How to Play Double Bonus Video Poker

Double Bonus video poker offers video poker players a slightly different way to play the game as opposed to simple Jacks or Better that you might be used to. The pay table for this game features an emphasis on four of a kind hands, also known as quads. If you can score a few quads while playing this variation on basic video poker, you can expect a large payback coming your way.

For many beginning video poker players, the only version of the game that they might know is Jacks or Better. Jacks or Better was the first version of video poker and is still among the most popular and easily-found formats in casinos and as part of gambling websites. It is known for its simplicity, making it easy to understand and also making strategy something that can be readily understood.

But Jacks or Better also restricts your chances to win big payback amounts on single hands. As a result, you sometimes have to grind your way to winnings. For casual players who might not be inclined to sit and play for hours, this can be a disadvantage.

The Double Bonus Video Poker Difference

The big difference between Double Bonus video poker and Jacks or Better, to the advantage of the player, is increased payback on four of a kind hands. This payback is parceled out depending on the ranks of the cards involved. For example, four aces pay more than four 2s through 4s, which in turn pay more than four 5s through kings.

But the bottom line is that the payback for all four of a kind hands in Double Bonus video poker is higher than what you would get for quads in Jacks or Better. In fact, quads in Double Bonus pay as much or more than a straight flush. This is notable because you’re more likely to achieve four of a kind rather than a straight flush.

The Common Hand Difference

Double Bonus video poker certainly stands out as one of the finest variations on video poker you can find. But you should be aware that there are some drawbacks. Chief among these is a discounted payback for two pair.

When playing Double Bonus video poker, you’ll only get paid even money for two pair. That’s the same amount as you would get with a high pair. And that’s less than the 2 to 1 you’d receive playing Jacks or Better, which means you’re dealing with a more volatile game than normal.

In the following article, we’ll talk about all the advantages and disadvantages of Double Bonus video poker. We’ll explain how to play and talk about the special nature of the pay tables that are involved. And we’ll also discuss the expected payback and how you can learn expert strategy to maximize your winnings playing the game.

Why You Should Be Playing Video Poker

We’re about to talk about many of the advantages you get from playing Double Bonus video poker. But we should start by talking about what you get out of playing video poker in general. After all, we know that many of you might be new to video poker, which means you might not realize all that’s in store for you when you play.

Video poker often gets confused as a kind of slot machine, since the two games are often found in roughly the same areas of casinos and both can be played by a single person. But video poker leaves slot machines behind because it lets you play with strategy. That makes it akin to table games.

But video poker also holds some advantages over table games. It really is a one-of-a-kind gambling experience. Take a look at all the ways that holds true:

• You can play video poker all by yourself. That might not seem like a big deal, at least until you’ve played table games where both employees and other players expect you to know what you’re doing. With video poker, the pressure is off and you can play at your own pace.
• You can learn video poker in a hurry. It’s one of the simpler strategic casino-style games, one that you can figure out even if you’re starting from scratch. But if you have a little bit of a poker background, you’ll really be able to hit the ground running playing video poker.
• You have great variety at your disposal in the world of video poker. The basic rhythm of play really doesn’t change that much from game to game. But different pay tables and special features can change the level of risk and reward, which means you can find just the right video poker option for your own personal preferences.
• You will help determine whether you win or lose with your decisions. The fact that strategy is involved in video poker will be a big advantage to any gamblers who like to have a little control over the action. Luck still plays a part, but you’ll really help your chances by knowing the right way to play different hands.
• You can determine the best video poker options to you. There really isn’t anything hidden in video poker, because the math is right in front of you. Probabilities tell you the likelihood of achieving certain hands, and pay tables show you how much you’ll get back for those winning combinations.
• You can beat the house playing video poker. It’s all about picking the right pay tables, including some from the Double Bonus video poker family, and taking advantage of loyalty programs. With video poker, you can legitimately hope to make a profit over time, which is a rare thing in the casino or online gambling world.
• You can enjoy video poker on top gambling websites. As a matter of fact, online video poker greatly resembles the version of the game you’ll see in casinos. The sights and sounds are the same, albeit on smaller screens, and the payback in online video poker play is just as competitive.

These are just some of the reasons that some gamblers will play only video poker out of all other casino games. Now that you know those reasons, all that’s left if for you to learn how to play the game.

Step by Step Guide on How to Play Video Poker

Step 1: Create a Bankroll

In order to win some real money playing video poker, you first have to put some money up for grabs by making bets. And the only way you can do that is by first establishing a bankroll before you start playing hands. To do this, you’ll insert money or a redemption ticket into a video poker machine (for casino players) or by funding a gambling account (if you’re playing online).

Depending on how much your bankroll is, you’ll receive a certain amount of credits or coins to begin play. These units will be what you bet and how you’re paid within the game, and they’re based on the denomination you’re playing. For instance, at a 25-cent game, one credit equals 25 cents, two credits equal 50 cents, and so on.

Step 2: Make a Bet

We said above that video poker is a game of strategy. That strategy isn’t just limited to the cards that you play. It also relates to the amount that you bet, since using a good betting strategy will increase your expected payback.

The good news is that betting strategy in games like Double Bonus video poker is simple. You can bet between one and five credits for every hand that you play. But you should go with the five-credit bet, also known as the max bet, every time.

Second, you’re short-changing yourself by betting anything less than five coins. Check out the payback for a royal flush, the highest-paying hand in the game, in Double Bonus video poker:

• 1 coin bet = 250 coins payback
• 2 coins bet = 500 coins payback
• 3 coins bet = 750 coins payback
• 4 coins bet = 1,000 coins payback
• 5 coins bet = 4,000 coins payback

As you can see, the ratio of payback jumps from 250 to 1 to 800 to 1 when you bet that fifth coin. You might not think you have a chance at hitting a royal flush, which is indeed a rare hand in video poker. But it does happen, and you’ll be very disappointed if it does and you haven’t made the max bet.

It’s understandable if you think your budget can’t handle a five-coin bet every hand. If that’s the case, see if you can find a lower-denomination game. In that way, you can still get full payback for the royal flush while also lessening your betting amount.

Step 3: Play a Hand

If you’ve ever played the card game known as Five-Card Draw, you should be familiar with how video poker works. In Five-Card Draw, you receive five cards on the deal and are tasked with creating the best possible poker hand. To do that, you can discard cards from your deal and have them replaced with others in the deck.

Video poker works pretty much the same way. But Five-Card Draw also includes extra betting rounds and features players trying to bluff others into folding. None of that happens in video poker, since there is only one person playing the game.

In video poker, to win payback, you don’t have to worry about beating the whole table. You just have to create one of the winning combinations on the pay table. For Double Bonus video poker, these are the hands you’ll be trying to achieve:

• Pair of jacks or better
• Two pair
• Three of a kind
• Straight (five cards of consecutive rank, like 3-4-5-6-7)
• Flush (five cards of same suit)
• Full house (three of a kind and two pair in the same hand)
• Four of a kind
• Straight flush (straight with five cards of same suit)
• Royal flush (ten, jack, queen, king, and ace of the same suit)

It’s important to understand that these hands are listed from easiest (on top) to hardest (on bottom) to achieve, based on poker probabilities. But you also get paid more for the rare hands. That’s why video poker often comes down to a tug of war between going for safer, lower-paying hands and taking a chance on rarer, higher-paying hands.

In other words, it’s a classic battle between risk and reward, as is the case with so many casino games. Video poker makes that connection pretty clear as you play your hands.

The Deal

After you’ve made your bet, you’ll set the deal in motion and the amount that you’ve bet will be deducted from your bankroll. Five cards will appear on the screen, cards which will come from a 52-card simulated deck. This deck is always shuffling in between your deals and your draws.

This shuffling is done by a random number generator within the game’s software. In other words, there will never be a point where you should be expecting certain cards because you haven’t seen them recently. Nor should you doubt a specific card will appear based on the fact that it has shown up often in recent hands.

In other words, you shouldn’t ever try to guess what’s coming. As we’re going to find out in the next section, your decisions should be made based on nothing more than probabilities and payback.

The Decision

When you see your five-card deal, you have to assess it for what cards you should hold and what cards you should discard. The cards you hold will be included in your final hand. Meanwhile, the cards you discard will be replaced on the draw.

The draw will take place from the 47 cards remaining after the five-card deal from the 52-card deck. That means you’ll know exactly which cards are left and what your chances of making a winning combination will be.

But your decision about what to hold and discard should also hinge on what your potential payback should be. There will be times where it will be smarter to go for a winning combination that might require a very fortunate draw to achieve. Occasionally, the potential for huge payback will outweigh the higher probability of making a less-lucrative hand.

Sample Video Poker Hand

Let’s take a look at how this decision-making process plays out in a sample hand. Imagine that you were playing Double Bonus video poker and received the following five cards on the deal:

You might not have any winning combinations right off the bat with this deal. But there are several combinations here which are just shy of what is needed for payback. It’s up to you which of these so-called “seeds” you want to pursue.

Your choices:

• Hold the pair of fours. Remember that we told you that four of a kind hands are stressed in Double Bonus video poker. The best way that you can achieve a quad in this hand would be to hold the pair, which would also give you the possibility of two pair, three of a kind, or a full house.
• Hold the three through six. This would mean dropping one of the fours. The reason you would do this is if you thought your best way forward would be to try for a straight, which you would achieve by drawing either a two or a seven with the one card you have coming.
• Hold the suited four through six. This would put you in position for a wide range of winning combinations, including two pair, three of a kind, a straight and a flush. But the big lure would be the chance at a straight flush.

This deal gives you a particularly tough decision to make, because there are so many possibilities. With many other video poker deals, the decision will be much more obvious. In any case, once you play the game for a while, you’ll find that, even on tough hands like this, you’ll make your decisions in a matter of seconds.

The Draw

To indicate which cards you want to hold from your deal, simply press the corresponding buttons or, if you’re playing online, touch or click on the icons. If you leave a card from your deal alone, that means you want it to be discarded. Don’t make the mistake of doing it the other way around and holding what you want to discard (and vice versa).

Once you’ve made your indications and activated the draw, all discarded cards will be replaced. This completes the hand. If you’ve created a winning combination, you’ll be paid according to what the pay table indicates.

To keep playing, you just need to repeat the above process of bet and play. If you wish to quit, you can always collect your winnings from the machine. For those playing Double Bonus video poker online, you’ll have to follow the withdrawal procedure at the website you’re using.

Double Bonus Video Poker Pay Tables

As we said above, Double Bonus video poker plays just like most other video poker variations that don’t include special features and twists. Where it separates is in its pay table. A pay table shows you what you can expect to receive from winning combinations based on what you wagered.

If you’re new to video poker, it might be tricky to understand what makes a Double Bonus video poker different. That’s why it’s always a good start to look at what is considered the baseline for all video poker pay tables, and that’s Jacks or Better.

Jacks or Better Pay Table

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1,000	4,000
Straight flush	50	100	150	200	250
Four of a kind	25	50	75	100	125
Full house	9	18	27	36	45
Flush	6	12	18	24	30
Straight	4	8	12	16	20
Three of kind	3	6	9	12	15
Two pairs	2	4	6	8	10
Jacks or better	1	2	3	4	5

Since we’ve established that, we can now look at Double Bonus video poker pay tables and see where they differ, for good and bad. Here is the highest-paying, or full-pay, table that you can expect to find from Double Bonus, either online or at casinos.

Double Bonus Video Poker Pay Table

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1,000	4,000
Straight flush	50	100	150	200	250
Four of a kind (aces)	160	320	480	640	800
Four of a kind (2s, 3s, or 4s)	80	160	240	320	400
Four of a kind (any other)	50	100	150	200	250
Full house	10	20	30	40	50
Flush	7	14	21	28	35
Straight	5	10	15	20	25
Three of a kind	3	6	9	12	15
Two pairs	1	2	3	4	5
Jacks or better	1	2	3	4	5

The one difference you’ll probably notice right off the bat between these two pay tables is the payback for four of a kind. First of all, with Double Bonus video poker, you’ll get paid separate amounts depending on what rank is involved. That’s not the case with Jacks or Better, where all quads are paid the same.

In addition, the overall payback for quads in Double Bonus video poker is significantly higher than Jacks or Better. Even the lowest-paying four of a kind in Double Bonus is twice as lucrative as any quad in Jacks or Better. That should tell you right off the bat that this is a game that really stresses that specific hand.

What also makes that striking is that four of a kind is a harder hand to make than a straight flush. Yet quads pay back as much or more in Double Bonus video poker that a straight flush does. That somewhat upends the video poker maxim that says that the rarer the hand, the more it pays.

Where Double Bonus Video Poker Lags

In the world of video poker, those who create the games know that they can’t add payback in one area without taking something away from another. Otherwise, the pay table would be too player-friendly and casinos and gambling sites would lose a lot of money. Double Bonus video poker features a discount on two pair.

Take a look:

• In Jacks or Better, two pair pays two coins for every one you bet
• In Double Bonus video poker, two pair pays one coin for every one you bet

Because two pair is such a common hand in video poker (approximately once out of every ten hands it will appear), this discount is damaging to your bankroll. The higher quad payback helps atone for it. But quads don’t appear anywhere near as often.

As a result, playing Double Bonus video poker will cause your bankroll to endure a much bumpier ride. There will be times when, helped by the quads, your bankroll soars. There will also be instances where, due to the two pair discount, you’ll watch your bankroll sag.

This is why Double Bonus video poker is known as a volatile variation on common video poker. For those who want the shot at bigger payback in a hurry, it’s an excellent way to play. But if you’re somebody who wants their bankroll, even a small one, to stay afloat for a long time, Jacks or Better or other similar pay tables are probably better for you.

Alternate Double Bonus Video Poker Pay Tables

As we said above, Double Bonus video poker is one of the more popular pay table variations on Jacks or Better. Due to that fact, you shouldn’t have a hard time finding the game in your local casino, or as part of your favorite gambling website. What you might have a hard time finding, however, is the pay table listed above.

That’s the full-pay version of Double Bonus video poker, one that—as we’ll see when we get to payback percentage—is relatively rare in the ranks of video poker in terms of its benefit to players. As a result, you won’t be able to find it too readily.

The alternative pay tables below are ones that you might end up experiencing instead. You’ll notice a difference in certain payback amounts for winning hands compared to full-pay Double Bonus video poker. Just be aware that these tables won’t be as financially rewarding to long-term players as the full-pay version.

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1,000	4,000
Straight flush	100	200	300	400	500
Four of a kind (aces)	160	320	480	640	800
Four of a kind (2s, 3s, or 4s)	80	160	240	320	400
Four of a kind (any other)	40	80	120	160	200
Full house	10	20	30	40	50
Flush	7	14	21	28	35
Straight	5	10	15	20	25
Three of a kind	3	6	9	12	15
Two pairs	1	2	3	4	5
Jacks or better	1	2	3	4	5

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1,000	4,000
Straight flush	50	100	150	200	250
Four of a kind (aces)	160	320	480	640	800
Four of a kind (2s, 3s, or 4s)	80	160	240	320	400
Four of a kind (any other)	50	100	150	200	250
Full house	9	18	27	36	45
Flush	7	14	21	28	35
Straight	5	10	15	20	25
Three of a kind	3	6	9	12	15
Two pairs	1	2	3	4	5
Jacks or better	1	2	3	4	5

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1,000	4,000
Straight flush	50	100	150	200	250
Four of a kind (aces)	160	320	480	640	800
Four of a kind (2s, 3s, or 4s)	80	160	240	320	400
Four of a kind (any other)	50	100	150	200	250
Full house	10	20	30	40	50
Flush	6	12	18	24	30
Straight	5	10	15	20	25
Three of a kind	3	6	9	12	15
Two pairs	1	2	3	4	5
Jacks or better	1	2	3	4	5

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1,000	4,000
Straight flush	50	100	150	200	250
Four of a kind (aces)	160	320	480	640	800
Four of a kind (2s, 3s, or 4s)	80	160	240	320	400
Four of a kind (any other)	50	100	150	200	250
Full house	10	20	30	40	50
Flush	7	14	21	28	35
Straight	4	8	12	16	20
Three of a kind	3	6	9	12	15
Two pairs	1	2	3	4	5
Jacks or better	1	2	3	4	5

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	250	500	750	1,000	4,000
Straight flush	50	100	150	200	250
Four of a kind (aces)	160	320	480	640	800
Four of a kind (2s, 3s, or 4s)	80	160	240	320	400
Four of a kind (any other)	50	100	150	200	250
Full house	9	18	27	36	45
Flush	6	12	18	24	30
Straight	5	10	15	20	25
Three of a kind	3	6	9	12	15
Two pairs	1	2	3	4	5
Jacks or better	1	2	3	4	5

Payback Percentage for Double Bonus Video Poker

Payback percentage measures how much you can expect to return from a given video poker pay table over a long period of time. In short samples, luck will drive your winning and losing. Luck evens out after you’ve played long enough and probabilities end up taking over to deliver the expected payback.

A payback percentage of 100% is the breakeven point, one where the player can expect to come away with their bankroll intact after playing a certain pay table. Most pay tables sink below 100% so that the casino or real money online casino can maintain the house edge. Yet the full-pay version of Double Bonus video poker comes in at an impressive 100.17%.

What does that mean in terms of your bankroll? Well, take a look at some hypothetical betting amounts and the expected return based on the full-pay Double Bonus video poker table:

Those profit amounts might not seem like much. But you have to remember that most casino games end up, on average with the player suffering a loss. Here you have the chance at making a profit.

You also have to remember that these amounts don’t take into account any earnings you might get from being a loyal player at casinos or gambling sites. In addition, the betting amounts also represent the amount that you win along the way that gets bet back into the game. That means you can enjoy solid profits in a relatively short amount of time.

Again, the full-pay table for Double Bonus video poker will be hard to find. But you can also get solid payback from some of the other alternative pay tables listed. Always compare them to the full-pay table to see how much of a difference there is between them.

Double Bonus Video Poker Strategy

To achieve the maximum payback percentage for each Double Bonus video poker pay table, you have to play the game with flawless strategy. That means no mistakes in terms of what you hold and discard each deal along the way. Any mistakes will cut into your payback expectations.

This is obviously not an easy task, considering all the possible combinations of cards you might receive on the deal. For each one of those deals, there is a single sequence of holds and discards which will bring more out of the hand, over the long haul, than any other. That is what you must determine to play with perfect strategy.

The key to understanding this concept is to realize that strategy isn’t something you can just make up on your own. You have to do it based on the probability math of making certain winning combinations on the pay table. And you also have to base your decisions on the pay table.

Playing to the Double Bonus Video Poker Pay Table

You have to base your strategy on the amounts in the specific pay table you’re playing. Playing Double Bonus video poker in the exact same way as you would Jacks or Better will lead to mistakes. While you’ll play many deals the same, there will be times when your Double Bonus strategy will diverge from what you would do in Jacks or Better.

In Jacks or Better, you would definitely hold the two pair and hope for a full house on the draw. But the fact that two pair only pays even money in Double Bonus video poker means that an end result of two pair would be the same as the end result with just the high pair (even money).

Holding the high pair only in Double Bonus video poker would also leave you open for a possible four of a kind while still protecting your even-money minimum. And we know that quads pay very well in Double Bonus. That’s why you would only hold the high pair in Double Bonus, in an effort to go for the much larger payday.

Getting Strategic Help

Keeping all this together is no easy feat, of course. That’s why the smart way to learn video poker strategy for a pay table like Double Bonus video poker is to get some help. If you try to figure it out all on your own, you’ll take forever and end up making mistakes in the math.

Luckily, many resources are out there for those who want to learn Double Bonus video poker strategy. It’s just a matter of choosing one and letting them do the math. All you have to do is take the time to learn the results. If you do, you can achieve perfect play.
Here are the two methods of Double Bonus video poker we suggest:

• Video Poker Training Software: The idea behind training software is that you will learn as you go. Once you’ve input the proper pay table, you can play sample hands and be faced with decisions about what to hold and discard. That’s where the software can tell you the right play, which means those right plays will become second nature once you’ve practiced long enough.
• Strategy Charts: A strategy chart is a listing of all the cards you might receive on the deal, ranked by how much value they bring to the hand. Once you learn this information, you’ll be able to tell which cards are most valuable in your hand. To work with a strategy chart, you have to take the time to memorize it.

Pros and Cons of Double Bonus Video Poker

Conclusion

Double Bonus video poker provides an excellent entry point for those looking to branch out from Jacks or Better to more exotic pay tables. There is enough of a boost in quad payback to draw in the adventurous types. But it might not be for conservative players who like the idea of playing for video poker for hours even with a smallish bankroll.