Last updated: April 2026
Rules & Mechanics
What is Pickem Poker?
Pickem Poker is a video poker variant where you start with two face-up cards, then choose between two offered two-card combinations to build a four-card base. A final fifth card is dealt automatically and your completed hand is evaluated against the paytable. The game is available primarily at RTG-powered online casinos.
How is Pickem Poker different from Jacks or Better?
In Jacks or Better you receive five cards and choose which to hold and discard. In Pickem Poker you start with two cards and choose between two offered pairs — there is no discard stage. Pickem Poker also pays on pairs of 9s and 10s, which Jacks or Better does not. The strategy hierarchy is different, and the game has slightly higher variance per hand.
How many decisions do you make per hand?
One. You choose between Option A and Option B — two offered two-card combinations. That is the only strategic decision in the game. The starting deal and the final fifth card are both automatic. This makes the strategy simpler to learn than multi-decision games, but the one choice carries significant expected-value weight.
Does Pickem Poker use a standard 52-card deck?
Yes. Pickem Poker uses a standard 52-card deck with no jokers or wild cards in the standard version. The deck is shuffled fresh for each hand by an RNG (random number generator). There are no shared cards between hands — previous results have no effect on future deals.
What hands pay in Pickem Poker?
On a full-pay 9/6 table: Royal Flush (800-for-1 at max coins), Straight Flush (50-for-1), Four of a Kind (25-for-1), Full House (9-for-1), Flush (6-for-1), Straight (4-for-1), Three of a Kind (3-for-1), Two Pair (2-for-1), Jacks or Better (1-for-1), and Nines or Tens (1-for-1). The 9s/10s payout is unique to Pickem Poker and increases hit frequency compared to most video poker games.
What does "max coins" mean and why does it matter?
Max coins means betting five credits per hand instead of one to four. At max coins, the Royal Flush pays 4,000 credits (800-for-1) instead of the proportional 250-for-1 at lower bet sizes. This bonus adds approximately 3% to overall RTP. Playing sub-max coins is voluntarily accepting a ~97% RTP game instead of ~99.95%. Always play max coins — reduce denomination if needed, never coins.
Strategy
Is Pickem Poker skill or luck?
Both, in different proportions at different time scales. The correct pair-selection decision meaningfully affects expected value — it is a skill element. Full-pay Pickem Poker under optimal play returns ~99.95% RTP, while random decisions would return significantly less. However, in any single session of 300–500 hands, variance dominates results far more than the skill edge does. Skill determines long-run return; luck determines tonight.
What is the most important strategy rule?
Always take the four-card Royal Flush draw (Priority 1). No made hand beats it under standard paytables. The 800-for-1 Royal payout at max coins produces expected value of roughly 17–18 units per unit bet on the Royal alone. Three of a kind, which feels like the safe alternative, produces approximately 3.4 units. The gap is enormous and this single decision is where most strategy EV is either captured or lost.
What is the complete Pickem Poker strategy hierarchy?
Priority 1: Four-card Royal Flush draw. Priority 2: Four-card Straight Flush draw. Priority 3: High Pair (Jacks or better). Priority 4: Three of a Kind. Priority 5: Four-card Flush draw. Priority 6: Open-ended Straight draw. Priority 7: Low Pair (including 9s and 10s). Priority 8: Inside Straight draw. When both options offer the same priority tier, use tie-breakers (higher cards, more premium potential). See the strategy chart for the full reference.
Does the strategy change when the paytable is weaker?
For most decisions, no. Priorities 1–4 hold under all realistic paytable variations. Two specific spots are genuinely paytable-sensitive: the Straight Flush draw vs Three of a Kind matchup (SF draw wins at full-pay, trips can win at reduced SF payouts below 40-for-1), and the Flush draw vs Open Straight matchup (flush wins at full-pay, may flip if flush pays only 3-for-1). Always check your paytable before these specific decisions arise.
How much does strategy actually affect RTP?
Significantly. Full-pay Pickem Poker at 99.95% RTP assumes optimal play. Frequent mid-tier errors — consistently taking low pairs over open straights, choosing flush draws over high pairs — typically cost 1–3% of effective RTP. On $1,500 coin-in per session, that's $15–$45 in additional expected loss per session from strategy errors alone, on top of whatever paytable edge exists. Over 20 sessions, the gap is $300–$900.
Should I use a strategy chart while playing online?
Yes, especially while learning. Online Pickem Poker is self-paced — there is no time pressure, no dealer, and no other players. Keeping the strategy chart open in another tab or on your phone costs nothing and ensures borderline decisions (flush draw vs open straight, low pair vs gutshot) are made correctly rather than on instinct. Experienced players who have the hierarchy memorised don't need it, but there is no reason not to use it until then.
RTP & Paytable
What is the RTP of Pickem Poker?
Full-pay 9/6 Pickem Poker returns approximately 99.95% under optimal play — a house edge of just 0.05%. This makes it one of the highest-return games available in any online casino. Reduced paytables return less: 8/6 returns ~98.85%, 8/5 returns ~97.75%, 7/5 returns ~96.65%, and 6/5 returns ~95.55%. Always verify the paytable before playing.
What is the full-pay paytable and how do I identify it?
The full-pay 9/6 paytable pays Full House 9-for-1 and Flush 6-for-1. These two lines are your primary check. Open the game, look at the paytable before betting, and verify Full House = 9 and Flush = 6. If either is lower, you're on a reduced paytable. The check takes under 30 seconds. The full-pay version returns ~99.95% RTP; the most common reduced version (8/5) returns ~97.75% — a 2.2% gap that compounds significantly over multiple sessions.
Why does the Full House payout matter more than the Royal Flush payout?
Because Full Houses hit roughly once every 85–100 hands — far more often than a Royal Flush at roughly 1 in 15,000–20,000 hands. Reducing the Full House payout from 9-for-1 to 8-for-1 costs approximately 1.1% of RTP because that reduction accumulates on a frequently occurring hand. The Royal Flush payout matters enormously at max coins (800-for-1 vs 250-for-1), but the mid-tier payouts drive more RTP variation in any realistic session volume.
How is Pickem Poker RTP compared to other casino games?
Full-pay Pickem Poker at ~99.95% outperforms most casino games. For comparison: full-pay Jacks or Better returns ~99.54%, blackjack with basic strategy returns ~99.4–99.6% (rules-dependent), European roulette returns ~97.3%, and typical online slots return ~92–96%. Pickem Poker is among the best available games in any online casino lobby, but only when played on a full-pay table at max coins with correct strategy.
Bankroll & Sessions
How much bankroll do I need to play Pickem Poker?
The standard balanced-risk recommendation is 100× your bet per hand as a session bankroll. At $0.25 denomination max coins ($1.25/hand), that's $125. At $1.00 denomination max coins ($5.00/hand), that's $500. This covers approximately 85–87% of sessions without running out. For lower risk of ruin on a long-term basis, aim for 200 units. Use the bankroll calculator for precise estimates.
Why do I keep losing sessions if the RTP is almost 100%?
Because RTP applies over hundreds of thousands of hands, not individual sessions. Pickem Poker's standard deviation per hand is approximately 5.5× the bet size. In a 300-hand session at $5.00/hand, the session standard deviation is roughly $476 — meaning 68% of sessions land within ±$476 of expected value regardless of strategy quality. A $300 loss is a completely normal session result on a 99.95% RTP game. Variance dominates short sessions; RTP dominates only over very large samples.
Should I play more hands to reduce variance?
More hands moves your result closer to the theoretical expected value as a percentage of coin-in. But the absolute dollar variance in a session grows with volume. A 600-hand session has a larger absolute standard deviation than a 300-hand session (by a factor of √2), even though the percentage deviation is smaller. Longer sessions don't reduce dollar risk — they reduce percentage deviation while increasing total exposure. The correct variance control is denomination selection, not session length.
Is it better to play fewer hands at a higher denomination or more hands at a lower denomination?
More hands at a lower denomination is almost always better for bankroll health. The RTP is identical at both (assuming max coins). At $5.00/hand, a $500 bankroll represents 100 units — adequate but not generous. At $1.25/hand, a $500 bankroll represents 400 units — very comfortable. Lower denomination reduces the emotional and financial cost of variance while preserving the same theoretical return. The only argument for higher denomination is if lower denominations genuinely bore you.
Casino & Real Money
Where can I play Pickem Poker online?
Pickem Poker is primarily available at RTG (RealTime Gaming) powered online casinos. It is not available at most mainstream casino platforms that use other software providers. The main casinos covered on this site are LasVegasUSA, Slotastic, and Super Slots. Always verify current game availability before registering since library access can change.
Should I take a welcome bonus at an online casino?
Not automatically. Most casino welcome bonuses restrict video poker to 10–20% contribution toward wagering requirements. At 10% contribution, a bonus with 30× wagering effectively requires 300× wagering from video poker play. For most Pickem Poker players, this makes bonuses impractical — you'd need to wager $150,000+ to clear a $500 bonus. Playing with a clean cash deposit and no bonus restrictions is usually better value. Only take a bonus if video poker contribution is 50%+ and wagering requirements are below 20×.
Is online Pickem Poker fair?
Yes, at licensed casinos using certified RTG software. RTG games are independently audited by testing organisations including TST (Technical Systems Testing) and GLI (Gaming Laboratories International) to verify that the RNG produces statistically random outcomes and payout percentages match the paytable math. The game cannot be manipulated by the casino mid-session. What can vary legitimately is the paytable version — which is why verifying the Full House and Flush payouts before playing is important.
Can I practice Pickem Poker for free before depositing?
Yes. The strategy trainer on this site uses the correct Pickem Poker rules and a full-pay 9/6 paytable with strategy hints. It is not a replica of the RTG casino software, but the decision logic and hand evaluations are accurate. Practice until the top four strategy priorities feel automatic before your first real-money session. Most RTG casinos also offer free-play mode on their own platform before you register.