Last updated: April 2026
Paytable differences that look small on paper have significant dollar consequences over session volume. This page shows you side-by-side paytables with their calculated RTP values and the exact cost difference per session — so "slightly worse paytable" translates to an actual number you can evaluate.
Example 1: Full-pay 9/6 vs strong 8/6
The most common comparison. The only difference is the Full House line dropping from 9 to 8.
| Hand | Full-pay 9/6 | Strong 8/6 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush (max coins) | 4,000 | 4,000 | — |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 50 | — |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 25 | — |
| Full House | 9 | 8 | −1 |
| Flush | 6 | 6 | — |
| Straight | 4 | 4 | — |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 3 | — |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2 | — |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 1 | — |
| 9s or 10s | 1 | 1 | — |
| RTP (optimal play) | ~99.95% | ~98.85% | −1.10% |
Session cost difference at $5.00/hand, 300 hands ($1,500 coin-in):
Full-pay expected loss: $0.75 | Strong 8/6 expected loss: $17.25 | Extra cost: ~$16.50 per session
Over 20 sessions: approximately $330 in additional expected loss from one unit off the Full House line.
Example 2: Full-pay 9/6 vs common reduced 8/5
The most frequently encountered paytable downgrade. Both the Full House and Flush are reduced.
| Hand | Full-pay 9/6 | Reduced 8/5 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush (max coins) | 4,000 | 4,000 | — |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 50 | — |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 25 | — |
| Full House | 9 | 8 | −1 |
| Flush | 6 | 5 | −1 |
| Straight | 4 | 4 | — |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 3 | — |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2 | — |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 1 | — |
| 9s or 10s | 1 | 1 | — |
| RTP (optimal play) | ~99.95% | ~97.75% | −2.20% |
Session cost difference at $5.00/hand, 300 hands ($1,500 coin-in):
Full-pay expected loss: $0.75 | Reduced 8/5 expected loss: $33.75 | Extra cost: ~$33.00 per session
Over 20 sessions: approximately $660 in additional expected loss from the two-line paytable reduction.
Example 3: The max-coin paytable difference
Playing the same 9/6 game at different coin counts. The only variable is bet size — everything else is identical.
| Hand | 9/6 at max coins (5) | 9/6 at sub-max (1–4 coins) |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 800-for-1 (4,000 on 5 coins) | 250-for-1 (proportional) |
| All other hands | Standard proportional | Standard proportional (same) |
| RTP | ~99.95% | ~97.0% |
The entire ~3% RTP difference comes from the Royal Flush bonus at max coins. The game plays identically in every other respect. This is why the recommendation is always to drop denomination rather than reduce coins — the game at $0.25 denomination max coins is mathematically better than $1.00 denomination at 3 coins despite the lower per-hand bet.
Example 4: How a strategy error interacts with paytable quality
Consider a player making repeated Priority 7 vs Priority 6 errors (taking low pairs over open straights). This error costs approximately 0.3–0.5% in effective RTP per session. Here is what that means at different paytable qualities:
| Paytable | Theoretical RTP | After strategy errors (~0.4% cost) | Effective RTP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-pay 9/6 | 99.95% | −0.4% | ~99.55% |
| Strong 8/6 | 98.85% | −0.4% | ~98.45% |
| Reduced 8/5 | 97.75% | −0.4% | ~97.35% |
| Weak 7/5 | 96.65% | −0.4% | ~96.25% |
Strategy errors compound paytable weaknesses. A player on a reduced paytable making repeated strategy errors is playing at effectively 96–97% RTP — comparable to a low-quality slot game. The same player on a full-pay table with correct strategy plays at ~99.95%. That's the full width of the advantage that game selection and strategy quality can provide.
How do I read a Pickem Poker paytable in-game?
The paytable is displayed in the game interface, usually by clicking a "Pay Table" or "Info" button before betting. It lists each winning hand from top (Royal Flush) to bottom (lowest paying pair) with the payout per coin. Check the Full House row (should be 9) and the Flush row (should be 6) first. Then confirm the Royal shows 4,000 for a 5-coin bet. These three checks take under 60 seconds and confirm full-pay conditions.
Can the paytable change between sessions at the same casino?
In practice it rarely does, but it can. Operators can update game configurations, and paytables are not guaranteed to be static. This is why the check-before-every-session rule exists — not because casinos frequently change paytables, but because assuming it's the same as last time costs nothing to verify and could save you from playing a reduced version unknowingly.