$670k to Huck Seed
Probably best known for winning the 1996 World Series of Poker main event, Huck Seed received a $1 million payout. Therefore, it can be said that he's not a stranger to winning big.
However, in 2011 he hit the ball out of the park and managed to win $670,665 playing video poker at the ARIA in Las Vegas. It's worth noting that he was betting $500 per round until he collected the prize. All in all, Seed played for over 6 hours, betting over $1,000 each hour. When he finally hit the progressive payout he was $50,000 down.
Seed calculated that due to the jackpot size he'd have a 0.65% advantage. Theoretically, this meant he would earn $3 for every round played.
Anonymous Video Poker Player Wins $400k
An anonymous video poker player managed to win $400,000 at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas in 2017. Wanting to remain out of the public eye, it was up to the Cosmopolitan Casino to share the news of the win via Twitter. The player was utilising a 100-hand triple-double bonus machine. As such, they were betting $500 per round or $5 for each hand. There's no information on how much the player spent in order to win this massive progressive prize, though we're certain they came out on top.
Poker Pro Bart Hanson Bags $200k
The poker pro, Bart Hanson, managed to bag $200,000 when playing at Caesars Palace in 2018. Though he wasn't betting the highest stakes as were the previous winners, he was nevertheless wagering $250 per round on a 100-line game. When interviewed later, Hanson said, “There’s a way to do it (win a large jackpot) on some very high stakes video poker with the lowest expected loss, people would actually be surprised, it’s not that much of a loss, but you gotta play big.”
"I was actually playing a game that I don’t normally play, which was Bonus Poker (99.17% RTP), which was slightly worse than Jacks or Better (99.54% RTP). And the reason why I was playing it was because I told myself, ‘I never hit the royal. Let me play Bonus, so if I hit 4 of a kind I’ll get like $20,000.’”
Player Nets $180k with Sequential Royal Flush
There are some video poker machines where you need to land a certain type of royal flush in order to win the progressive jackpot. Sometimes this involves landing a royal flush of a specific suit or a sequential royal flush. Often this will need to be presented in perfect order, including Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10.
To be frank, landing a royal flush in any manner is hard enough. Therefore, it was a lucky day for a gambler at the Boulder Station in downtown Las Vegas in 2019. They landed a sequential royal flush and left the casino $180,000 better off. The winner chose to remain anonymous.
Tips for Winning Big at Video Poker
Being able to land huge video poker payouts is no easy feat. However, you can improve your chances by following the tips below.
Play High Stakes Games
They are really two roads available for winning the video poker jackpots. They are either playing video poker machines that reward a royal flush or playing for higher stakes. This latter option is probably the easiest way to bag yourself a video poker jackpot. Keep in mind that the odds are a minuscule 0.00015 percent (or a 1 in 649,740 chance) of receiving a royal flush. If you're looking for a sequential royal flush, then the odds jump to 1 in 2.4 million.
As you saw from these previous winners, you need to play with high stakes. If you do have the money to burn, then at least you have the consolation of knowing that you can look forward to lower expected losses in the long run. Just like Huck Seed, it may be possible to gain a theoretical advantage.
Video Poker Strategy Matters
Because video poker is primarily a game of luck, you can win whether you know any video poker strategies or not. However, without this knowledge, your bankroll may suffer, especially if you're chasing progressive jackpots. By utilising a video poker strategy, you will have a better idea of the correct plays. This will help to sustain your bankroll during the period in which you're chasing the mega-prizes. If you have a look online, you can find video poker strategy charts and trainers that are designed to help you achieve the highest RTP.
Below you can see the hands with the best payouts in video poker:
Type of Hand | Royal Flush | Straight Flush | Four of a Kind | Full House | Flush |
Odds on Initial Deal | 649,740 to 1 | 72,193 to 1 | 4,165 to 1 | 694 to 1 | 509 to 1 |
Odds on Draw Holding 4 cards | 47 to 1 | 47 to 1 | N/A | N/A | 5 to 1 |
Odds on Draw Holding 3 cards | 1,081 to 1 | 360 to 1 | 23.24 to 1 | 16 to 1 | 26 to 1 |
Odds on Draw Holding 2 cards | 16,215 to 1 | 8,107 to 1 | 360 to 1 | 98 to 1 | 99 to 1 |
Odds on Draw Holding 1 card | 178,365 to 1 | 59,455 to 1 | 3,430 to 1 | 619 to 1 | 361 to 1 |
Plan for Volatility
With a royal flush coming in at odds of 1 to 649,740, then you shouldn’t expect to win the jackpot straight away. However, if your focus is fixed on collecting a big prize, it's important that you account for the game’s volatility. It's true that starting with a large bankroll will help cushion you through the rough patches. We suggest that you have enough bankroll to last you at least 500 rounds. This means that if the qualifying bets are €5, i.e. 5 x €1 coins, then you need at least €2,500 to get started.
Play High Stakes to Win
There's a reason why the majority of casino players aren't hunting for progressive jackpots. These prizes may well be worth the effort, but they require a very big bankroll, which is going to be a challenge for the majority of players. In addition, in order to have a chance of landing a sequential royal flash, you’ll need to play with high stakes.
Hopefully, this article proves that there is some serious money to be won playing video poker. If you feel your bankroll is up to it and you're prepared to play the long game, there are certainly some very big rewards waiting.
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