Double Double Bonus Poker is a high variance video poker game similar to Jacks or Better. While the goal of the game is the same – to get a royal flush – there are smaller jackpots for special four of a kinds in Double Double Bonus Poker. The payout is even bigger if a jackpot four of a kind is matched with a special kicker card.

• Super Double Bonus Strategy
• 10/7 Double Bonus Strategy
• Double Bonus Strategy Chart
• Double Bonus Poker Strategy

The larger payoffs come at a price; namely, the payoff for two pair is only even money (or 1 to 1). By transferring some of the game’s payouts from the more frequent two pair to the less frequent four-of-a-kind, it becomes a much more volatile game. Double Double Bonus Poker (DDB) is the most popular video poker game in the country. Double Double Bonus is one of the most popular video poker variants. However, there are some strategy adjustments to take into account when compared to tradi.

This game is a part of the Bonus Poker family distributed by IGT and may be found in online casino software and at most live casinos on Game King machines. Read on to learn more about proper strategy, how to play and find pay tables.

Special Payouts

Double Double Bonus Poker pays double on most four of a kind hands. It has an added bonus for quad aces, twos, threes and fours when the fifth card is also an ace, two, three or four. The basic strategy for Double Double Bonus Poker is complicated which is due to the bonus pays on the kicker. The perfect play varies depending on the pay table.

Our advice applies to the full pay version of Double Double Bonus Poker. This game pays 10 coins on a full house and six on a flush. Most casinos pay 9/6, 9/5, or even worse; 8/5. The 10/6 pay table returns 100.07% with perfect play. The 9/6 payout drops that to 99%. The other versions return below 98%. Most online casinos offer the 9/6 Double Double Bonus Poker structure if running the IGT version. Some knock off video poker platforms pay 9/5 or lower.

Finding the Best Double Double Bonus Poker Machine

The best Double Double Bonus Poker machines will pay 10 on a full house and 6 on a flush. These are very hard to find. Station Casinos properties in Las Vegas are known to spread these games that return just over 100% to players. The second best pay table returns 9 on a full house and 6 on a flush. This is a 99% return to player with perfect strategy. Double Double Bonus Poker machines that pay less than 9 on a full house and 6 on a flush should be avoided as the hold is at least two percent.

As we briefly mentioned above, the first step in receiving the best Double Double Bonus Poker return is finding the best pay table. At Aliante Casino and Station Casinos in Las Vegas, that is the 10/6 pay table. These may be found on machines that advertise 100% returns. That pay table looks like this:

Best Double Double Bonus Pay Table

– Royal Flush: 800 (250 if fewer than five coins wagered)
– Four Aces with a 2, 3 or 4 kicker: 400
– Four Twos, Three or Fours with an Ace, Two, Three or Four Kicker: 160
– Four Aces with a Five-King Kicker: 160
– Straight Flush: 50
– Four of a Kind 2’s, 3’s and 4’s with a Five-King Kicker: 80
– Four of a Kind 5’s through Kings: 50
– Full House: 10
– Flush: 6
– Straight: 5
– Three of a Kind: 3
– Two Pair: 1
– Pair of Jacks or Higher: 1

The high returns on four of a kind hands, especially those involving aces, twos, threes and fours, make Double Double Bonus Poker a high variance game. There are some unusual plays that are important to know before putting your cash into the machine.

How to Play Double Double Bonus Poker

The first step to playing Double Double Bonus Poker is to insert a bill into the acceptor. Modern bill acceptors will also accept tickets that were printed by other games at the casino. Some older machines like those at The D in downtown Las Vegas still accept coins but not tickets.

The next step is to bet five coins. This may be done by pressing the max bet button. Players should always bet the max because it increases the payout on a royal flush from 250 to 800 per coin. Once the bet is made, five cards are dealt. The player clicks the hold button on cards that he wishes to stay with and clicks deal. This will remove the discards and replace them with fresh ones. The hand is then graded using the pay table on the machine.

Finding the best pay table and using a players card are two ways to get the best return while playing video poker. Those benefits will not matter if you make mistakes while playing. It is important to learn the proper strategy for Double Double Bonus Poker before inserting your money into the machine.

It is obvious that a player should always keep a royal or straight flush. Four of a kind should always be held, but if the quads are aces, twos, threes or fours, the kicker should be thrown if it is not a bonus card. From there, four to a royal flush should be held. The next steps for which cards to hold are listed below in the order of importance:

– Three aces (discard bottom pair if dealt full house)
– Full house, flush and straight
– All other trips or four to any straight flush
– Pair of aces (break to pair aces up)
– Two pair
– Pair of jacks or better, unless JQK suited, then hold royal flush draw
– Any other three-card royal flush
– Four to a flush
– Four to an open ended straight
– Pair of 10’s or lower
– Four un-paired cards jack and higher
– KQJ offsuit; also hold a nine, if dealt
– Four-card gutshot (inside straight draw) with two cards jack or higher
– QJ off-suit
– Bare ace
– JT suited
– King-high with a queen or jack
– Ten with a suited queen or king
– Bare jack, queen or king
– Any gutshot
– Redraw five new cards

Double Double Bonus Poker Strategy

While the game is based on Jacks or Better, the higher payout for special quads changes some of the decisions. The difference is that players will break apart three aces from a full house and two aces from two pair. Players dealt a special four of a kind will need to make sure the kicker is an ace, 2, 3, or 4. If not, the kicker should be tossed in the hopes that a bonus card is drawn.

Standard Double Double Bonus Poker Pay Table

The following table is the most common Double Double Bonus Poker pay table. It returns 99%. Some casinos will short pay the game by only paying 7 or 8 on a full house. The full pay game pays 10 on a full house.

Note that four of a kind pays at least double a standard Jacks or Better game. Two pair only returns the bet to offset this advantage.

– Royal Flush: 250-1 (800-1 on five coins)
– Straight Flush: 50-1
– Four Aces with 2, 3, or 4 kicker: 400-1
– Four Aces: 160-1
– Four 2’s, 3’s, or 4’s with Ace, 2, 3, or 4 kicker: 160-1
– Four 2’s, 3’s, or 4’s: 80-1
– All other quads: 50-1
– Full House: 9-1
– Flush: 6-1
– Straight: 4-1
– Three of a Kind: 3-1
– Two Pair: 1-1
– Pair of Jacks or Better: 1-1

Where to Find 10/6 Double Double Bonus Poker

There are 13 casinos in Las Vegas that offer 10/6 Double Double Bonus Poker. All major Station Casinos properties have this game which includes:

– Red Rock Resort
– Green Valley Ranch
– Texas Station
– Palace Station
– Sunset Station
– Boulder Station
– Santa Fe Station
– Fiestas
– Aliante Casino
– Club Fortune
– Sam’s Town

Most other casinos will offer this game where a full house only pays nine coins. Some casinos go as low as seven or eight on a full house and five on a flush. Those machines should be avoided as the house edge is more than 3%.

How to Increase Your Return at Double Double Bonus Poker

While finding the best pay table for Double Double Bonus Poker is important, there are other steps to take to ensure receiving the best return on the game. Always use a players card when gambling in a casino. New players often receive perks like $5 or $10 in free play. The first trip to a casino will often trigger an inflated mailer to entice a return visit. This will include free play and maybe a hotel room. A food comp is sometimes included.

The actual play will also generate comps. Points earned while on the machine can often be converted to free play right on the machine. Some casinos pay cash for these points.

There is little downside to joining a casino players club. The only exception is if you are a professional gambler that only gives action on 100% video poker or counts cards at blackjack. Some casinos will eventually stop mailing offers if they suspect that you are an advantage gambler.

Online casino players are automatically enrolled in the site’s VIP program. Make sure to read the rules on the promotions page. Some online casinos require players to opt in for VIP and bonus programs.

Common Double Double Bonus Poker Mistakes

Players used to playing Jacks or Better or other bonus games may make some errors at Double Double Bonus Poker. One mistake may be not going for an ace, two, three or four kicker when dealt bonus quads. Another may be failing to break apart a full house with three aces or two pair when one is aces. While quad deuces, threes and fours pay a bonus, these pairs should not be kept over flush and open ended straight draws.

Always Play with a Players Card

Casinos issue players cards upon request. These return free play based on the total amount wagered. Players can also get comped based on this action. At the end of the month, the casino will rate the play and send offers by mail that include free slot play, meals, and hotel, as well as other coupons.

That article presented reasons someone would want to play Double-Double Bonus Poker in an online casino site or in a land base casino. If the reader is unfamiliar with Double-Double Bonus Poker he or she should read that article.

Because of the dramatic differences in the pay table (particularly when it comes to the pays for four-of-a-kind hands) the playing strategy is quite different from other games such as Jacks or Better.

I regularly receive questions concerning how to play certain video poker hands. The sample hands that are examined came from actual questions sent by members the video poker playing public.

All the information concerning the hands in this article and series are based on the following pay table. The pay numbers are totals for the five credits bet on the hand. This is because playing fewer than five credits gives the house more of an edge than is necessary. Video poker should never be played with less than five credits in order to take advantage of the 800-for-1 pay on a royal flush with five credits played versus 250-for-1 credits when less than five credits are played. Here is the pay table.

Okay, now that the basics are addressed, let us begin.

One of the most common questions from players of Double-Double Bonus poker concerns a hand that has three aces and a 2, 3, or 4 “kicker” (as well as an additional card that does not improve the hand).

Why all the confusion surrounding this hand? There is a very logical reason for this.

A hand containing four aces without a 2, 3, or 4 pays 800-for-5. However, a hand containing four aces and a “kicker” of a 2, 3, or 4 pays 2,000-for-5. That is two and a half times as much. With that much riding on the decision, is it better to keep a kicker with the three aces or is it better to just keep the three aces?

Take it from me, there is a very strong urge to try for the hand that pays half of what a royal flush pays. But is that the best move over time? Which hold will allow the player to make more money over time? After all, that is the outcome for which players should strive.

Let’s assume the dealt hand contains: Ac, Ah, Ad, 8s, 2s.

In order to determine the best hold, we have to determine the largest total return over time. That is the result for which we are aiming. Although it is possible to manually calculate the average return of any hand, using a video poker program makes the job a whole lot easier. The results shown below are from a program called Winpok6.

Here are the first several lines of return information generated by the program. The first column shows the potential hold. The second column shows the return for the five credits played and the final column shows how many total hands can be formed from the hold.

By reviewing the information, it is obvious that there are really only two options to consider:

Option 1: Hold the three aces and the 2 of spades.
Average return is 59.1489 credits for five credits played.

Option 2: Hold just the three aces.
Average return is 62.4468 credits for five credits played.

Clearly the best option is option 2. But why is that the case?

It all has to do with the hands that are possible based on the cards that are held. If the kicker is included along with the three aces, you are limiting the number of winning hands that can be formed. When more hands are possible, some of those can be high paying hands that are not possible when holding additional cards.

In this example, there are 47 possible hands if you hold the kicker with the three aces. All of them are winning hands because each hand will contain at least a 3-of-a-kind (Aces). They are:

• 43 possible hands containing three of a kind paying 15-for-5
• Three possible hands containing a full house paying 45-for-5
• Only one possible hand with four aces and a kicker (the hand that includes the final ace) paying 2,000-for-5

However, by holding only the aces, there are 1,081 possible hands – all of them winners. They are:

• 969 possible hands containing three of a kind paying 15-for-5
• 66 hands containing a full house paying 45-for-5
• 35 possible hands containing four aces paying 800-for-5
• 11 possible hands containing four aces and a kicker paying 2,000-for-5

How can there be 35 hands that have four aces when there is only one ace left in the deck as shown in the third line? The answer is simple. There may only be one ace left in the deck, but there are 35 other cards in the deck that don’t make a hand of four aces and a kicker.

It is obvious by looking at the numbers. The best way to play a hand containing three aces and a kicker is to hold just the three aces. This allows many more opportunities to score a hand containing four aces or four aces with a kicker. The additional hands that are possible improve the overall return of this hand.

Please keep in mind that the answer above is based on the specific pay table shown. It is possible that different pay tables will result in a different recommended hold.

It is an unfortunate fact of nature, that even though a player is giving up some money in the long run, they still want to “swing for the fences” and save the kicker. They feel that giving up only 3.3 credits on average per hand is well worth the excitement of hitting the big one a bit more often.

However, if you are serious about playing video poker and play a moderate amount, it will pay to learn the proper playing strategy for the specific game you are playing. To do this, find the playing strategy for the game you wish to play online. Playing strategies for many of the most popular games and pay tables are available there.

Super Double Bonus Strategy

Playing strategies for games and pay tables that are not available online can be generated by video poker programs and apps available for purchase either online or from a smartphone app store. Consider purchasing one of these to give yourself the best chance of winning.

10/7 Double Bonus Strategy

While the phrase “it is better to be lucky than good” has some truth to it, the more video poker you play, the less luck is involved and the more the math of the game reigns supreme. Do yourself a favor and take advantage of that math.

Jerry “Stickman”

Double Bonus Strategy Chart

You can contact Jerry “Stickman” at stickmanjerry@aol.com

Double Bonus Poker Strategy

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