Where To Play Video Poker
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Tourists often have a hard time finding good returns on video poker when visiting Las Vegas. This is mainly because most of the games on the Las Vegas Strip have a house edge of at least 2%. On top of that, the games at McCarran Airport are far worse than any of the games you’ll find at many Vegas casinos. Serious video poker players will want to stay away from the Strip all together when visiting Las Vegas, or at least take a short taxi ride to find the better games with a higher RTP.
While that is the case, there are still many options available to casino advantage players; you just have to know where to look. Below we’ll go into further detail on how you can find the best casinos to play video poker when visiting Las Vegas.
Online Video Poker. Another popular way to play real money poker online is through online casino sites. Similar to a land-based casino, the online casino sites offer a video poker section with.
#1 The D: Best Video Poker Game in Las Vegas
The single best video poker machine in Las Vegas is located at one of my personal favorites; The D. The casino at The D is located downtown on the Fremont Street Experience, which you’ll recognize by the infamous red “D” logo. The game we are talking about is called Loose Deuces Wild and it returns 101.6% on five coins (with perfect play).
There is just one single machine with this game on it at The D, and it’s located on the second floor. All machines found on this level operate on coins. The denomination for this Loose Deuces Wild machine is a measly $.05. If that machine is taken, there is also a 10/7/5 Double Bonus game available in quarters just a few steps away.
Honorable Mention: Video Poker at The M Resort & Casino
We recently decided to add in The M Resort & Casino as an honorable mention. As of 2018, The M has one of the best overall video poker offerings for players among casinos in the Las Vegas area. When considering the 99% payback games available at machines around the resort, including at the bars, The M casino in Henderson is a great choice for video poker players.
There are many 99% machines available in the high limit room as well, with denominations as low as $1. This casino is about 20 minutes off the strip, but is one of the newest properties in Henderson and has one of the most modern layouts among Las Vegas Casinos.
Other Great Video Poker Games in Downtown Las Vegas
The D is not the only place on Fremont Street to find good video poker games that return over 100%. While the Vegas Strip’s positive payback video poker machines are few and far between, Fremont Street has a lot to offer in this regard. Below we have outlined the casinos with positive payback on video poker.
#2 El Cortez Video Poker
The El Cortez offers several $0.25 full pay Deuces Wild machines which have a 100.76% payback. Aside from this, they also spread 10/7/5 Double Bonus Poker in several locations on the casino floor. With this abundance of great options, it is one of the best casinos to visit for playing video poker.
#3 Las Vegas Club Video Poker (Now Closed)
The casino at Las Vegas Club in downtown Las Vegas spreads full pay Joker Poker which has a 100.64% return. All of these games operate on coins and return over 100%, which is much better than those located on the strip. This casino has since been sold, closed and a new property will take its place. For posterity and reference, we have left this in our guide.
#4 Boyd Gaming Video Poker
Two of the three Boyd Gaming properties in downtown Las Vegas offer video poker machines that return over 100%. In downtown Las Vegas, California and Main Street Station have 10/7/5 Double Bonus. These casinos also have a variety of full pay games that return 99.5% or better. Main Street Station has full pay Jacks or Better at the bar as well.
#5 Plaza Las Vegas Video Poker
It is also worth noting that Plaza Las Vegas recently upgraded all of its video poker machines, many of which now return over 100%. Its best game is 10/7/5 Double Bonus, which returns 100.17%. It also has 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe and 9/6 Jacks or Better. Both of these games are located at the bar, which is an added plus.
Vegas Locals’ Casinos with the Best Video Poker
If you are looking to get away from Fremont Street and the Las Vegas Strip, there are many locals casinos that offer 100%+ return video poker machines. All major Station Casinos properties offer video poker games that return over 100%. Red Rock, Santa Fe Station, Green Valley Ranch, Boulder Station and Texas Station are among the casinos that offer these games. Not all machines at these properties have the great returns. The ones that do will be clearly advertised, so they are fairly easy to spot.
The best game on these video poker machines is full pay Deuces Wild. Other great options include 10/7/5 Double Bonus and 10/6 Double Double Bonus. Some of the machines also offer full pay Joker Poker. All games are available in quarters. The Double and Double Double Bonus games are also available in $.50 and $1 denominations.Palms spreads full pay Deuces Wild, Double Bonus and Double Double Bonus. Sam’s Town also offers these games. All are available in quarters.
Never Use Players Card in Full Pay Machines
When many Video poker players start out, they learn that they should always use a players card when giving video poker action. The games listed above are one of the only exceptions. The reason for this is that casinos will often assume players that play on these devices are experts who are giving up no edge on the game. This can stop all mailers from casinos which means no more free play or hotel offers. For this reason it will do you well to avoid using a players card on these types of machines; even if you have a players card at the casino.
How Can Casinos Make Money Off 100% Video Poker?
Casinos still make money from video poker games that return more than 100%. That is because many players will not play all five coins required for the extra royal flush bonus. Most of the games available require a complicated basic strategy that differs from Jacks or Better. Many players do not put in the time to learn these strategies, and the casinos know this. The Deuces Wild games found on these machines should not be played like a normal game with a lower pay table, since it has a completely different strategy.
For these reasons, casinos still manage to make money from the games we mentioned in this article. Always make sure to play five coins every hand and learn the proper strategy so that you can play at an advantage on full pay machines. This will result in a theoretical 100%+ return on your play.
Kevin King is a former professional gambler and casino expert from Las Vegas who now shares his expertise in the form of casino guides and reviews.
There are huge differences in the number of video poker games available at Michigan casinos. The largest, including MGM Grand Detroit and Firekeepers Casino, have more than 100 games. The smallest tribal casinos only have a handful of video poker terminals.
You will soon find video poker games at licensed online casinos in Michigan. These are available via your web browser and Android and iOS casino apps.
Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild and Joker Poker have been joined by many more variations over the years. New titles like Hot Roll, Ultimate X and Super Star add bonus games and the potential for big prizes to the mix. Add the multi-hand variations, bonus poker and other versions, and you will find that Michigan has enough variety to keep even hardened video poker fans happy.
This page has you covered for all things video poker in the Great Lakes State. Here, you will find information on the laws, odds, and the availability of games at both live casinos and online.
Is video poker legal in Michigan?
Live and online casinos are legal in Michigan, though the latter has yet to be opened. Physical versions of games such as craps, blackjack and slots are not allowed outside of the confines of a casino.
Casino gambling in Michigan was made legal in 1996. The Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act authorized three commercial casinos in Detroit the following year. You will find slots, table games and video poker at the MGM Grand, MotorCity Casino and Greektown Casino. There are more than 20 tribal casinos throughout the state’s two peninsulas.
Online casinos, including slots, table games and live dealer casinos, are 100% legal and regulated in Michigan. Act H4311, passed in 2019 and signed into law that year by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Dec. 20. This bill set up a framework for online gambling regulation and licensing. This covers casino games and poker. Separate concurrent bills introduced sports betting and expanded lottery gaming.
The initial licenses are available to the commercial and tribal casinos. These venues began partnering with online brands immediately to develop their products. The first online casinos could go live as early as late-2020, though more likely sometime in 2021. To legally gamble online in Michigan, you must be 21 years old or above.
Online casino apps will not work outside of state borders.
Can you play video poker online?
Most online casinos in Michigan will likely have video poker games available. These can be accessed either through your computer’s internet browser or via an app for Android and Apple devices, including tablets.
Online casinos are typically dominated by slots, with live dealer table games also popular. This means you will usually need to dig into the menu to locate the video poker games. Online software from big names like IGT, Game King and NetEnt has multiple options.
Here are some of the games expected to be available at Michigan online casinos:
- Jacks or Better
- Deuces Wild
- Joker Poker
- Bonus Poker
- Bonus Bonus Poker
- Multi-Hand Video Poker Variations
When you begin playing at online casinos in Michigan, you can likely take advantage of a lot of generous bonuses and incentives. These include no-deposit bonuses, loss rebates for your first few days, or big matched bonuses designed to encourage deposits.
Video poker at sweepstakes casinos
An alternative to waiting for the licensed online casinos in Michigan is sweepstakes casinos. These websites use laws designed for marketing via sweepstakes contests to operate legally across the United States. They offer slots, video poker and some table games.
As the player, you can enjoy casino games in the same way you would any other site. Behind the scenes, however, these casinos work differently.
You will not be able to buy chips directly at casinos like Chumba Casino and FunzPoints. Instead, you buy play-money chips and are given free sweeps cash or premium points to play the ‘real money’ games with.
Best casinos for video poker
All Michigan live casinos have at least a few video poker games. The difference between the best, which have more than 100 machines to choose from, and the rest, is significant. The five casinos below are the places to head for variety, choice of paytables and innovative video poker games.
You will find these terminals on the casino floor and also in bar-top format in sports bars within the resorts.
No. 1 — Four Winds Casino
This tribal casino has the largest selection of video poker games in Michigan. More than 125 titles include many ‘Super Times Pay’ variations, along with Ultimate X, Max Action and Hot Roll Poker. You will also find the standard video poker formats on offer. This casino also hosts more than 3,000 slots and 60 table games. You can join their loyalty program, the W Club, and enjoy a hotel and dining options, including a Hard Rock Café.
- Address: 11111 Wilson Rd., New Buffalo, MI 49117
- Phone Number: 866-494-6371
No. 2 — Firekeepers Casino
Another large tribal casino, Firekeepers offers more than 115 video poker games, plus 2,900 slots and more than 75 table games. Video poker fans will find a huge list of variants to choose from. These include multi-hand games (including Hundred Play and Fifty Play Draw Poker), bonus games like Ultimate X and Super Times Pay, plus Quick Quads, Magic Deal and Hyper Bonus Poker. This casino, which opened in 2009, is a joint venture with Full House Resorts.
- Address: 11177 E. Michigan Ave., Battle Creek, MI, 49014
- Phone Number: 877-352-8777
No. 3 — MGM Grand Detroit
This iconic resort opened in 1999 in downtown Detroit. It was the first luxury casino resort outside of Las Vegas and is the largest casino in Michigan. Alongside 100 video poker terminals, you can play 3,500 slots and 143 table games. Video poker options include All-Star Poker, Hot Roll Poker, Ultimate X and Super Times Pay. This casino includes a hotel, 12,000-seat theater, plus a selection of restaurants and bars.
- Address: 1777 Third Avenue, Detroit, MI, 48226
- Phone Number: 877-888-2121
No. 4 — MotorCity Casino
This large Detroit casino is housed in a historic building downtown. Their selection of 2,800 slots includes 160 games in a smoke-free area. There is also a poker room and 59 casino table games on offer. With almost 100 video poker machines, there are many traditional and innovative variants to play. These include 3/5/10 Play Poker, several different Ultimate X variants and entertaining options such as Dbl Big Wheel, Hot Roll and Hyper Bonus Poker.
- Address: 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit, MI 48201
- Phone Number: 866-782-9622
No. 5 — Greektown Casino
This casino is operated by Penn National Gaming and is located in the historic Greektown district of Detroit. There are 3,000 slots and video poker machines, plus table games and a poker room. With only 48 video poker machines, the proportion of these games is lower than at the other casinos on this list. The games include all the favorites, plus Hot Roll, Multi-Strike, All-Star and Ultimate X games.
- Address: 555 E. Lafayette St., Detroit, MI 48226
- Phone Number: 313-223-2999
Where To Play Video Poker Near Me
Popular video poker games available in Michigan
Alongside the traditional standards like Joker Poker, Jacks or Better and Bonus Poker variations, you’ll find some entertaining variations in Michigan. Here are three of the more popular titles found in casinos in Detroit and elsewhere which take the regular video poker format and make it more exciting:
- Hot Roll Video Poker: This game adds a dice bonus feature on top of a standard game. This costs an extra five coins for 10 coins per hand total for the best paytable. You get a special dice card, which lets you go on streaks (hot roll is a saying that comes from craps). Different rolls get multipliers with the biggest being 12 times. You play a hand for each roll. This continues until you hit seven, which ends the bonus with a ‘seven-out’.
- Super Star Poker: This popular video poker bar-top terminal contains all the most played games in one place. They include the standards, plus Super Times Pay, Spin Poker and multi-hand games. For some variety, you can play Siberian Storm slots and keno games on these multi-denomination consoles.
- Ultimate X Poker: You pay five extra coins per line to enable the bonus feature on Ultimate X poker. This awards random win multipliers, which are displayed before the hands are dealt. You can play up to 10 lines. Multipliers start at two times and go up to 10 times. Ultimate X machines can switch game format. Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Joker Poker, Double Bonus Poker or even Triple Double Bonus Poker can all have the multiplier feature on top of their regular gameplay.
Where to play video poker in Michigan?
Here is where to find the video poker in Michigan, listed in the order of how many games are available:
- Four Winds Casino: 11111 Wilson Rd., New Buffalo, MI 49117, 866-494-6371
- Firekeepers Casino: 11177 E. Michigan Ave., Battle Creek, MI 49014, 877-352-8777
- MGM Grand Detroit: 1777 Third Ave., Detroit, MI 48226, 877-888-2121
- MotorCity Casino: 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit, MI 48201, 866-782-9622
- Greektown Casino: 555 E. Lafayette Street, Detroit, MI 48226, 313-223-2999
- Little River Casino: Government Center Dr., Manistee, MI 49660, 888-568-2244
- Soaring Eagle Casino: 6800 Soaring Eagle Blvd., Mt Pleasant, MI 48858, 898-775-5777
- Saganing Eagles Landing Casino: 2690 Worth Rd., Standish, MI 48658, 888-732-4537
- Odawa Casino: 1760 Lears Rd., Petoskey, MI 49770, 877-442-6464
- Island Resort and Casino: W. 399 US-2, Harris, MI 49845, 800-682-6040
- Turtle Creek Casino: 7741 M-72, Williamsburg, MI 49690, 231-534-8870
- Four Winds Casino Dowagiac: 58700 M-51, Dowagiac, MI 49047, 866-494-6371
- Four Winds Casino Hartford: 68600 Red Arrow Hwy., Hartford, MI 49057, 866-494-6371
- Kewadin Casino: 2168 Shunk Rd., Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783, 800-539-2346
- Ojibwa Casino: 105 Acre Trail, Marquette, MI 49855, 906-249-4200
- Northern Waters Casino: N5384 US-45, Watersmeet, MI 49969, 906-358-4226
- Bay Mills Casino: 111386 W. Lakeshore Dr., Brimley, MI 49715, 888-422-9645
- Leelanau Casino: 2521 N. West Bay Shore Dr., Peshawbestown, MI 49682, 231-534-8100
How to play video poker for free
There are many reasons to check out free video poker games. Some people want to nail the strategy before playing for real money, while others want to check out the available variations.
You’ll likely be able to enjoy many games in demo mode at Michigan’s online casinos. Simply find the title you want and click ‘demo’ or ‘free’ depending on which casino you choose and you’ll get play-money credits.
While your play-chips balance will not be saved between sessions, these demo games are a great way to enjoy video poker. You can make sure the games at your casino are compatible with your smartphone or tablet and that the buttons and cards are easy to use.
This is also a great way to check out bonus features like multipliers or dice and picks games on the newer and more complex variations.
What video poker game has the best odds?
Video poker has the lowest house edge of any casino games. The better odds compared to slot games and keno are a big part of what makes video poker so popular.
You can sometimes find full pay video poker games. These have a zero house-edge if you play the mathematically perfect strategy, which is probably why these games have become increasingly rare.
Typically, most video poker variants have a Return to Player (RTP) of 98% or better.
To get the video poker with the lowest house edge, you need to check the paytable. What you should look for first are the odds for straights and flushes. The best you will find is 9/6 and the worst are 8/5 or lower.
If you are playing bonus poker variants, keep in mind that the payout for straights and flushes will be lower.
The best poker hands, like royal flushes and straight flushes, also influence the odds of a game. The extra money you get for betting five coins for a royal means playing one to four coins increases the house edge significantly, sometimes by as much a 5%. Make sure you play the maximum coins, stepping down a denomination if needed.
Basics of video poker strategy
Your strategy will probably vary depending on which video poker game you are playing. Some universal principles will help you to keep the house edge low and give you the best shot at walking away with a win.
Checking the paytable, finding out the RTP and making sure you fully understand the rules of any bonus or special features is your starting point for all games. You should also ensure that you are betting enough coins to get the best possible returns.
Which cards to hold is very much game dependent. What you will find is the situations where you break a winning hand to try for a better one are rare. For example, in Jacks or Better, you will only break a pair of jacks or above when you have a strong draw to a royal flush. Pairs under jacks (which would not pay unless they improve) can be discarded when you have four to a flush or an open-ended straight.
If you are playing Deuces Wild or another game with wilds involved, then you will need to adjust your strategy. Here you only get paid for three-of-a-kind or better in many instances. This means holding small pairs is less profitable when you do have a shot at making better hands.
Play Video Poker For Fun
Bankroll management is a key part of the strategy for any casino game. This can be put to use for creating a stop-loss, deciding which denomination to play, and setting rules for yourself about when to move up and take a shot at the bigger prizes.
Is video poker rigged?
The shuffle of cards for casino video poker games is controlled by software called a random number generator (RNG). Every time you press deal, a new shuffle is created in that instance. Past and future deals are not linked.
RNG software of all the major video poker producers is tested over millions of deals. The results are then compared to the published paytable and RTP% to ensure they match. The good news is that many billions of video poker hands have been played already, and there is zero mathematical evidence that the deal is different from a completely random shuffle.
Any game with a house edge will mean the casino wins in the end. With video poker, that edge is small enough that you have a legitimate shot of having many winning sessions along the way.
Online video poker games are also audited for game fairness by all the major brands. You can play video poker online in Michigan with complete confidence.
Can video poker be beaten?
Having a low house edge means you will win at video poker more often than in other casino games. Over the long run, results will always revert to the mean, which in the case of this game is around 1% in favor of the house.
Bonus games add volatility to video poker. They also give you a shot at the jackpot-sized prizes that are comparable with slots. As long as you don’t risk too much of your bankroll on a single session, games like Ultimate X and Hot Roll Poker give you a shot at a windfall.
Online casinos offer bonuses and loyalty incentives to their players. Combined with the low house edge of video poker, these give you the best shot at a winning session. Keep in mind that some casinos exclude (or heavily weight) video poker for bonus clearance.
Wrapping up: Michigan video poker
There are almost 800 video poker machines in Michigan. With online casinos hopefully going live in late-2020, this number could be given a significant boost. All the most popular regular, bonus poker and novelty titles are available throughout the state, some that include ways to get multipliers of up to 12 times. If you are lucky enough to combine this with a royal flush, then a jackpot-sized windfall is heading your way.
Where Can I Play Video Poker Near Me
Online casinos give you access to video poker games on your iPhone, smartphone, or computer. Alongside these titles, you will find hundreds of slots, table games like blackjack and roulette, plus live dealer casino games.
Online games can be enjoyed for real money or tried out in free-play mode. The free versions are a great way to try out the different titles and see which ones you like best before checking them out for real money.