Key takeaways
- Video poker: about 0.5% on full-pay Jacks or Better.
- Slots: around 4%; from about 2% to 10%.
- Cheaper per pound staked: video poker.
- Cheaper per hour at typical stakes: video poker.
AnswerBoth are machines. Video poker shows its odds on the paytable and rewards correct holds; slots hide the maths and ask nothing.
Side by side
| Line | Video poker | Slots |
|---|---|---|
| House edge | About 0.5% on full-pay Jacks or Better | Around 4%; from about 2% to 10% |
| RTP | 99.54% | About 96% |
| Skill | Yes | No |
| Rounds an hour | About 400 | About 600 |
| Volatility | Medium | Low to very high |
| Best bet | A 9/6 Jacks or Better table with a strategy chart | A slot whose help screen shows 96% or more |
| Avoid | Short-pay tables | Low-RTP versions of popular slots |
| Bonus contribution | Often excluded | 100% |
An hour of each
| Game | Stake | Rounds | Staked | Average cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video poker | £1 | 400 | £400 | £1.84 |
| Slots | £0.2 | 600 | £120 | £4.8 |
Typical stakes and pace. A long-run average.
£100 staked
On video poker, £100 of stakes costs £0.46 on average. On slots, £4.
In practice
On a full-pay Jacks or Better table with correct holds, video poker returns about 99.5% against a typical slot's 96%. But it is nearly as fast as a slot, and short-pay tables at 95% to 97% are common, at which point the advantage has gone. Read the paytable; a slot will not show you its maths.
How they feel
Five-card draw poker against a paytable. With a full-pay table and correct holds it is among the cheapest games in a casino.
Spinning reels decided by a random number generator. The simplest casino game, the fastest, and the one whose price varies most.
Verdict
Choose video poker if
you want a machine game whose odds you can see.
Choose slots if
you want variety, features and small stakes.
Full guides
Video poker and Slots. Any pair: comparison tool.
More comparisons: Live vs online casino games, Blackjack vs roulette and Slots vs roulette.
Elsewhere on the site: Best RTP slots UK, Casino game myths, Roulette bets and odds, Casino dice games UK and Casino Hold'em UK.
House edges and RTPs are standard published figures for common rules, and are long-run averages. Offer terms dated 5 October 2026. How we check. 18+. Free help: 0808 8020 133 or safer gambling.
Frequently asked questions
Is video poker or slots better?
Both are machines.
Which has the lower house edge?
Video poker.
Which is cheaper per hour?
Video poker, at typical stakes.
Which needs skill?
Video poker.