As you already know, there are many different variations of video poker, Jacks or Better in particular. One option that offers both a fun experience and gives players the chance to score good payouts is Bonus Poker. It resembles Jacks or Better because there are only 52 cards in the deck and no wilds in the gameplay. The difference comes from the boosted payouts on various Four of a Kind hands. While this sounds very lucrative, some Bonus Poker variations give players better winning chances than others.
One Bonus Poker variant worth playing is Double Bonus Poker. If you find the best-paying version, you can enjoy a very rewarding game of video poker. The way the game is played is neither more difficult nor very different from typical Jacks or Better video poker. However, depending on the paytable of the Double Bonus Poker variant, you might need to use a different strategy to achieve the best possible returns.
How to Play Double Bonus Poker
It is definitely very easy to play Double Bonus Poker, especially if you have already tried Jacks or Better. First, choose the size of the bet you would like to make, but, as usual, you are advised to stake the maximum amount, because that guarantees the biggest payout for a Royal Flush.
After you have chosen the size of your bet, you will be dealt five cards and you will have to determine whether to discard some of them and which ones may help you form a winning hand. Generally speaking, Double Bonus Poker does resemble Jacks or Better. However, the paytables of the two variations differ. The usual payout of 2 to 1 for Two Pair has been reduced, and this hand now pays even money. On the other hand, Four of a Kind hands offer much larger payouts, which can make the experience very rewarding. Although new video poker players may be lured by the major payouts for Four of a Kind and overlook how little Two Pair pays, it is this reduction that lowers the expected return of Double Bonus Poker. While Four of a Kind can bring a good reward, if you land any of the other hands you might actually be disappointed with the payout.
How to Play Double Bonus Poker Additional TipsThis being said, not every Double Bonus Poker variant is considered disadvantageous, and recreational players actually find a lot of pleasure in playing this video poker option. Just as with other games of this genre, you will significantly increase your winning chances if you learn the right strategy. The important thing is to separate Jacks or Better from Double Bonus Poker when it comes to strategy. The two games value different hands, so you need to make different decisions.
Double Bonus Poker Gameplay
Paytables on Double Bonus Poker Variations
If you are a fan of video poker, then you probably already know that the best version of every video poker game is the full-pay one. Double Bonus Poker is no exception to this rule, and the variation that offers the highest possible payouts is known as the 10/7 game. The 10 indicates the payout of 10 to 1 on a Full House, while a Flush pays 7 to 1. There is, however, another hand to pay attention to when looking at the paytable: Four of a Kind made with any low-rank card. The full-pay version of Double Bonus Poker offers 50 to 1 for any Four of a Kind, and if you use perfect strategy, the payback percentage reaches 100.17%. This means that players have an advantage over the house.
It is obvious why the full-pay version of Double Bonus is difficult to find. In fact, online players will have to settle for lower-paying versions because the full-pay game is not available on the Internet. The Double Bonus Poker option that comes closest to the full-pay version is the 45/10/7/5 variant, which pays 45 to 1 for any Four of a Kind, 10 to 1 for a Full House, 7 to 1 for a Flush, and 5 to 1 for a Straight. The payback percentage for this variant, when one uses perfect strategy, is estimated at 99.37%.
The paytable for the full-pay variant of Double Bonus Poker is:
| Hand | Paytable |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Double Bonus Poker Additional TipsThe one obstacle that players might come across is finding a full-pay version of Double Bonus Poker. In fact, more often than not, you will probably find a variant with a 9/7/5 or even a 9/6/5 payout schedule, which means that the Full House and Flush pay less than usual. The variation that rewards 9 credits for 1 credit on a Full House and pays 7 to 1 for a Flush has an RTP of 99.11%, while the percentage drops even lower, to 97.81%, with the 9/6/5 variant.
Double Double Bonus Poker
One very common offshoot of the game is Double Double Bonus Poker. You will notice that the two video poker variations with bonus paybacks are very similar to each other. Both offer very high payouts for Four of a Kind hands and are played with the same rules. While the two options are almost the same game, the main difference lies in the requirements for winning Four of a Kind hands.
With Double Bonus Poker, the kicker, which is the fifth card in a Four of a Kind, does not play a role. Meanwhile, with Double Double Bonus Poker, it is also important what your fifth card is, i.e. the kicker. If you happen to form a hand with four Aces, you will enjoy a payout of 160 to 1. However, if the kicker in this hand is 2, 3, or 4, the payout will be much more generous: 400 credits for betting one coin.
When playing Double Double Bonus Poker, you will also notice that holding a Four of a Kind with four 2s, 3s, or 4s and a kicker of Ace, 2, 3, or 4 pays 160 to 1, which is a great opportunity to boost your balance.
The full-pay version of Double Double Bonus Poker is one of the rare video poker games that give players an advantage over the house. If you use perfect strategy, the payback percentage is estimated at 100.07%. The payout for a Full House in the full-pay version is 10 to 1, while a Flush pays 6 to 1. This variant of Double Double Bonus Poker, however, is very hard to find and is currently not offered online. Instead, the best version you can find offers a reduced payout of 9 to 1 for a Full House. Although the change looks minor, it actually lowers the RTP to 98.98%.
The paytable of the full-pay version of Double Double Bonus Poker looks like this:
| Hand | Paytable |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 250 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 50 to 1 |
| Four Aces with a kicker 2, 3 or 4 | 400 to 1 |
| Four 2s, 3s or 4s with a kicker Ace, 2, 3 or 4 | 160 to 1 |
| Four Aces | 160 to 1 |
| Four 2s, 3s or 4s | 80 to 1 |
| Four 5s to Kings | 50 to 1 |
| Full House | 10 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 |
Double Bonus Poker Strategy
Although Double Bonus Poker is a variation of Jacks or Better, you will not enjoy a fruitful game if you use the same strategy. In fact, it is important to know which Bonus Poker variation you are playing to apply the best possible strategy. To make the right move in video poker, you must know the rank of hands and determine which potential combination will bring the better payout.
Of course, it is logical to hold your hand if you have drawn a Royal Flush, a Straight Flush, a Four of a Kind, a Flush, a Straight, or a Full House. However, if you are holding a Full House with three Aces, it is best to keep the Aces and discard the pair to try to form Four of a Kind.
If you are holding three cards to a Flush with one high-value card, keep the three cards instead of keeping two high-value cards. Players should also keep any hand that is three to a Flush, even if there are no high-value cards. This approach is completely different from the strategy used in Jacks or Better, which is why you should always be sure to use the exact strategy that corresponds to the video poker game you are playing.
If you are choosing between three to a Flush with one high-value card and two high-value cards, keeping the first hand is the better option in Double Bonus Poker. With this version of Bonus Poker, it is also recommended to keep any Four cards to an open Straight.
When choosing between a pair of Aces and a 3-card Royal Flush, you should always keep the Aces. This also applies if you have four cards to a Flush, as you have better payout chances when keeping the high pair. If the pair, however, consists of two Jacks, Queens, or Kings, you should go for the 4-card Flush.
The strategy chart for Double Bonus Poker ranks the hands like this:
| Hand | Decision |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush, Four of a Kind, Straight Flush | keep your hand |
| Four cards to a Royal Flush | keep the hand and draw one card |
| Three Aces | draw two more cards |
| Straight Flush, Full House | keep the hand |
| Three of a Kind | draw two more cards |
| Four cards to a Straight Flush | draw one card |
| Two Pair | keep the pairs and draw one card |
| High Pair | keep the pair and draw three cards |
| Four cards to a Flush | draw one card |
| Three cards to a Royal Flush | draw two cards |
| Four-card Open Straight | draw one card |
| Low Pair | keep your pair and draw three cards |
| Jack, Queen, King, Ace of different suits | draw one card |
| Three cards to a Straight Flush (more high-valued cards) | draw two cards |
| Four-card Inside Straight (three high cards) | draw one card |
| Jack and Queen of the same suit | draw three cards |
| Three cards to a Flush (with 2 high-ranked cards) | draw two cards |
| Two high-ranked cards of the same suit | draw three cards |
| Four-card Inside Straight (with 2 high-valued cards) | draw one card |
| Jack, Queen, King of different suits | draw two cards |
| 10 and Jack of the same suit | draw three cards |
| Jack and Queen of different suits | draw three cards |
| Three cards to a Flush (with one high-ranked card) | draw two cards |
| 10 and Queen of the same suit | draw three cards |
| Three cards to a Straight Flush (2 gaps, no high-ranked cards) | draw two cards |
| Jack and King, Queen and King of different suits | draw three cards |
| Ace | keep the Ace and draw four cards |
| 10 and King of the same suit | draw three cards |
| High-valued card (J, Q or K) | keep the card and draw four more |
| Four-card Inside Straight (no high-ranked cards) | draw one card |
| Three cards to a Flush (no high-ranked card) | draw two cards |
| No winning hands | discard all five cards |
Double Double Bonus Poker
With Double Double Bonus Poker, it is important to keep any Aces because they play an important role in forming high-paying hands. Therefore, even if you are dealt a Full House, it is often a good idea to break it up if it contains any Aces.
To make the best decisions, you should know the hand rankings in Double Double Bonus Poker. The strategy chart ranks the winning hands you should keep as follows:
| Hand | Decision |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | keep your hand |
| Four Aces with a kicker 2, 3 or 4 or Four 2s, 3s or 4s with a kicker A | keep your hand |
| Other Four of a Kind | keep your hand |
| Straight Flush | hold your hand |
| Four to a Royal Flush | draw one card |
| Three Aces | draw two cards |
| Three of a Kind, Full House, Straight, Flush | keep your hand |
| Four to a Straight Flush | draw one card |
| Two Aces | draw three cards |
| Two Pair | keep the pairs and draw one card |
| Three to a Royal Flush | draw two cards |
| High Pair | keep the pair and draw three cards |
| Four to a Flush | draw one card |
| Low Pair | keep the pair and draw three cards |
| Four to a Straight | draw one card |
| Ace | keep the ace and draw four cards |
| Two high-ranked cards of the same suit | draw three cards |
| Three to a Straight Flush | draw two cards |
| Two high-ranked cards of different suits (hold the lowest two) | draw three cards |
| 10 and Jack, 10 and Queen or 10 and King of the same suit | draw three cards |
| Any high-ranked card | keep the card and draw four more |
| No winning hands | discard all five cards |
Conclusion
If you are looking for a way to make your video poker experience more exciting, then you may try any of the Double Bonus Poker variations. Although they resemble Jacks or Better, there are major rewards awaiting players who manage to form specific Four of a Kind hands. It is obvious why so many video poker enthusiasts are tempted to play Double Bonus Poker.
And while the game sounds very attractive, it is also important to check the paytables, as even the slightest change to the other winning hands will affect your potential payback. If you have found the variation with the best possible payouts, you should also utilize the right strategy. This will ultimately change your gameplay and give you the best chances of sweeping great payouts.
While the big rewards on Four of a Kind do sound tempting, you should also consider the times when you will draw other hands. Keep in mind that Double Bonus and Double Double Bonus are great only for those special hands. If you still want to enjoy better payouts on the rest of the winning hands, you might want to stick to standard Jacks or Better. Nevertheless, Double Bonus Poker is a wonderful variation for those who are willing to take the risk in order to hit those high-paying Four of a Kind hands.