Double Bonus Poker is a fun video poker variation with a somewhat higher variance than Jacks or Better. It makes up for that higher variance with its bigger payoffs for some of the different 4 of a kind hands available. If you play with the correct strategy, you have a small edge over the house. This assumes no mistakes, though. Double Double Bonus Video Poker Double Double Bonus, also known as 10/6 video poker, is another popular variant based on Jacks or Better. This game also uses the standard 52-card deck and offers all the same video poker fun and more. What makes this variant special is that it pays a premium for all hands containing Four of a Kind. 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.

This page provides the correct strategy for every situation in Double Double bonus video poker. By using the charts on this page you can actually achieve a payout percentage of roughly 100.07% if you're playing at a full pay Double Double bonus machine. My Double Double Bonus strategy was devised for machines using the pay table below. If you're playing a different Double Double Bonus pay table the strategy won't be perfect, but it will still be good.

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.

Beginner Double Double Bonus Strategy

If you want to play with decent strategy and increase your odds without following the full chart below, you should follow the rules listed here. We've identified the most troublesome hands for new players, and advised the correct move for each hand. To use this strategy, play your normal game and make the easy decisions, and if you come upon a tough decision refer to the rules below.

Here is how you should use the chart below:

1. Find your trouble hand on the chart.
2. Follow the chart's recommendation.

Example: Imagine you have Kc-Qc-Jc-Tc-9c. In this case you have a straight flush, but you also have a royal flush draw. By looking at the chart below, you'll see that a straight flush is better than a royal flush draw, so make sure to keep the straight flush and take your payout.

• Royal Flush Draw vs. Pat Straight Flush » Keep the Straight Flush
• Royal Flush Draw vs. Pat Flush » Keep the Royal Flush Draw
• Three of a Kind Aces vs. Full House » Keep the Three Aces
• Three of a Kind (besides Aces) vs. Full House » Keep the Full House
• Pat Straight vs. Four to a Straight Flush » Keep the Straight
• Two Pair vs. a Pair of Aces » Keep the Pair of Aces
• Two Pair vs. any Pair Besides Aces » Keep the Two Pair
• High Pair (Jacks or Better) vs. Four to a Flush » Keep the High Pair
• Four to a Flush vs. Four to a Straight » Keep the Four to a Flush
• High Pair (Jacks or Better) vs. Open Four to Straight » Keep the High Pair
• Open Four to Straight vs. Pair (Twos through Tens) » Keep the Pair
• Inside Straight Draw vs. Discard All » Keep the Straight Draw

Expert Double Bonus Strategy

Here is how you should use the chart below:

1. Start at the top of the chart and work down.
2. When you see a hand that matches up with yours, follow that strategy.

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.

Double Double Bonus Full Strategy Chart

Here are the ranks for every possible Double Double Bonus hand you can hold before the draw. 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.

Double Double Video Poker Strategy

*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.

Double Double Bonus Poker 8-5 Strategy

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).