Double Bonus Video Poker

Double Bonus video poker belongs to the "Bonus Poker" family, a group of video poker games that are closely related because they have extra or "bonus" payouts for particular poker hands. In the case of Double Bonus, the extra payout is for several types of four-of-a-kinds. It is named "double" bonus because this game has double payouts compared to its almost-twin game: Bonus Poker. The four-of-a-kinds are categorized identically in both games:

Four Aces
Four 2,3 or 4's
Four 5 through Kings

Normally a four-of-a-kind only pays out 25 coins on a one-coin bet (in standard games such as Jacks or Better). Bonus Poker pays 80 coins for four Aces, 40 coins for four 2,3,4's and the standard 25 coins for all other four-of-a-kinds (5's through K's). In Double Bonus video poker these numbers are doubled. Four Aces pay 160 coins, four 2,3,4's pay 80 coins and all the rest pay 50 coins.

Double Bonus video poker has great jackpots for four-of-a-kinds but there is a drawback. The two pair pay is only 1 coin on a one-coin bet; exactly the same as a pair of Jacks or better. The player's edge is lowered by this reduction in the paytable since two pairs will appear more frequently than four-of-a-kinds.

Here's a chart that draws out the probabilities and odds for each Double Bonus poker hand:

Poker Hands	Probability	Average hands
Royal flush	0.000026	38462
Straight flush	0.000103	9709
4 Aces	0.000237	4219
4 2-4	0.000542	1845
4 5-K	0.001631	613
Full house	0.010563	95
Flush	0.010876	92
Straight	0.012668	79
3 of a kind	0.075713	13
Two pair	0.123313	8
Jacks or better	0.212379	5
Nothing	0.551949	2

The probability number tells you how likely you are to get a particular poker hand. To visualize it better you may look at the average hands that need to be played for that particular poker hand to appear in Double Bonus. So, when you look at the 4 Aces, this four-of-a-kind should appear approximately once every 4,219 hands that are played. Of course, these figures are statistical and should not be taken literally but only as a guideline.

Where to Play Double Bonus Video Poker

This game is commonly found throughout the internet. You may play for free at (http://wizardofodds.com/play/doublebonus/). If you want to gamble with real money, you may download any casino that is powered by the following gaming softwares:

Real Time Gaming (RTG)
Microgaming
Grand Virtual

Each casino software has a different feel. There are also different features for each casino, such as the Analyzer Tool Microgaming video poker games have which other casinos do not offer. With this tool you may keep track of your winning stats. You can also calculate the odds of getting your desired cards based on the cards you have been dealt.

All three casino softwares allow players to play Double Bonus video poker in multi-hand option. There is also a double-up game played after each winning hand for all 3 casino softwares.

How to Play Double Bonus Video Poker

To play the game you must insert money into the machine. Decide how many credits you want to wager per each hand (1 to 5). One credit is equal to the denomination of the machine. This means that if you are playing on the $1 Double Bonus machine, betting the maximum credits per hand equals to a $5 wager per hand. Once you have placed the bets, press the Deal button to receive 5 cards from a shuffled 52-card deck. Decide which cards you want to hold (if any) by pressing the Hold button underneath each card. Then press the Deal button to discard the rest and get new cards for the discarded cards. If you are able to complete anything above a pair of Jacks, a payout will be made according to the Double Bonus paytable:

Hand Combinations	Coin 1	Coin 2	Coin 3	Coin 4	Coin 5
Royal Flush	250	500	750	1,000	4,000
Four of a Kind (Aces)	160	320	480	640	800
Four of a Kind (Two's, Three's or Four's)	80	160	240	320	400
Four of a Kind (Five's through to King's)	50	100	150	200	250
Straight Flush	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

This is a standard Double Bonus paytable. There might be some slight variations to this, such as the RTG casinos Double Bonus paytable. Instead of paying 50 coins for a 5-K four-of-a-kind, they pay 45 coins.

It is common to have an extra bonus payout for the Royal Flush on a 5-coin bet. Most online casinos we have checked have the 4,000 coin jackpot.

Tips and Strategy for Double Bonus Video Poker

Video poker games are based on skill. The results will depend on how good you are in deciding which cards to hold and which cards to discard. Obviously, most people will hold a winning hand when they have one. This is commonsense and is highly recommended but there is an exception to the rule. If you have a winning pair and also 4 cards to Royal Flush, drop the pair and aim for that juicy jackpot.

With the help of computers we can calculate which cards have the highest value in thousands of scenarios. Follow these simple criteria in order to win at Double Bonus video poker:

Four-of-a-kind, Straight flush or Royal Flush
4 cards to a Royal Flush
Straight, Flush, Full House
Three-of-a-kind
4 cards to a Straight Flush
Two Pair
High Pair
3 cards to a Royal Flush
4 cards to a Flush
Unsuited K,Q,J,T
Low Pair
4 cards to an outside Straight
3 cards to a Straight Flush with at least one high card and no gaps
AKQJ unsuited
2 suited high cards
3 cards to a Straight Flush with no high cards and no gaps
4 cards to an inside straight with 3 high cards
Unsuited J,Q,K
Unsuited J,Q
3 to a Straight Flush with one high cards and two gaps
Unsuited KQ, KJ
Suited JT

Internet Video Poker