# Who is favored in this video poker game? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 19, 2015, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-favored-in-this-video-poker-game/713052 "2015-02-19T01:20:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-favored-in-this-video-poker-game/713052/1 "2015-02-19T01:20:57Z")
There’s a Japanese role playing game with a video poker side game using a full deck and 2 jokers. The payout table is below: Anything less than 2 pair: loss 2 pair: 2x bet 3 of a kind: 3x Straight: 5x Flush: 7x Full house: 8x Four of a kind: 10x Straight flush: 20x Royal flush: 50x Five of a kind: 100x Now, after a win, the game allows you to bet double or nothing by dealing a card from a fresh deck and betting whether the next is high or low (with jokers being higher than aces). If you are right, or the next card is the same, you double your winnings with a chance to double up again (up to ten times total). Players of this game swear the computer cheats on the double up game (seemingly too many times when the safe bet loses). It occurred to me that it wouldn’t need to if the game were properly weighted towards the house. Who is favored in this game? I have a feeling it’s the player, basked on my experience playing it and the fact that the game designers here have a different purpose with it than a casino, but I found the question interesting anyway. (I know video game circumstances are different, especially in this one, where you can save and reload if you lose big, but that is only a factor in designer intent.) ---
**Author:** ![buddy431](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@buddy431](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddy431)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-favored-in-this-video-poker-game/713052/2 "2015-02-19T01:43:43Z")
How do jokers count? Are they any card to give the best hand? Any card to complete a flush or straight? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-favored-in-this-video-poker-game/713052/3 "2015-02-20T09:02:59Z")
Highest hand. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-favored-in-this-video-poker-game/713052/5 "2015-02-20T13:31:07Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Now, after a win, the game allows you to bet double or nothing by dealing a card from a fresh deck and betting whether the next is high or low (with jokers being higher than aces). If you are right, or the next card is the same, you double your winnings with a chance to double up again (up to ten times total). So you get a card and then decide if you want to go for double, or you have to decide before they deal any cards? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-favored-in-this-video-poker-game/713052/6 "2015-02-20T14:38:30Z")
Moved to the Game Room. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-favored-in-this-video-poker-game/713052/7 "2015-02-20T18:43:52Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > So you get a card and then decide if you want to go for double, or you have to decide before they deal any cards? I believe you have to decided to double or not, then see the card, then decide whether to bet high or low. Since ties are decided in your favor, the doubling bet is better than 50-50 regardless of the first card so based on expected value, it should always be taken. The worst card to see is an 8 where you have a 54.7% chance of winning the doubling bet. Seeing a joker or 2 makes it a sure-thing bet. Before seeing the card, the chance of winning the bet is 78.2%. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-favored-in-this-video-poker-game/713052/8 "2015-02-20T18:46:34Z")
I assume by payout you mean if I bet $1 and get two pair, I get $2 back for a winning of $1 not that I win $2 (getting back $3). ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-favored-in-this-video-poker-game/713052/9 "2015-02-20T19:45:27Z")
I think your hunch is right - if I pput in the numbers right: [http://www.beatingbonuses.com/vp.php](http://www.beatingbonuses.com/vp.php) suggests the house edge is: Double Joker: Paytable Analysis Optimized House Edge: -46.60% (146.60%) Default House Edge: -45.03% (145.03%) Standard Deviation: 3.22 Final Hand Pay Percentage 1 in … Royal Flush 50 0.0011% 94534 Wild Royal Flush 50 0.0222% 4510 5 of a Kind 100 0.0415% 2411 Straight Flush 20 0.123% 810 4 of a Kind 10 1.83% 55 Full House 8 1.81% 55 Flush 7 2.54% 39 Straight 5 3.70% 27 3 of Kind 3 17.2% 5.8 2 Pair 2 9.16% 11 Nothing 0 63.6% 1.6 ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-favored-in-this-video-poker-game/713052/10 "2015-02-20T19:51:51Z")
Sorry for the bad formatting above, by the time I got around to trying to edit - window was over ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-favored-in-this-video-poker-game/713052/11 "2015-02-20T20:25:04Z")
Hopefully this will look better: ```auto Double Joker: Paytable Analysis Optimized House Edge: -46.60% (146.60%) Default House Edge: -45.03% (145.03%) Standard Deviation: 3.22 **Final Hand Pay Percentage 1 in ... **Royal Flush 50 0.000011 94534 Wild Royal Flush 50 0.000222 4510 5 of a Kind 100 0.000415 2411 Straight Flush 20 0.00123 810 4 of a Kind 10 0.0183 55 Full House 8 0.0181 55 Flush 7 0.0254 39 Straight 5 0.037 27 3 of Kind 3 0.172 5.8 2 Pair 2 0.0916 11 Nothing 0 0.636 1.6 ```