This week’s mailbag included an excellent question about Double Double Bonus video poker. My reader wanted to know: If you are dealt a Full House consisting of three 2’s, 3’s or 4’s, how. At some denominations and in some casinos, 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe (99.64%) can be the best available game. The pay schedule is identical between this game and 9/6 Jacks or Better (99.54%) — save for two items. Two Pair pays 2-for-1 in JoB and 1-for-1 in BPD; 4-of-a-kinds return 25-for-1 in JoB and 80-for-1 in BPD.
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On this page we're going to discuss what I believe is the best possible strategy for playing Double Bonus video poker. By using this strategy you will be able to achieve a return of over 100%, which means that you can actually beat the house edge. Our strategy was created for full pay Double Bonus which uses the pay table listed below:
Hand: | Payout: |
Royal Flush | 800 |
Straight Flush | 50 |
Four Aces | 160 |
Four Two's-Four's | 80 |
Four Five's-King's | 50 |
Full House | 10 |
Flush | 7 |
Straight | 5 |
Three of a Kind | 3 |
Two Pair | 1 |
Jacks or Better | 1 |
Please note that to achieve the 100%+ payout percentage, you need to be betting five coins per hand. By betting five coins you'll receive a bonus for all royal flushes, which drastically improves the payout percentage in the long run. Learn about other Double Bonus pay tables.
If you're a new Double Bonus player, you're probably better off to stick with the beginner chart for now. It's much more simple and will help you make decisions quickly as you learn the game. This chart isn't as accurate as the full chart below, so if you're looking for the best possible strategy use the full expert chart we have below.
Here is how you should use the chart below:
Example: Imagine you have Kc-Qc-Jc-Tc-4c. In this case you have a pat flush, but you also have an open ended straight flush draw including a draw to a royal flush. By looking at the chart below, you'll see that a royal flush draw is better than a pat flush, so make sure to discard the 4c and go for the straight flush/royal.
Here is how you should use the chart below:
Example: Imagine you have Qs-Js-Ts-3s-Jh. In this case, you'd match up with a few rows on the table below. Your hand would qualify for a high pair of Jacks, a Q-J-T suited with one penalty (the other Jack is a penalty card), and four to a flush. However, on the table you'll notice that Q-J-T suited with one penalty is higher than a four flush or a pair, so you should keep the Q-J-T suited and ditch the four flush and pair.
Here are the ranks for every possible Double Bonus hand. Remember, find the highest match on the list for your hand and hold those cards. The middle column shows the expected return for the specific hand. In the example column, h = Hearts, s = Spades, c = Clubs, d = Diamonds, T = Ten, s = Suited.
Hand | Expected Return | Example |
Pat Royal Flush | 800.0000 | Th-Jh-Qh-Kh-Ah |
Four of a Kind Aces | 160.0000 | Ac-Ah-Ad-As-3c |
Four of a Kind Twos, Threes, Fours | 80.0000 | 2h-2s-2c-2d-7c |
Four of a Kind Fives - Kings | 50.0000 | 7c-7d-7h-7s-Jc |
Pat Straight Flush | 50.0000 | 6h-7h-8h-9h-Th |
Royal Flush Draw | 18.6383 | Th-Jh-Qh-Kh-4h |
Three of a Kind Aces | 10.1147 | Ac-Ad-Ah-Js-8c |
Pat Full House | 10.0000 | Ac-Ad-As-Js-Jc |
Pat Flush | 7.0000 | Ac-Jc-6c-5c-4c |
Three of a Kind Twos, Threes, Fours | 6.7105 | 3c-3h-3d-8s-9s |
Three of a Kind Fives through Kings | 5.4339 | 8c-8s-8d-9h-3d |
Pat Straight | 5.0000 | 4c-5s-6h-7h-8h |
Open Straight Flush Draw | 3.7383 | 4c-5c-6c-7c-Th |
Inside Straight Flush Draw | 2.4894 | Qs-Js-9s-8s-4c |
Two Pair | 1.7660 | 3c-3s-4d-4h-Ac |
Pair of Aces | 1.7635 | Ac-Ad-Js-8c-5h |
Q-J-T suited (w/ no penalty*) | 1.5846 | Qh-Jh-Th-4d-3d |
K-Q-J suited (w/ no penalty*) | 1.5754 | Kh-Qh-Jh-4c-3c |
Q-J-T suited (w/ one Straight penalty*) | 1.5634 | Qh-Jh-Th-Kc-2c |
Q-J-T suited (w/ one High Pair penalty*) | 1.5430 | Qh-Jh-Th-Jc-4s |
K-Q-J suited (w/ one Straight penalty*) | 1.5384 | Kh-Qh-Jh-Tc-4c |
K-Q-J suited (w/ one High Pair penalty*) | 1.5365 | Kh-Qh-Jh-Js-3s |
Four to a Flush, 3 High Cards (w/ no penalty*) | 1.5319 | Ac-Jc-Tc-3h-2h |
Q-J-T suited (w/ one Flush penalty*) | 1.5264 | Qh-Jh-Th-4h-3c |
Four to a Flush, 3 High Cards (w/ 1 HP penalty*) | 1.5106 | Ac-Jc-Tc-3c-Th |
Q-J-T suited (w/ any two penalties*) | 1.4894 | Qs-Js-Ts-Kh-Jc |
K-Q-J suited (w/ any two penalties*) | 1.4783 | Kh-Qh-Jh-Jc-Ts |
K-Q-T suited, K-J-T suited (w/ no penalty*) | 1.4755 | Kh-Qh-Th-4c-3c |
Four to a Flush, 2 High Cards (w/ no penalty*) | 1.4681 | Kh-Jh-7h-5h-2c |
A-K-Qs, A-K-Js, A-Q-Js (w/ no penalty*) | 1.4662 | Ac-Kc-Jc-2h-3h |
Pair of Jacks, Queens, Kings | 1.4582 | Jc-Js-2h-4c-8s |
K-Q-Ts, K-J-Ts (w/ one Straight penalty*) | 1.4542 | Kh-Qh-Th-Jc-2c |
A-K-Qs, A-K-Js, A-Q-Js (w/ one Straight penalty*) | 1.4450 | Ac-Kc-Qc-Jh-2h |
Four to a Flush, One High Card | 1.4042 | Ac-8c-7c-3c-6h |
K-Q-T suited, K-J-T suited (w/ two penalties*) | 1.3959 | Kh-Qh-Th-Jc-Qc |
A-K-Ts, A-Q-Ts, A-J-Ts(w/ no penalty*) | 1.3663 | Ac-Kc-Tc-2h-3h |
Four to a flush, No High Cards | 1.3404 | 9c-7c-4c-2c-8s |
A-K-Ts, A-Q-Ts, A-J-Ts (w/ one St. penalty*) | 1.3395 | Ac-Kc-Tc-Jh-2s |
Open Four to a Straight | 0.9149 | Jc-Ts-9h-8c-2h |
Pair of Twos, Threes, Fours | 0.8266 | 2c-2h-7s-8c-Jh |
J-T-9 suited | 0.7826 | Jc-Tc-9c-4h-3h |
Q-J-9 suited | 0.7761 | Qc-Jc-9c-4h-3h |
Pair of Fives through Tens | 0.7434 | 5c-5h-Js-8d-2h |
Three to a Straight Flush, Open, No High Cards | 0.6855 | 4c-5c-6c-Th-9h |
A-K-Q-J | 0.6789 | Ac-Ks-Jh-Ts-3s |
Q-J-8 suited | 0.6644 | Qc-Jc-8c-6h-4h |
Q-T-9 suited, J-T-8 suited, J-9-8 suited | 0.6577 | Jc-9c-8c-4h-3h |
K-Q-9 suited, K-J-9 suited | 0.6512 | Kc-Qc-9c-4h-2h |
Four to a Straight, Inside, Three High Cards | 0.6170 | Qc-Js-Ts-8d-2h |
Q-J suited (w/ no or one penalty*) | 0.5871 | Qc-Jc-4h-8s-2h |
K-Q suited, K-J suited (w/ no penalty*) | 0.5845 | Kc-Qc-8s-4h-2s |
Q-J suited (w/ two penalties*) | 0.5772 | Qs-Js-Th-6c-4s |
3 to a St. Flush, 1 Gap, 0 Hi Cards (no penalty*) | 0.5726 | 4h-5h-7h-9c-Tc |
A-Ks, A-Qs, A-Js (w/ no penalty*) | 0.5692 | Ac-Kc-6s-9d-2h |
3 to a St. Flush, 2 Gaps, 1 Hi Card (no penalty*) | 0.5671 | 4h-6h-8h-Jc-2s |
K-Qs, K-Js (w/ one Flush penalty*) | 0.5650 | Ks-Qs-8s-6h-2h |
Q-J suited (w/ three penalties*) | 0.5650 | Qs-Js-Tc-8c-2s |
K-Qs, K-Js (w/ one or two Straight penalties*) | 0.5642 | Ks-Qs-Jc-9c-2h |
Three to a Flush, Two High Cards | 0.5606 | As-Js-3s-5c-9c |
A-Ks, A-Qs, A-Js (w/ one Straight penalty*) | 0.5596 | As-Ks-Tc-2h-6h |
K-Qs, K-Js (w/ 1 St. penalty + 1 Flush penalty*) | 0.5582 | Ks-Qs-Tc-6s-4d |
3 to a St. Flush, 1 Gap, 0 Hi Cards (St. penalty*) | 0.5578 | 5h-6h-8h-9c-2s |
Four to a Straight, Inside, Two High Cards | 0.5532 | Qs-Jd-9c-8h-2s |
K-Qs, K-Js (w/ three penalties*) | 0.5515 | Ks-Qs-Th-Td-2s |
3 to a St. Flush, 2 Gaps, 1 High Card (St. penalty*) | 0.5486 | 8h-Th-Qh-9c-2s |
K-Q-J | 0.5199 | Kh-Qs-Jc-4c-2h |
J-T suited (w/ no penalty*) | 0.5011 | Jc-Tc-6s-4d-2d |
Q-J-T | 0.4940 | Qc-Jd-Th-7s-2d |
Four to a Straight, Inside, One High Card | 0.4894 | Jc-Ts-9d-7h-2s |
J-T suited (w/ one Flush penalty*) | 0.4817 | Js-Ts-6s-4c-2h |
J-T suited (w/ one or two Straight penalties*) | 0.4747 | Js-Ts-8c-7c-2h |
Q-J | 0.4745 | Qc-Jh-7d-5c-2h |
9-7-5 suited, 9-6-5 suited | 0.4699 | 9c-7c-5c-2h-3h |
Q-T suited (w/ no penalty*) | 0.4683 | Qc-Tc-7s-5h-2s |
3 to a St. Flush, 2 Gaps, 0 Hi Cards (no penalty*) | 0.4672 | 5h-7h-9h-2d-3d |
J-Ts (w/ 1 Straight penalty + 1 Flush penalty*) | 0.4652 | Js-Ts-8c-2s-5h |
K-Q, K-J (w/ no penalty*) | 0.4623 | Ks-Qc-8h-5h-3d |
Three to a Flush, One High Card | 0.4598 | Js-8s-4s-3c-2c |
J-T suited (w/ three penalties*) | 0.4588 | Js-Ts-7c-Ad-2s |
K-Q, K-J (w/ one Straight penalty*) | 0.4574 | Kc-Qs-9d-5h-2c |
Ace (w/ no flush penalty*) | 0.4552 | Ad-Tc-7s-4s-2h |
Ace (w/ one flush penalty + no 2, 3, 4 or 5) | 0.4499 | Ah-9h-Jc-7s-6d |
A-K, A-Q, A-J | 0.4493 | Ac-Kh-9d-7c-4s |
K-T suited | 0.4487 | Kc-Tc-7s-5d-2d |
Ace (w/ one flush penalty*) | 0.4487 | Ah-Th-7s-5c-2d |
Jack (w/ no flush penalty*) | 0.4451 | Jd-9s-7c-4h-2h |
3 to a St. Flush, 2 Gaps, 0 Hi Cards (St. penalty*) | 0.4431 | 4h-6h-8h-7c-Td |
Queen | 0.4341 | Qc-9d-7d-4s-2s |
King | 0.4310 | Kh-Ts-8d-5d-2c |
Jack (w/ one Flush penalty*) | 0.4306 | Jd-8d-5c-3s-2s |
Four to a Straight, Inside, no High Cards | 0.4255 | 5d-6c-7s-9h-2d |
Three to a Flush, no High Cards | 0.3608 | Th-7h-5h-3s-2s |
Everything Else » Draw Five New Cards | 0.3231 | 10s-8c-6d-4s-2h |
*Penalty cards are any cards which you plan to discard that hurt your chances of completing a draw. For example, if you have 7c-9c-Jc-8s-5h and plan to keep the 7c-9c-Jc, the 8s that you're discarding actually hurts you because there is one less card in the deck that completes your straight. However, it still makes sense to discard the 8s because you have better expected return going for the straight flush than to draw to the inside straight.
Straight (St.) penalty cards mean cards that interfere w/ a hand's possibility of making a straight. Flush penalty cards mean cards that interfere w/ a hand's possibility of making a flush. High Pair (HP) penalty cards mean cards that interfere w/ a hand's possibility of making a high pair (a pair Jacks or better).