Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces Video Poker

Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker takes two aggressive pay tables and combines them for a potent video poker offering. The game features an emphasis on hands made with face cards (jacks, queens, kings) and aces, which makes learn strategy for this video poker variation relatively easy. And the Double Double Bonus part of the equation means four of a kind hands really soar in terms of their payback totals.

Video poker serves as one of the most popular games in casinos and on gambling websites for a number of reasons. Chief among them is the ability to vary your play depending on your preferences for risk and reward. If you want, you can keep it simple with a game like Jacks or Better, which is the most basic format and is an excellent choice for beginner players.

The problem with Jacks or Better is that it is somewhat difficult to score big paybacks on a single hand. In terms of its overall payback, it is a solid pay table. But it generally requires you to grind out your winnings over a long period of time.

Winning Big With Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces Video Poker

Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker offers a way around this problem. First of all, it features a pay table that stresses making four of a kind with aces or face cards involved. It even includes special bonuses if those cards are the “kickers” in four of a kind hands as well.

On top of that, the payback for four of a kind, even with non-aces or no-face cards, is boosted. That is a distinctive part of the Double Double Bonus brand that is tacked onto this game. With these improved payback amounts at the top of the pay table, you’ll have more opportunities to strike quick in a major way with a single hand of Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker.

But it’s more than just the quick-strike ability that makes this game advantageous. You can also expect payback to be on the solid side over a long period of time with Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker. It’s the kind of game that can give you a real chance to make a profit over the long haul.

Seeing the Big Picture

It’s important to realize that no video poker gives you something without taking something away. In the case of Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker, the discount comes on two pair hands. And that discount will put pressure on you to make those four of a kind, or “quad,” hands as often as possible.

In the following article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the ups and downs of Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker. We’ll explain how to play video poker, then we’ll go into the special pay table of this particular game. Finally, we’ll explain how to play the game with expert strategy while also explaining what kind of payback you can expect.

How Video Poker Benefits the Player

Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker is just one of the many video poker variations that are found in casinos or at gambling websites. If you’re brand new to video poker, we can help you by teaching you the basics in this article. But we also want to explain to you why you should be playing video poker in the first place.

Many casino games are set up to put players at a pretty big disadvantage. And that goes beyond just the house edge, which is common factor in gambling. It also includes the little hassles and issues that can come up that make playing these games either uncomfortable or intimidating.

But video poker solves a lot of these problems. It’s finds a sweet spot between the self-contained play of slot machines and the strategic aspects of table games. And it does so with payback that can be quite lucrative.

Take a look at all that awaits you as a player trying video poker for the first time;

• Video poker is a cinch to play. Anyone who has a little bit of knowhow about poker hands will take to it quickly. But even if you’re in the dark on that, you should be able to understand video poker well enough after just a few hands or so.
• Video poker offers the chance to play in privacy. It is a one-person game, which means you don’t need the help or participation of other players or even casino employees. That makes video poker a low-stress option in the casino.
• Video poker comes in many different formats. While the basic structure of gameplay is pretty much the same no matter what you encounter, there are enough different pay tables and special features for you to keep changing things up if you want. No need to get bored playing video poker.
• Video poker gives you the chance to use some strategy to improve your chances of winning. This is one of the biggest differences between video poker and slot machines. With slot machines, you’re completely at the mercy of Lady Luck and have no impact on the outcome.
• Video poker is as transparent as casino games get. Because there are generally only 52 cards at play, your probabilities for creating winning combinations can be computed. And the pay table shows you how much you’ll get paid for your wins.
• Video poker stands tall in the payback department. Many video poker games, including the full-pay version of Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker, exceed 99% payback percentage. That gives you the possibility of making a profit when you factor in rewards you can earn.
• Video poker is one of the best online games you can play. By that, we mean that you won’t lose anything playing the game online, compared to casino play. The video poker action at top online casino websites is the same as what you would get at a machine in a casino.

We hope that gives you an idea of what video poker has to offer you. Now, it’s just a question of learning to play so that you can take advantage of games like Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker.

How to Play Video Poker

Step 1: Your Bankroll

To make the bets that you need to win real money at video poker games like Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker, you have to start by creating a bankroll. The first step in the casino is putting money into the machine. If you’re playing online, it’s a matter of funding a gambling account with either a credit card or other alternative methods.

This bankroll will usually be rendered on screen in units known as credits or coins. And these credits or coins get their value from the denomination you happen to be playing. For example, at a 5-cent video poker game, a win of 10 credits would get you 50 cents (10 times .05)

Step 2: Your Bet

When playing a game like Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker, you’ll be tasked with betting between one and five credits in increments of 1 credit (no betting 1 ½ credits, in other words). There are video poker variations where you can bet more than that per hand. These games usually include a special feature which will be unlocked with the higher bet, although that doesn’t apply here.

Why is it important to go with the max bet? It comes down to the royal flush, which is the highest-paying hand in all of video poker. Take a look at the difference in payback when you hit a royal flush, depending on the size of your bet:

• Royal flush with bet of 1, 2, 3 or 4 coins: pays 250 to 1
• Royal flush with bet of 5 coins: pays 800 to 1

In other words, you’re short-changing yourself with the smaller bet. Granted, the royal flush is a very difficult to achieve. But if you play video poker long enough, you’re bound to end up with one or maybe more, and you’ll want the full payback for it.

If you find that the bet of five coins per hand is too much for you, you can always lower your denomination. This will lower the monetary size of your bet. If doing this allows you to make the max bet, you can get the higher proportion of payback on any royal flush you hit.

Step 3: Your Hand

Video poker requires you to play a kind of simulation of the card game known as Five-Card Draw. In both games, you’ll be following the pattern of deal, discard, and draw. And in both cases, you’ll be trying to accomplish the best possible poker combination with your final five cards.

But Five-Card Draw makes it a little tougher for you to win on a hand-by-hand basis. The reason is that you have to beat everybody at the table. That could mean either a great hand, or perhaps some clever betting to deceive everybody else into thinking you have a great hand.

Video poker is just a one-person game, so you won’t need fancy betting. And you’ll receive some payback even if you make a minimal poker combination. Take a look at the winning combinations available to you on a Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker pay table:

• 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 the hierarchy of these hands. The hands on the bottom pay the most, as they are the easiest to achieve. As you move up the list, the hands become increasingly easy to achieve but pay less.

Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker messes with this hierarchy somewhat by paying as much or more for four of a kind than for a straight flush. That’s despite the fact that the latter is a harder hand to achieve. Still, for the most part, you’ll be making decisions about when to play it safe with lower-paying hands and when it’s time to risk a losing hand in order for a chance at a big payback.

The Deal

Everything starts with the five cards that appear on your screen after your bet is made and the size of your bet is deducted from your bankroll. These five cards come from a simulated deck that has the same cards as any standard deck you’d find in a casino. Each deal (and draw as well) will be random and separate than any that came before.

How is this possible? Random number generator software within each video poker machine and online game ensure that it’s so. Therefore, you should never make decisions on any trends or patterns you think you’re seeing, because it will end up costing you money in the long run.

The Decision

You have to decide which cards to hold and which cards to discard from your five-card deal. Any cards you hold will be part of your finished hand. That’s the hand wthathich will eventually be deemed a winner or a loser, so it’s important you only hold cards that will help you.

Any cards you discard will be replaced on the draw. The draw will take place from the 47 cards left in the deck after the deal. In other words, you couldn’t possibly receive one of the cards from your deal on the draw as well.

What should go into your decision? Always consider the following:

• Which cards will help you make a winning combination?
• What cards are left in the deck that can help you complete a winning combination?
• How much payback can I get for the various winning combinations in play?

That might seem like a lot to consider. But in reality, once you’ve played Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker for a while, you’ll be able to make those decisions in just a few seconds in most cases. You’ll be able to assess the hand quickly and make your holds and discards in a jiffy.

Sample Decision on Holds and Discards

Imagine that you were playing Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker and received the following five cards on the deal:

While there are no winning combinations in this deal, you have the “seeds” of possible winning hands. But you have to decide which of these seeds is wisest to pursue going into the draw. You could do one of the following:

• Hold the pair of twos. This is the only possible path you have if you want to get four of a kind with this hand (short of dropping everything or everything but one card). Besides the quad, you could also possibly end up with two pair, three of a kind, or a full house, all winning combinations.
• Hold all four of the diamonds. If you did this, you could draw another diamond with your one draw card, which would give you a flush. But pursuing this path would limit your winning possibilities.
• Hold the two, threem and four of diamonds. One of the reasons for going this direction would be to go for the straight flush, which is a high-paying hand. But you’d also still be in play for two pair, three of a kind, a straight, and a flush.

You might think that you can develop your own way of choosing between these options that will give you an edge over other players. In actuality, there is only one sequence of holds and discards here that you should consider. When we get to the strategy section, we’ll explain how you can make that choice for every deal that you get.

The Draw

Once you’ve made your decision, all that’s left for you to do is indicate which cards you want to hold. Any card that you leave alone will be discarded. Simply activate the draw by pressing the necessary button or clicking the correct icon.

At that point, any cards you’ve discarded will be replaced by others from the top of the draw deck. If you’ve formed a winning combination with the final five cards in your hand, your bankroll will rise by the winning amount. That amount also includes the size of your original wager.

You can do it all over again by making another wager and starting the process again. Or you can cash out your Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker winnings if you choose. If your bankroll is empty, you’ll have to replenish if you wish to continue the action.

Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces Video Poker Pay Tables

Now that you know how to play basic video poker, it’s time to learn the specifics of Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker. And to do that, you should be looking at the pay table. That is the most important piece of information for any video poker game you choose.

The pay table basically shows you how much you’ll receive for any winning combination (along with what those winning combinations are). That should also point the way to your strategy. And as you’ll see, the pay table also reflects how game play will transpire, in terms of the rising and falling of your bankroll.

If you’re a newcomer to the game, looking at the Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker might not mean much to you without context. So, let’s provide that context with a look at the pay table for Jacks or Better, which is the most common of all video poker games:

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

Not that we have that established, let’s take a gander at the pay table for Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker. This is the full-pay version of the game, which means it is the table that will offer the highest payback for you over the long term:

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 aces without J to K	400	800	1,200	1,600	2,000
Four aces without 2s to 10s	160	320	480	640	800
Four Js to Ks without J to A	160	320	480	640	800
Four Js to Ks without 2 to 10	80	160	240	320	400
Four 2s to 10s	50	100	150	200	250
Full house	9	18	27	36	45
Flush	6	12	18	24	30
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

You should be able to immediately spot the differences. The Jacks or Better table offers only one payout for Four of a Kind, regardless of what cards are involved. Meanwhile, the Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker includes much higher payback for the so-called aces and faces (ace, king, queen and jack) when they are the cards included in four of a kind.

Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker also includes the “kicker” concept. Take a look at the following hand:

In that hand, the seven of spades is the kicker. That’s because it is the odd card out from the four of a kind. Again, Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker rewards kickers made up of aces of faces.

The Volatility of Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces Video Poker

It might seem that the high payback for the four of a kind hands, especially the aces and faces, automatically makes the Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker game superior to Jacks or Better. But Jacks or Better has an edge in one key area:

• Two pair on Jacks or Better: 2 to 1
• Two pair on Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces: 1 to 1 (even money)

Why is this such a big distinction? Well, two pair is a common winning hand, one you’re likely to see once every 10 hands or so. In other words, seeing less payback on that hand will hurt your bankroll when you’re playing Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker.

As a matter of fact, Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker is higher-volatility than even basic Aces and Faces. Take a look at that pay table:

Aces and Faces Pay Table

Coins/Hand	1 Coin	2 Coins	3 Coins	4 Coins	5 Coins
Royal flush	500	1,000	2,000	3,000	4,000
Straight flush	50	100	150	200	250
Four of a kind (aces)	80	160	240	320	400
Four of a kind (faces)	40	80	120	160	200
Four of a kind (any other)	25	50	75	100	125
Full house	8	16	24	32	40
Flush	5	10	15	20	25
Straight	4	8	12	16	20
Three of a kind	3	6	9	12	15
Two pairs	2	4	6	8	10
High pair	1	2	3	4	5

Again, you’ll notice that the Aces and Faces table offers 2 to 1 for two pair. Keep in mind that the fact that Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker is volatile isn’t necessarily a bad thing. As a matter of fact, if you’re someone who wants to win a lot on a single hand, it’s a great game to play.

But if you’re the type that wants to play for a long time on a small bankroll, you’re likely better off with Jacks or Better or even garden-variety Aces and Faces. Those games might not offer the quick-strike capabilities of Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker. But they’ll offer steadier gameplay.

Alternative Pay Table

The pay table we showed you above for Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker was the full-pay version. But there is no guarantee that you’ll be able to find that table where you play the game, either online or at a casino.

For that reason, you might have to settle for the pay table below. This pay table slightly drops the payback for a flush from 6 to 1 to 5 to 1. That small change will negatively impact your payback percentage (more on that in a moment), so you should opt for the full-pay version (if at all possible) rather than the one below.

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 aces without J to K	400	800	1,200	1,600	2,000
Four aces without 2 s to 10s	160	320	480	640	800
Four Js to Ks without J to A	160	320	480	640	800
Four Js to Ks without 2 to 10	80	160	240	320	400
Four 2s to 10s	50	100	150	200	250
Full house	9	18	27	36	45
Flush	5	10	15	20	25
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

Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces Video Poker Payback Percentage
Payback percentage offers you a different way to look at games like Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker other than volatility level. Think of it this way:

• Volatility measures your bankroll as it swings up and down
• Payback percentage measures your bankroll when you’ve finished playing

In other words, if you start with a bankroll of $1,000 playing Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker, there will likely be times when that bankroll falls and other times when it rises. When you’ve bet that entire amount, you’re likely to come out with a bankroll close to where you started.

Volatility is driven somewhat by luck (and also by the pay tables). But payback percentage is driven by probabilities, which take over from luck after you’ve played a while. It’s a better measurement for players who want to play a particular game, such as Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker, over a long period of time.

The full-pay version of Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker offers a payback percentage of 99.46%. That means the house edge is just .54%. Look at how that payback percentage might affect different bankroll amounts:

• $1,000 bankroll = $994.60 remaining
• $10,000 bankroll = $9,946 remaining
• $100,000 bankroll = $99,460 remaining

If you’ve never gambled before with regularity, you might think that these kinds of results aren’t that exciting. Why would a game where you’re expected to lose money be a good thing? But you have to remember that the house edge is in place for most casino games, and usually it’s much higher than just .54%.

Unfortunately, that would be less likely to happen with the lesser pay Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker table (with the 5 to 1 payback for the flush). That pay table offers payback of roughly 98.37%. For that reason, the Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker is recommended for hardcore players, while the lesser should only be played by more casual video poker enthusiasts.

Strategy for Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces Video Poker

One thing that we didn’t mention about payback percentage for Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker, or for any video poker game for that matter, is that you can only get to the quoted rate if you play the game perfectly. This means that you have to make the right decision on every single deal you play.

There is no debate about which decision is right for each hand, because the math decides it. Only one sequence of holds and discards will maximize the value of any particular deal. And that is the sequence you should be playing, no questions asked.

You can get away with wrong decisions in the short term, because you can always get lucky on the draw. But the luck will even out and the probabilities will eventually win out. That’s why players serious about winning big at Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker should also get serious about learning the right strategy.

Matching the Strategy to the Pay Table

It’s also important to note that video poker strategy is not a proposition of one size fits all. There are different payback amounts on each unique pay table for specific winning hands. As a result, you have to fit the strategy to the pay table you’re playing.

In the case of Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker, you should realize the extreme emphasis placed on four of a kind combinations, especially those with aces and faces involved. Take a look at the following deal:

If you were playing the basic Jacks or Better, your choice here would be pretty clear. You would hold the two pair and take, at the minimum, your 2 to 1 payback. On the draw, you might get lucky and get another four or ace for a full house.

But if you’re playing Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker, keeping the two pair doesn’t make as much sense. After all, the two pair will pay the same amount as if you ended up with only the pair of aces (both even money.) And, if you hold the two aces, you keep in play the possibility of four aces, which is a monster payback for this pay table.

As a result, the right play on this deal for Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker is to hold the aces only. Keeping all of this straight can be tricky while you’re playing. That’s why it’s a smart idea to get help learning your video poker strategy.

Video Poker Strategy Resources

Even if you’re great at math, knowing the right play for all of the possible deals you might get during Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker play is a tough task. You might be able to figure it out, but it would take you too long to do it for every single deal. And you’re liable to make costly mistakes.

For that reason, you should seek out help for learning strategy on a game like Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker. The help comes from sources who have already worked through all the math using computer algorithms. They’ve done all the work, and it’s up to you to learn the results.

As we said above, make sure that the instruction you receive is tailored specifically to Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker. We suggest one of these two methods for learning:

• Video poker training software: Training software is excellent for beginners because you can learn how to play as you learn the right strategy. By playing sample hands, you can get an idea for the rhythm of play. And as you go, the software will tell you the right plays for each deal, so you can eventually learn all of those plays once you’ve practiced for a while.
• Strategy charts: These charts can give you quicker access to perfect strategy, because you just have to memorize them (which still might take a while). Each chart ranks the best possible combinations you can receive on the deal, based on the particular pay table you’re playing. Once you know that, you’ll know how to play any deal that you receive.

Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces Video Poker Pros and Cons

Conclusion

Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces video poker offers the kind of overall payback that you might associate with a grinding video poker version. But in actuality, you can score big in a hurry with the right quad combinations. As long as you have the bankroll for it, this is an excellent video poker choice.