Understanding Paytables

Knowing the paytables has nothing to do with becoming an expert but everything to do with making sure your money goes as far as possible. Here are a few ways to make paytables work for you.

Video Poker

1) When choosing a video poker game, remember that different types of video poker have different types of paytables. This can have a big effect on the rules of the game and the best strategy to use when playing it. For example, some games pay out a bonus for particular types of four of a kind.

2) Before you begin playing, take some time to familiarise yourself with the paytable. This will tell you what payout you can expect for what hands. The paytable also gives you a good indication of what the return on a specific game is. The general rule is that the higher the payout, the better the return. For example Jacks or Better gives 9 for a Full House and 6 for a Flush so this game has a return of 99.5%.

3) Always play the maximum number of coins allowed. Many games offer bonuses on the highest hand for five coin played.

Slots

1) Bet the maximum number of coins. Imagine playing a single line progressive, hitting the jackpot, and only getting paid a fraction of the possible jackpot amount just because you played two coins instead of three.

2) Betting more coins on a single payline slot activates more paytables, whereas on a multipayline it activates more paylines. This is an important concept to grasp as you might bet too few coins by mistake and then hit a big win on a payline you hadn't activated.

3) The paytable is also a handy reference to how many coins it takes to activate side benefits like bonus rounds or gamble features.

4) Not all paytables are calculated alike. On regular slots, paytables are quoted in coins, not credits or currency. The only slots that quote payouts as credits or currency are progressives.