Black Jack Bonus Video Poker

Black Jack Bonus Poker may sound like a combination of video poker and
blackjack. But names are deceiving because this game has nothing to do with 21.

Instead, the two black jacks – jack of spades and jack of clubs – are wild in
this game.

These wildcards create lots of excitement because you have more chances to
form big hands. Additionally, you can form bonus payouts with certain 4 of a
kinds with a black jack kicker (fifth card).

What are these bonus payouts? And is this game worth playing over other video
poker variations?

Find out as we cover Black Jack Bonus Poker’s basics, payback, pay tables,
where to find it, and strategy.

The Basics of Playing Black Jack Bonus Poker Video Poker

Black Jack Bonus Poker has its differences from the average video poker
machine.

But it’s also similar in a lot of respects. This is especially the case when
considering this game’s rules and betting process.

The main thing you need to understand is how the wildcards and bonus hands
affect your chances of winning. Beyond this, you won’t have any trouble figuring
out Black Jack Bonus Poker.

Betting Process

You can wager between 1 and 5 coins on each hand. Most land based video poker
machines have $0.25 denominations, meaning you’ll bet between $0.25 and $1.25
per hand.

We advise wagering the max because the royal flush offers more value on a 5
coin win (4,000 coins) than a 4 coin win (1,000).

You use the Bet One and Bet Max buttons to change your wager. Bet One
increases your wager by one coin each time, while Bet Max automatically risks
the 5 coin max.

Playing Hands

Here are the steps to playing Black Jack Bonus Poker:

1. Click Draw to receive your 5 card hand.
2. Hold cards and make discards during the draw round.
3. Click Deal / Draw to replace your discards with new cards.
4. Your hand will be evaluated for possible wins.
5. Click Deal to start a new hand, or change your bet first.

Wildcards

The jack of spades and jack of clubs are wild in this game.

These Wildcards Make Black Jack Bonus Poker Unique For a Few Reasons:

• This game has two
  wildcards. Most wildcard video poker variations only have one.
• Black Jack Bonus Poker
  still has a 52 card deck. In comparison, Joker Poker has a 53 card deck.
• It’s impossible to form
  certain 5 of a kind hands that are possible in other wildcard games.

The latter point is due to the combination of 2 wildcards and a 52 card deck.

Using Joker Poker as an example, you can form a 5 of a kind with any card.
The reason why is because the joker wildcard appears as a 53rd card in the deck.

But you can’t form a 5 of a kind with jacks because both wildcards are jacks.

Onscreen Display

Black Jack Bonus Poker might have unique traits, but its onscreen setup is
standard.

You’ll see the pay table at the top of the screen, cards in the middle, and
game / betting options below.

Here are the game options you can use:

• Help – Look at game rules
  and information on options.
• Speed – Change the speed of
  the deal.
• Speaker – Turn the sound on
  and off.

Variations

Some video poker games we review can be adapted to other popular variations
like Bonus Poker, Double Bonus,
and Jacks or Better. But this game doesn’t offer
any other variations.

Black Jack Bonus Poker is characterized by its wildcards and unique pay
table. The latter is key because the pay table means that Black Jack Bonus Poker
can’t be replicated.

If the pay table were adjustable, then the 2 wildcard format could be
formatted to fit other popular games.

But the fact that you can earn 5 bonus payouts means that Black Jack Bonus
Poker can’t be emulated.

Pay Back and Pay Tables in Black Jack Bonus Poker

This game’s pay table has a couple of interesting points.

The first is that you get several bonus payouts for 4 of a kinds. Secondly,
some bonus hands are worth more when you have a black jack kicker.

The payout for 4 aces with a black jack kicker is huge, offering 4,000 coins
on a 5 coin bet. Landing four 2s, 3s, or 4s with a black jack also pays well at
2,000 coins.

All bonus games need to make up for the larger payouts they offer at the top.
And Black Jack Bonus Poker does this by only paying even money for a two pair.

Contrast this to Jacks or Better, where you receive 2 coins for a two pair.

Given that the two pair comes 11.76% of the time in Black Jack Bonus Poker,
this frequently robs you of an extra coin.

Nevertheless, most players won’t complain when they have the chance to win a
bonus payout as large as a royal flush. Let’s continue this discussion by
looking at three different pay tables.

Black Jack Bonus Poker Pay Tables

9 / 6 Black Jack Bonus Poker

Hand	1 coin	2 coins	3 coins	4 coins	5 coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1000	4000
Straight flush	50	100	150	200	250
4 aces w / black jack	800	1600	2400	3200	4000
4 2s 4s w / black jack	400	800	1200	1600	2000
4 5s Ks w / black jack	160	320	480	640	800
4 aces or jacks	160	320	480	640	800
4 2s 4s	80	160	240	320	400
4 5s Ks	25	50	75	100	125
Full house	9	18	27	36	45
Flush	6	12	18	24	30
Straight	4	8	12	16	20
3 of a kind	3	6	9	12	15
2 pair	1	2	3	4	5
Jacks or better	1	2	3	4	5

8 / 6 Black Jack Bonus Poker

Hand	1 coin	2 coins	3 coins	4 coins	5 coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1000	4000
Straight flush	50	100	150	200	250
4 aces w / black jack	800	1600	2400	3200	4000
4 2s 4s w / black jack	400	800	1200	1600	2000
4 5s Ks w / black jack	160	320	480	640	800
4 aces or jacks	160	320	480	640	800
4 2s 4s	80	160	240	320	400
4 5s Ks	25	50	75	100	125
Full house	8	16	24	32	40
Flush	6	12	18	24	30
Straight	4	8	12	16	20
3 of a kind	3	6	9	12	15
2 pair	1	2	3	4	5
Jacks or better	1	2	3	4	5

8 / 5 Black Jack Bonus Poker

Hand	1 coin	2 coins	3 coins	4 coins	5 coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1000	4000
Straight flush	50	100	150	200	250
4 aces w / black jack	800	1600	2400	3200	4000
4 2s 4s w / black jack	400	800	1200	1600	2000
4 5s Ks w / black jack	160	320	480	640	800
4 aces or jacks	160	320	480	640	800
4 2s 4s	80	160	240	320	400
4 5s Ks	25	50	75	100	125
Full house	8	16	24	32	40
Flush	5	10	15	20	25
Straight	4	8	12	16	20
3 of a kind	3	6	9	12	15
2 pair	1	2	3	4	5
Jacks or better	1	2	3	4	5

Black Jack Bonus Poker Pay Back

Here’s payback for the three pay tables listed above:

• 9 / 6 Black Jack Bonus
  Poker = 98.10% payback
• 8 / 6 Black Jack Bonus
  Poker = 97.09%
• 8 / 5 Black Jack Bonus
  Poker = 95.98%

The difference in all of these games is the full house and / or flush
payouts.

9 / 6 Black Jack Bonus Poker pays the best because it offers 9 coins for a
full house and 6 for a flush. The 8 / 5 pay table has the worst payback because
it only gives you 8 coins for a full house and 5 for a flush.

Obviously it’s ideal to find the 9 / 6 pay table if you want to enjoy this
game.

Not a Great Paying Game

Blackjack bonus poker has two problems when it comes to payback:

1. It doesn’t pay as much as Jacks or Better.
2. It’s a volatile game.

Let’s look at jacks or better (Job) Pay tables to address the first point:

• 9 / 6 JoB = 99.54% payback
• 8 / 6 JoB = 98.39%
• 8 / 5 JoB = 97.30%

Like Black Jack Bonus Poker, JoB pay tables differ in their full house and
flush payouts. And you can see that Jacks or Better pays better in every
instance.

Moving to the second point, Black Jack Bonus Poker is a volatile game because
it shifts value from two pair payouts to the 4 of a kind bonuses.

We explained how a two pair occurs 11.7% of the time in this game.

Let’s compare this to the frequency of the royal flush and bonus payouts:

• Royal flush = 0.0024%
  probability
• 4 aces w / black jack
  kicker = 0.0019%
• 4 2s 4s w / black jack
  kicker = 0.0043%
• 4 5s Ks w / black jack
  kicker = 0.0089%
• 4 aces or jacks = 0.042%
• 4 2s 4s = 0.045%
• 4 5s Ks = 0.13%

While Black Jack Bonus Poker’s larger payouts are definitely attractive, they
don’t happen often. And this is why sacrificing 1 coin in the two pair payout to
cover larger top payouts is a big deal.

Low rollers who are bankroll conscious should avoid this game. But players
who love chasing big payouts will appreciate Black Jack Bonus Poker.

Where to Find Black Jack Bonus Poker – Online, Offline, Free, or Real Money

Made by IGT, Blackjack Bonus Poker isn’t the most popular video poker
variation. But it is available in some land based casinos around the US.

We googled the game and found that it’s available at Arizona’s Lone Bluff
Casino and Las Vegas’ Gold Coast. We assume this machine is also found in larger
Vegas casinos that offer IGT products.

Like most IGT video poker games, Black Jack Bonus Poker isn’t found in online
casinos. This means that you won’t be able to play for free or real money
online.

Instead, you’ll have to search for the game in a limited number of land based
casinos.

Black Jack Bonus Poker Video Poker Strategy

When it comes to learning video poker strategy, you have two main options:

1. Use a strategy chart.
2. Use a video poker trainer.

The first option lists a game’s most important hands from top to bottom. This
helps you know what cards / made hand to keep in each situation.

Strategy charts are only available for popular video poker variations like
Bonus Poker, Deuces Wild, Double Bonus, and Jacks or Better. This rules out
Black Jack Bonus Poker because it’s an alternative variant.

The only way to perfect Black Jack Bonus Poker strategy is to use a video
poker trainer, which we’ll explain below.

Why Is a Video Poker Trainer the Best for Black Jack Bonus Poker?

A video poker trainer shows when you make correct and incorrect decisions
from a strategy perspective.

Here’s an example:

• You’re dealt: 3h 6h 5h 10h
  Ad
• You keep Ad.
• The trainer alerts you to
  this mistake.
• You should’ve kept 3h 6h 5h
  10h for their flush potential.

Here’s an example of the video poker trainer reinforcing a correct decision:

• You’re dealt: 4h 6h 8h Ks
  2d
• You keep Ks.
• The trainer shows this is
  the correct decision and offers probabilities of making your hand.

The main reason why you use a video poker trainer is to learn correct moves
through repeated practice.

Maybe you’ll get the same hand / situation wrong several times in a row. But
eventually you’ll get it right and remember what decision to make.

You can find free video poker trainers at websites. But the problem is that
these only cover popular video poker variations.

If you want to practice Black Jack Bonus Poker, you need to buy a trainer
with customizable features. This allows you to create pay tables with specific
hands, like the bonus hands with black jack kickers.

The one problem is that a trainer won’t account for the two black jack
wildcards. But you can at least get close enough to optimal strategy with the
customizable pay table.

Here are a couple of options if you’re interested in buying a program:

• WinPoker – $34.95
  (Amazon.com)
• Bob Dancer’s Video Poker
  for Winners – $49.95

Using a Triple Double Bonus Video Poker Strategy Chart

Earlier we discussed how there aren’t any strategy charts covering Black Jack
Bonus Poker. But Triple Double Bonus Poker is fairly close in terms of its
payouts.

It offers several bonus payouts that have a kicker. Let’s take a look at a
Triple Double Bonus pay table below:

9 / 7 Triple Double Bonus

Hand	1 coin	2 coins	3 coins	4 coins	5 coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1000	4000
Straight flush	50	100	150	200	250
4 aces w / 2 to 4	800	1600	2400	3200	4000
4 2s to 4s w / A to4	400	800	1200	1600	2000
4 aces w / 5 to K	160	320	480	640	800
4 2s 4s w / 5 to K	80	160	240	320	400
4 5s to Ks	50	100	150	200	250
Full house	9	18	27	36	45
Flush	7	14	21	28	35
Straight	4	8	12	16	20
3 of a kind	2	4	6	8	10
2 pair	1	2	3	4	5
Jacks or better	1	2	3	4	5

The main differences between this and the Black Jack Bonus pay table include
one less bonus payout, different kickers, and a higher flush payout. But most
other aspects of these pay tables are the same.

This is why Triple Double Bonus strategy can work for Black Jack Bonus Poker.

Again, you won’t be using optimal strategy.

But the following chart will at least help you play reasonably if you don’t want to buy a trainer.

1. Royal flush, straight flush
2. Any 4 of a kind with or without a bonus
   kicker
3. 4 cards to a royal flush
4. 3 aces
5. Full house, flush, straight, 3
   of a kind
6. 4 cards to a straight flush
7. Pair of aces
8. 2 pair
9. 3 cards
   to a royal flush (KQJ)
10. High pair (JQK)
11. 3 cards to a royal flush (AKQ,
    AKJ, AQJ, KQT, KJT, QJT)
12. 3 cards to a flush
13. 13 cards to a royal flush
    (AKT, AQT, AJT)
14. 4 cards to an outside straight
15. Low pair (2s 10s)
16. Unsuited AKQJ
17. 3 cards to a straight flush
18. 2 suited high cards
19. 4 cards to an inside straight w / 3 high cards
20. Unsuited JQK
21. Unsuited JQ
22. Ace
23. Suited J10
24. Unsuited KQ, KJ
25. Suited KT, QT
26. Jack, king, queen
27. 4 cards to an inside straight
28. Discard everything

General Strategy Rules for Black Jack Bonus Poker

Regardless of what strategy route you choose with Black Jack Bonus Poker,
there are some general rules you want to follow.

Here are a few pieces of advice:

1. Always Bet the Max

   You should bet the 5 coin max on every hand. The
   reason why is the disproportionate increase when moving from a 4 coin royal
   flush (1,000 coins) to a 5 coin royal (4,000 coins).

2. Always Hold Wildcards

   The jack of spades and jack of clubs are
   invaluable in this game.Never discard either black jack.

3. You Should Normally Keep Made Hands

   Rarely should you break up a made
   hand to chase a better one in Black Jack Bonus Poker.

4. Go for the Royal Flush and Top Bonus Hand

   One exception to rule #3 is
   when you have 4 cards to a royal flush or four aces w / a black jack. If you
   have a lower made hand in these cases, you should break it up to go after the
   larger payout.

Conclusion

Black Jack Bonus Poker is a combination of several great video poker games
rolled into one.

It has wildcards like Deuces Wild and Joker Poker. This game also has
multiple big payouts like Double Bonus and Triple Double Bonus Poker.

Of course, Black Jack Bonus also has its own unique qualities.

This game features two wildcards, as opposed to the one offered in Deuces
Wild and Joker Poker. The other difference is the massive bonus payouts, which
are only rivaled by Triple Double Bonus.

But Black Jack Bonus Poker also has downsides too.

The first is the payback, which tops out at 98.10%. This is really low for a
full pay video poker variation.

Another problem is the volatility. You pay for the large bonus payout chances
through a smaller two pair payout. Bankroll conscious players should think twice
about playing this game.

But as long as you have a sufficient bankroll and can look past the below
average payback, then Black Jack Bonus Poker is a fun game.