Yet another variation of Jacks or Better is Bonus Poker, which many video poker devotees enjoy playing. The attractive payouts for Four of a Kind are what make this game so popular at both land-based and online casinos. Although this game is based on Jacks or Better, it introduces several unique elements.
To fully enjoy Bonus Poker, you need to know the game’s paytable. You will also need to know which variant is the most lucrative and will bring the best results.
While Bonus Poker offers great payouts for certain hands, it still gives the casino an advantage by lowering the rewards for others. This is why it has a lower expected return than Jacks or Better. However, if you learn how to use the right strategy, you can still enjoy an exciting and rewarding experience while playing Bonus Poker.
How to Play Bonus Poker
As mentioned earlier, Bonus Poker is a Jacks or Better variation, meaning that there are no wild cards. The rules are simple, and you should not have any issues playing Bonus Poker. As usual, you will have to select your bet size, but keep in mind that placing the maximum bet is always recommended. Whether you are playing at a land-based or online casino, you will be able to find Bonus Poker variations with different coin denominations. Therefore, it is best to find a game that suits your budget and allows you to bet five coins, which is typically the maximum.
After you have chosen the size of the bet you would like to make, you will be dealt five randomly chosen cards from the deck. The next step is to determine whether you are holding a winning hand and decide whether you would like to replace any of the cards. On the second draw, the outcome of the game is decided and you are paid if you are holding any of the hands that qualify for a payout.
The difference between Bonus Poker and Jacks or Better is in the special payouts for certain Four of a Kind hands. Of course, to retain a house edge, this video poker version compensates with lower payouts for other winning hands. This affects the expected return on Bonus Poker, which is lower than that of Jacks or Better. However, this does not mean that Bonus Poker cannot be a fruitful and fun game, especially if you land one of the highest-paying hands.
Bonus Poker Gameplay
The Paytables of Bonus Poker Variations
Before you start playing Bonus Poker, you have to be well aware of the payouts that this video poker variation is offering. In addition to the standard Bonus Poker version, there are several options that offer different payouts and can make your gambling more lucrative.
In order to understand the basics of Bonus Poker, you should take a look at the standard paytable for the game.
| Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 250 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind Aces | 80 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 50 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind 2s, 3s or 4s | 40 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind 5s to Ks | 25 to 1 |
| Full House | 8 to 1 |
| Flush | 5 to 1 |
| Straight | 4 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 to 1 |
| Two Pair | 2 to 1 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 to 1 |
As you can see, in addition to the usual winning hands, Bonus Poker also offers higher payouts for Four of a Kind with Aces, as well as Four of a Kind with 2s, 3s or 4s. If you use the right strategy, the expected return will be 99.17%.
10/7 Double Bonus Poker
If you want to enjoy a more thrilling experience, you should definitely look for other Bonus Poker variations. This especially applies to players who like to gamble online, as there are multiple video poker variations across different interactive casinos. Double Bonus Poker is definitely worth playing, as it offers a payout of 10 to 1 for a Full House and 7 to 1 for a Flush.
This variation of Bonus Poker will actually give players an edge over the casino, provided they are using an optimal strategy and making maximum bets. The expected return on 10/7 Double Bonus Poker is 100.17%.
The paytable of this Bonus Poker version looks like this:
| Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 250 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 50 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind Aces | 160 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind 2s, 3s or 4s | 80 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind 5s to Ks | 50 to 1 |
| Full House | 10 to 1 |
| Flush | 7 to 1 |
| Straight | 5 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 to 1 |
| Two Pair | 1 to 1 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 to 1 |
As you can see, the payouts for some hands are significantly higher. However, Two Pair pays even money instead of 2 to 1. To enjoy the best possible results, you will need to use an optimal strategy. That said, if you are fairly new to video poker, you can utilize the 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy on 10/7 Double Bonus Poker and still enjoy a return of 99.6%, which gives you a solid chance of winning.
Bonus Poker Deluxe
Bonus Poker Deluxe is the variation that most closely resembles Jacks or Better, and it is fairly easy to play. Unlike the other Bonus Poker options, it offers only a single big payout for Four of a Kind, which means that you do not need to change your strategy much. If you use the perfect strategy and you find a full-pay game (9/6), the expected return will be 99.54%.
The Bonus Poker Deluxe paytable looks like this:
| Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 250 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 50 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 80 to 1 |
| Full House | 9 to 1 |
| Flush | 6 to 1 |
| Straight | 4 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 to 1 |
| Two Pair | 1 to 1 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 to 1 |
As you can see, the main differences between the paytables of Jacks or Better and Bonus Poker Deluxe are the reduced payout for Two Pair and the increased reward for Four of a Kind in the Bonus Poker variation.
Triple Bonus Poker
Many video poker enthusiasts prefer playing Triple Bonus Poker due to the special payouts the game offers on certain Four of a Kind hands. This variation closely resembles 10/7 Double Bonus Poker, but it provides bigger payouts for Four of a Kind hands. If you find a full-pay variation of Triple Bonus Poker (10/7) and you use the optimal strategy, the payout percentage will be 99.94%.
The paytable for Triple Bonus Poker looks like this:
| Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 250 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 50 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind Aces | 240 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind 2s, 3s or 4s | 120 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind 5s to Ks | 75 to 1 |
| Full House | 10 to 1 |
| Flush | 7 to 1 |
| Straight | 5 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 to 1 |
| Two Pair | 1 to 1 |
| Kings or Better | 1 to 1 |
As you can see, the payouts for the Four of a Kind hands are significantly higher. That being said, to give the casino some advantage, the payout for Two Pair is lowered and offers even money. The lowest-paying qualifying hand is Kings or Better, which lessens the chances of getting paid when playing Triple Bonus Poker.
Bonus Poker Strategy
If you are interested in making your gambling experience more fruitful, you should know the right strategy for each Bonus Poker variation. This knowledge will help you optimize your chances of winning and make the most of every hand.
Basic Bonus Poker Strategy
For the basic Bonus Poker game, you should know the rank of the hands and opt for the one that will bring you the best possible payout. In order to enjoy the best possible outcome, you should stick to the following strategy:
- Hand – Decision
- When holding Four of a Kind, a Royal Flush, or a Straight Flush, keep the hand and take the payout
- Four to a Royal Flush – since the payout for this hand is very high, you might break up a winning hand in hopes of landing a Royal Flush. For example, if you have a Straight but one card is not suited, discard it and draw a new card that could complete a Royal Flush
- Straight, Flush, or Full House – keep the winning hand
- Three of a Kind – draw two cards that may improve the hand you already hold
- Four to a Straight Flush – draw one card
- Two Pair – keep the two pairs and draw one card
- A pair of Jacks, Queens, Kings, or Aces – keep the pair and draw three cards
- Three to a Royal Flush – keep the three cards and replace the other two
- Four to a Flush – keep the four cards and replace the fifth
- King, Queen, Jack, and 10 of different suits – draw one card to try for a Straight or a high pair
- A low pair – keep your pair and discard the other three cards in hopes of landing Three of a Kind or Four of a Kind
- Ace, King, Queen, and Jack of different suits – discard the fifth card and you might form a Straight or a high pair on the second draw
- Two high-valued cards of the same suit – draw three cards; you could hit a Royal Flush or another winning hand
- Three to a Straight Flush – draw two cards
- Four to an Inside Straight with three high-valued cards – replace the fifth card to attempt a Straight or a high pair
- Jack, Queen, and King of different suits – draw two cards to try for a Straight or a high pair
- Jack and Queen of different suits – draw three cards in hopes of a Straight or a high pair
- Any single high card – draw four cards to try for a high pair
- If you have no winning hand – discard all five cards
10/7 Double Bonus Poker Strategy
Despite the higher payouts for Four of a Kind hands, you should always keep a Two Pair, even if it includes two Aces. When playing Double Bonus Poker, you should also keep four cards to an Outside Straight instead of a pair of low-valued cards. For instance, if you are holding 4-4-5-6-7, you should discard one of the 4s.
Since the strategy chart for Double Bonus Poker is quite long and will require more work to master, we will discuss this topic in a separate article about Double Bonus Poker.
Bonus Poker Deluxe Strategy
If you decide to play Bonus Poker Deluxe, you should also know which hands are better to keep in order to increase your chances of a fruitful game. You can base your moves on the following strategy chart:
| Hand | Decision |
|---|---|
| Four of a Kind, Full House, Straight Flush, Royal Flush | keep the hand |
| Four to a Royal Flush | keep the hand and draw one card |
| Three of a Kind | keep the hand and draw two cards |
| Four to a Straight Flush | hold the hand and draw one card |
| Two Pair | keep the hand and draw one card |
| One Pair | keep the pair and draw three cards |
| Four to a Flush | keep the four cards and replace the fifth |
| Three to a Royal Flush | keep the three cards and draw two |
| Four to a Straight | hold the hand and draw one card |
| Low pair | keep the pair |
| Three to a Straight Flush | draw two more cards |
| Two to a Royal Flush | keep the two cards and draw three more |
| Three to a Straight | hold the hand and draw two cards |
| Two to a Straight | keep the two cards and draw three more |
| Any single high card | keep the card and draw four more |
| No winning hands | discard all five cards |
Triple Bonus Poker Strategy
If you are wondering about hand ranking in Triple Bonus Poker, you can check the strategy chart for this game. This will show you which hands pay more and what you should try to form in order to enjoy a fruitful video poker game.
| Hand | Decision |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush, Straight Flush, any Four of a Kind | keep the hand |
| Four cards to a Royal Flush | hold the hand and draw one card |
| Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind | hold the hand |
| Three cards to a Straight Flush | keep the hand and draw two cards |
| Two Pair | keep only the high pair |
| High pair of Aces to Kings | keep the pair and draw three cards |
| Three cards to a Royal Flush | keep the hand and draw two cards |
| Four cards to a Flush | keep the cards and draw the fifth one |
| King, Queen, Jack and a 10 of different suits | keep the hand and draw one card |
| Low pair of Jacks to 2s | keep the pair and draw three cards |
| Four cards to an Outside Straight | hold the hand and draw one card |
| Three cards to a Straight Flush | keep the three cards and draw two more |
| Ace, King, Queen and Jack of different suits | keep the hand and draw one card |
| Four cards to an Inside Straight with three high-valued cards | keep the hand and draw one card |
| King, Queen and Jack of different suits | keep this hand and draw two cards |
| Queen and Jack of different suits | keep the two cards and draw three more |
| King and Queen, King and Jack of different suits | keep the two cards and draw three more |
| Jack and 10 of the same suit | keep the two cards and replace the other three |
| Ace and King, Ace and Queen, Ace and Jack of different suits | keep the two cards and draw three more |
| Ace | keep the Ace and draw four cards |
| King and 10, Queen and 10 of the same suit | keep the two cards and draw three more |
| King, Queen, or Jack | keep the high-valued card and draw four more |
| No winning hands | discard everything |
Conclusion
Bonus Poker is a great variation of video poker, and many players prefer it because it offers a thrilling experience and special payouts for certain hands. While it is not far from Jacks or Better, the higher payouts for Four of a Kind hands do require a slightly different strategy.
To enjoy the most fruitful gaming experience, video poker aficionados must choose the right Bonus Poker variation with the best paytable. They must also employ the proper strategy to achieve the best possible outcome of the game.