Double bonus poker – Your guide to this fun video poker variant

Double Bonus Poker is an exciting and rewarding version of video poker that has become popular at online casinos. Double Bonus Poker is a variation of the classic Jacks or Better video poker game. Like other video poker games, the object is to form the best 5-card poker hand possible to win. Double Bonus Poker uses a standard 52-card deck and is played on a video poker machine. Players are dealt 5 cards and choose to hold or discard any of them, drawing new cards to replace the discards. The resulting 5-card hand is compared to a payout table to determine the winnings.

What makes Double Bonus Poker different is the payout structure. As the name implies, it offers higher payouts for certain four-of-a-kind hands compared to Jacks or Better. Four 2s, 3s, or 4s pay out double – hence the name “Double Bonus”. There are also increased payouts for four aces with a kicker (an ace plus a face card or ace). This makes Aces much more valuable in Double Bonus Poker.

How to play double bonus poker?

Here are the basic steps to play a hand of Double Bonus Poker:

  1. Insert credits into the video poker machine – most machines allow bets from 1 to 5 credits per hand.
  2. Press the “Deal” button to receive your initial 5 cards.
  3. Decide which cards to hold by selecting them on the touchscreen. You must hold at least 1 card but hold up to all 5.
  4. Press “Draw” to discard your unwanted cards and be dealt replacements.
  5. Your final 5-card hand is now set. The machine will display your winnings, if any, according to the payout table.
  6. Collect your credits or continue playing.

Double bonus poker strategy

Like all best zar online casino video poker games, strategy is vital for getting the best odds and payouts at Double Bonus Poker. Since there are over 2 million possible 5-card poker hands, determining the optimal play is challenging. But following some general guidelines greatly improve your results:

  • Always hold paying hands according to the pay table – even small pairs like 2s or 3s, since they double payout at 4 of a kind.
  • Break up high pairs if you have four cards to a royal flush. The royal flush payout is huge.
  • Go for the flush or straight if you are four cards away and lack paying pairs. A high card flush beats lower pairs.
  • Hold three high cards instead of a low or medium pair. The chance of hitting trips often outweighs the pair.
  • Four to a royal flush is generally the best hand to play due to the jackpot payout. Exceptions are four-of-a-kind or full-house situations.

Using optimal strategy takes experience and sometimes makes non-intuitive plays. But it makes a big difference over many hands of Double Bonus Poker.

Emily Carter: Emily, a trained environmental journalist, brings a wealth of expertise to her blog posts on environmental news and climate change. Her engaging style and fact-checked reporting make her a respected voice in environmental journalism.