of different ways that it can pay six figures, and tips for winning big.

The Normal Video Poker Setup

The royal flush is the top hand in video poker. Not surprisingly, it also leads to the game’s largest prize.


As mentioned before, most variations deliver 4,000 coins for a royal with a max bet. Video poker offers some other large payouts too.

Here’s a look at the pay table for Bonus Poker — one of the most popular variations — along with the payouts on a five-coin wager ($1.25):

• Royal flush – 4,000 coins/$1,000
• Four aces – 400 coins/$100
• Straight flush – 250 coins/$62.50
• Four 2s through 4s – 200 coins/$50
• Four 5s through kings – 125 coins/$31.25
• Full house – 40 coins/$10
• Flush – 25 coins/$6.25
• Straight – 20 coins/$5
• Three of a kind – 15 coins/$3.75
• Two pair – 10 coins/$2.50
• Jacks or better – 5 coins/$1.25

Two Ways to Win Bigger Jackpots

Video poker offers larger payouts than most casino games. However, you may yearn for even bigger top prizes. If so, then you can take one or both of the following approaches to playing for six-figure video poker wins.

High Stakes Video Poker

The easiest way to win $100,000 through video poker is to play for high stakes. This way, you can control the maximum possible winnings with your bet sizes.

For example, some games allow you to risk between $5 and $25 per hand. Such wagers can lead to six-figure jackpots.

Poker pro Bart Hanson, for example, was betting $250 per round on a 100-line Bonus Poker game ($2.50 per hand). Down to his last few credits, he managed to get a royal and win a $200,000 jackpot.

Progressive Video Poker

Progressive jackpots offer an alternative way to play for big money. Assuming such prizes go unclaimed for a while, they can reach $100,000 or more. Huck Seed once won a $670,000 jackpot through a progressive game.

Progressive games take a small amount of money from each wager to seed the jackpot. The top prize will continue growing until somebody wins it.

You normally need a sequential royal flush to hit one of these jackpots. A sequential royal flush is one that’s in perfect order (e.g. As-Ks-Qs-Js-10s).

The odds of getting a royal flush are tough enough to begin with. A sequential royal makes things even the more difficult because it only comes around on 1 out of every 2.4 million hands on average.

These long odds are, however, better than your chances of winning many slots jackpots. With that said, you might still consider chasing such prizes.

Tips for Winning Video Poker Jackpots

Luck is definitely the biggest factor in hitting a video poker jackpot. However, you can improve your chances of winning big through the following tips.

Have a Large Bankroll

High-stakes video poker is really expensive to play. This is especially true when you’re wagering enough to win six figures.

If you expect to last for any measurable amount of time, then you’ll need a large bankroll. On the other hand, you don’t want to risk any more than you can afford to lose.

So, you should be well-off before embarking on this path. You’ll also want to run some calculations and set a stop-loss limit before playing.

Here’s an example on doing so:

• You can comfortably risk $10,000 on video poker.
• You plan on betting $5 per hand.
• 10,000 / 5 = 2,000 betting units
• You set a stop-loss limit of 200 units for each session.

Progressive video poker isn’t necessarily expensive to play. You can enjoy this game for the same amount as regular video poker in many cases.

However, the amount of RTP wrapped up in the jackpot will be as much as 5% or 10%. That said, you won’t be winning as much money back while chasing the top prize. Therefore, you should also have some extra funds when playing the progressive version.

Expect Volatility

Continuing off the last point, progressive video poker features lots of volatility. It offers a big jackpot that will go to one player.

Meanwhile, everybody else who doesn’t win the jackpot will accelerate their losses through the side bets.

You can’t be overly frustrated if your bankroll begins disappearing quicker. High volatility is the cost of chasing large video poker jackpots.

Of course, high stakes video poker can also feature plenty of volatility. You’re putting more money on the line in each hand, meaning you have more to lose during a bad session. You should really stick to your stop-loss limit when playing for high stakes.

Don’t Use the Royal Only Strategy

Assuming your goal is to ultimately win six figures through video poker, then you might think about the royal only strategy. This approach sees you only keep cards that improve your chances of getting the royal.

Here’s an example on how this strategy works:

• You hold 10d-Jd-3s-3h-3c.
• Proper strategy suggests keeping the three of a kind and guaranteed payout.
• Desperate for a royal, you instead hold 10d-Jd and dump the rest.

The royal only approach works well in tournaments, where you pay a set buy-in. You pretty much need an all-in approach like this to win a video poker tourney. If you don’t get a royal and win, though, then you’re only out a single buy-in.

When you’re going after a progressive jackpot, though, you’ll be sacrificing lots of small winnings with the royal only strategy. Provided you don’t get the jackpot, then you’re going to be out lots of money.

Modify Your Strategy to Some Degree

You can see that going to the extreme of only keeping royal cards isn’t a great move. However, you should consider modifying your strategy in some cases.

If you have four cards to a sequential royal and a $100k jackpot is on the line, then you should definitely keep these cards regardless of your made hand.

The odds of you getting that fifth card still aren’t amazing. But it’s worth sacrificing a smaller win when such a huge jackpot is a possibility.

With high-limit video poker, you don’t necessarily need to change up your playing strategy. You’re still playing the exact same game as quarter video poker—only with more money on the line.

The only thing that you must think about differently is discipline. You want to especially remain true to your bankroll plan when gambling at higher limits.

Will You Ultimately Win Six Figures Through Video Poker?

You’re highly unlikely to walk into a casino and win a six-figure video poker prize within the first session. If you keep at it, though, then you stand a chance of winning big.

Lots of luck is involved with winning a progressive jackpot or $100k payout through the high-stakes version. The only thing you can do is use proper strategy and manage your bankroll wisely.

If you truly want to experience the thrill of winning a six-figure video poker prize, then you just need to keep playing with a rational mindset.

It might take you dozens or even hundreds of sessions to eventually collect a huge payout. On the other hand, you could get really lucky and win one sooner than later.

Conclusion

Not many players win $100,000 or more through video poker. Therefore, you should temper your expectations when chasing jackpots.

This feat, however, can be done. Huck Seed, Bart Hanson, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. are some of the players who’ve collected six figures through video poker.

The two routes for chasing huge video poker wins include high-limit play and progressive jackpots. High stakes give you a better shot at winning huge payouts right away. After all, you don’t need to wait for the jackpot to grow to a certain point.

Progressive video poker is better if you’re a low-stakes player who wants to win serious money. It doesn’t require you to risk $5 or more per hand.

You can consider your bankroll and how you’d like to play before starting the journey towards a $100k+ video poker jackpot.