Yet another variation of Jacks or Better is Bonus Poker which many video poker devotee enjoy playing. The attractive payouts for Four of a Kind are what makes this game so popular at both land-based and online casinos. It should be noted that despite the fact that this game is based on Jacks or Better, it certainly introduces different elements.
In order to be able to enjoy your time playing Bonus Poker, you will have to know the paytable of the game. In addition to that, you will have to know which variant is the most lucrative and will bring the best results.
While Bonus Poker does offer great payouts for certain hands, it still gives the casino an advantage by lowering the rewards for other hands. This is why it has a lower expected return compared to Jacks or Better. However, if you learn how to use the right strategy, you will be able to enjoy an exciting and rewarding experience while playing Bonus Poker.
How to Play Bonus Poker
As it was said earlier, Bonus Poker is a Jacks or Better variation, meaning that there are no wild cards. This means that the rules of the game are simple and you should not have any issue playing Bonus Poker. As usual, you will have to select the size of your bet but keep in mind that it is always recommended to place maximum bets. Whether you are playing at a land-based or online casino, you will be able to find Bonus Poker variations with different coin denominations. This is why it will be best to find a game which will suit your budget and allow you to bet 5 coins, which is typically the bet maximum.
After you have chosen the size of the bet you would like to make, you will be dealt 5 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 are qualified 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, in order to gain a bigger advantage for the casino, this video poker version compensates with lower payouts for other winning hands. This affects the expected return on Bonus Poker which is lower than the one Jacks or Better is promising. 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 which 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 type of 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 a game 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 seriously boosted, however, Two Pair pays even money instead of 2 to 1. In order to enjoy the best possible results, you will need to use the ultimate strategy. This being 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 have a payout return of 99.6% which still gives you a pretty good chance of winning.
Bonus Poker Deluxe
Bonus Poker Deluxe is actually the variation which resembles Jacks or Better the most and it is pretty 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 that 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 difference in the paytables of Jacks or Better and Bonus Poker Deluxe is the reduces 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 offer on certain Four of a Kind hands. This variation very much resembles 10/7 Double Bonus Poker but it rewards biggers payouts for the Four of a Kind hands. If you find a full-pay variation of Triple Bonus Poker (10/7) and you use the ultimate 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 quite boosted. This being said, in order for the casino to gain some advantage, the payout for Two Pair is lowered and offers even money. The lowest paying hand is also Kings or Better which is lessens the chances of players to get paid when playing Triple Bonus Poker.
Bonus Poker Strategy
If you are interested in how to make your gambling experience more fruitful, you should know which is the right type of strategy for each Bonus Poker variation. This way, you will be able to optimize your winning chances and enjoy the best possible outcome out of the hands you play.
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 a Four of a Kind, a Royal Flush or a Straight Flush – keep your hand and get your payout
- Four to a Royal Flush – since the payout for this hand is really high, you might want to break up a winning hand with the hopes of landing a Royal Flush. If you, for example, have a Straight but one of the cards is not suited, the ultimate move will be to discard it and draw a new card which will hopefully form a Royal Flush
- Straight, Flush or a Full House – keep your winning hand
- Three of a Kind – draw two cards which may help you better the winning hand you are already holding
- 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 – it is a bit harder to hit this hand with the cards you are given, but you can still try by keeping the three cards and replacing the other two.
- Four to a Flush – this hand is also rather speculative but you do have a chance to hit a Flush by keeping the four cards and replacing the fifth one
- King, Queen, Jack and 10 unsuited – by drawing the fifth card, you have the chance to hit a Straight but also a high pair
- A low pair – keep your pair and discard the other three card in the hope 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 and you have the chance to hit Royal Flush but also many other winning hands
- Three to a Straight Flush – draw two cards
- Four to an Inside Straight with three high-valued cards – while you might miss the Straight, by replacing the fifth card, you have the chance to form a high pair thanks to the high-valued cards
- Jack, Queen, King of different suits – draw two cards as they might help you form a Straight or a high pair
- Jack and Queen of different suits – just as the hand above, you are hoping for a Straight or a high pair by drawing three cards
- Any card of a high rank – draw four cards as this may help you form a high pair
- Have no winning hands – discard all five cards
10/7 Double Bonus Poker Strategy
Despite the higher payouts for the Four of a Kind hands, you should stick to the strategy to always keep a Two Pair, even if it consists of 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 it will take a more serious work to master the right moves, 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 your hand |
| Four to a Royal Flush | keep your hand and draw one card |
| Three of a Kind | keep your hand and draw two cards |
| Four to a Straight Flush | hold the hand and draw one card |
| Two Pair | keep your 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 one |
| 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 the hand ranking on Triple Bonus Poker, you can check the strategy chart for this game. This will show you which hands will 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 your 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 |
| Ase 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 as it offers a thrilling experience and special payouts for certain hands. While it is not so far from Jacks or Better, the higher payouts for Four of a Kind hands do require a slightly different strategy.
In order to revel in the most fruitful gambling, video poker aficionados must make sure to choose the right Bonus Poker variation with the best paytable. On top of that, they must utilize the right strategy that will guarantee them the best outcome of the game.