Video poker is certainly a popular game because certain variations give players an opportunity to earn long-term profits. For example, full pay Deuces Wild enables players to earn 100.76% payback and beat the house edge. With this being the case, Deuces Wild has become pretty popular among both beginning and experienced players.

However, the thing to understand is that Deuces Wild and other video poker games aren't always full pay - especially when they can give players the advantage. The paytables often differ depending on where a game is offered, and it's important to know what kind of payback you're getting. Now let's talk about what you need to look for in regard to differing tables.

A Big Difference

Whether it's Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild or any other video poker game, you should always look at the paytable before playing. The reason why is because payback can sometimes feature a 10% difference based on what game you choose. And obviously you want to be on the better end of this!

Using Jacks or Better as an example, the full pay version - which offers 99.54% payback - features 9-coin payouts for a full house and 6-coin payouts for a flush. For this reason, full pay versions of this game are called 9/6 Jacks or Better.

Contrast this to a game like 8/6 Jacks or Better, which offers 8 coins for a full house and 6 coins for a flush. Now this may not sound like a big difference - especially when there are several other types of payouts that are the same. However, by moving from 9/6 to 8/6 Jacks or Better, payback drops from 99.54% to 98.39%.

Don't settle for Less

While many people play video poker for enjoyment, the ultimate goal is to make some money. And your chances of doing so are much better when you perform research on video poker paytables before playing. This of course requires knowing the difference between paytables, so make sure to bring this information with you to a land-based casino, or do an internet search for online casinos.

By finding full pay versions of the games you enjoy, you're going to make far more long-term winnings. And don't forget to study basic video poker strategy while you're at it! After all, full pay games don't matter a whole lot if you're not making wise decisions in the first place.