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Video Poker game variants do of course come with many different structures, pay tables and occasionally optional bonus games, the most common one being the gamble game. However, when it comes to picking and then playing any type of Video Poker games, you should only opt to play those variants which offer you the more generous paybacks.

Although most amateur video poker players do not realize it, pay tables play a huge role in the profitability of a video poker machine. In fact, when you are comparing two machines that offer identical games/rules, the pay tables (or 'return tables') are the only way that the two machines' payouts can differ.

Fortunately for us, all video poker machines display their respective pay table right on the terminal. This is useful because if you know the game you are playing and the pay table the machine is using, you can calculate the max payout percentage for the machine.

Intro to video poker Current newsletter Video Poker Forum Pro Training Gold Training Game tips Pay tables Superstitions Do's and don'ts Statistics Dancer's Answers Training software Books and resources Test your skills. When three numbers are used to define a game those numbers are generally for the full house, flush and straight, respectively. Double Bonus Poker is a game that tends to have the pays for three different hands change. Here is the pay table for a full-pay 10/7/5 Double Bonus Poker game. Hand Pay Per Credit Bet Royal 250 Straight Flush 50. Finding the 9/7/4 Triple Double Bonus Poker pay table is important, as is using a players card for maximum perks. That only helps so much if you make errors in basic strategy. Many plays are obvious, like standing pat on a royal flush, straight flush, special quads with a kicker (toss the kicker if it is a five through king), and four of a kind.

If this max payout percentage is over 100%, then the game can be profitable. If it is below 100%, then the game is a guaranteed loser, and you can just walk away and find a better opportunity.

We've taken the time to analyze dozens of pay tables for the most common video poker games, and have also calculated the max payout percentages for all of them. Below is a full list of the games/pay tables we have analyzed. Click any of the links to see the common pay tables for that respective game, along with the payout percentages for each return table.

Five Quick Facts about Pay Tables

If you are new to video poker and would like a quick primer on pay tables, read on:

Fact #1 - Bet More for Better Odds

Almost every video poker machine allows you to bet between one and five coins per hand. If you look at the payouts for one coin, two coins, three coins, four coins, and five coins, they all increase proportionally except for the Royal Flush. The Royal Flush increases disproportionately from the four coin bet to the five coin bet.

As you can see in the Royal Flush payouts above, the one coin-four coin bets all increase by 250/coin. However, the five coin bet increases to 4,000 coins. This makes five coin bets a much better gamble than a one-four coin bet, and usually adds between 1-2% to the total payback of the machine.

Fact #2 - Pay Tables Differ for Different Games

This is common sense for advanced video poker players, but is not common knowledge for a new player. If two different machines offer the exact same pay tables they will still have different payout percentages. The reason for this is because different games employ different rules. For example, a Deuces Wild game declares that all twos are wild, while twos are just normal cards in Jacks or Better. Therefore, a pay table that is favorable in Deuces Wild will probably be very poor for Jacks or Better because there are no wild cards.

Fact #3 - Tables can be Deceptive

Some of the pay tables that machines use are downright deceptive. For example, here are two pay tables offered for Deuces Wild games - which one do you think is better?

Table #2 looks much better, doesn't it? It pays more for Five of a Kind, Straight Flushes, Full Houses, and Flushes. However, Table #1 is actually a better gamble because of the higher Four of a Kind payout. Table #1 pays out a maximum of 100.76%, and Table #2 pays out a maximum of only 99.73%. This goes to show that pay tables can be deceptive, and you should always use a calculator or check the numbers on our site to be sure.

Fact #4 - Pay Tables cause Volatility

Another little known fact about pay tables is that they are the cause of volatility. If a table is 'top heavy' meaning that a lot of the expected return lies in the bigger, rarer payouts, the machine will be very volatile as you lose quickly while waiting to hit a big hand. If a table is balanced, meaning that the expected return is spread throughout the payouts, the machine will be much smoother and have fewer swings.

Fact #5 - Casinos Change Tables

This is another one to watch out for when you are at the casino. Casino managers are always monitoring the take on the video poker machines, and if they notice a machine isn't earning enough money, they will tighten up the pay table to increase the house edge. Even if you played a good machine the day before, check it before playing again to make sure it has the same pay table and hasn't been modified to pay out less.

The extra bonus payoff is a plus, but beware the volatility

By Henry Tamburin

The most important fact to remember about DDB is that it’s a highly volatile game, meaning the bankroll swings are much greater than a less volatile game such as Jacks or Better. Let me repeat this so it sinks in: DDB is very volatile.

Double Double Bonus (DDB) poker is by far the most popular video poker game. Its popularity stems from the extra bonus payoff that you get with four aces, 2s, 3s, or 4s accompanied with a “kicker” (a specific fifth card that is in the same hand as the four-of-a-kind). What follows are some facts about the game (good and bad), and some tips to improve your chances of winning.

Kickers

DDB Poker was the first video poker game to implement kickers. In fact, its name “Double Double Bonus” is the result of the fact that the payoffs for specific four-or-a-kind hands pay double the amount paid in Double Bonus when a kicker is present. In DDB, a kicker is an ace, 2, 3, and 4.

The key hands in DDB that result in a bonus payout are:

Thus, it’s possible to be paid the equivalent of half a royal flush (i.e. $500 on a quarter-denomination machine) when you are dealt four aces with a 2, 3, or 4 kicker. How often will this occur? Roughly once in 16,000 hands. This is greater than the once in about 40,000 hands occurrence for the royal flush. This payout of half a royal flush is what makes DDB such an exciting game for players.

Pay Schedules

The following table summarizes the different pay schedules for DDB that you are likely to encounter, and the accompanying ERs (expected returns). The most prevalent pay schedule is 9/6. The expected return for this game is 98.98%, assuming you play every hand perfectly and you play max coins. I would strongly encourage you to not play a 9/5, or even worse, an 8/5 DDB game, simply because the ER is miserable. (Note: I’ve seen even lower pay schedules for DDB; these games should absolutely be avoided!)

Finally, you’ll see I’ve included a 10/6 pay schedule with a 100.06% ER. Unfortunately, this pay schedule is not readily available in most gaming jurisdictions. You will find them in certain locals casinos in Las Vegas, where the 10/6 pay schedule is offered in $1 and lower denominations. Check www.vpfree2.com for a listing of casinos that offer 10/6 DDB.

Double Double Bonus Pay Schedule

Payout per Coin Played

*4000 for a five-coin royal flush.

Playing Strategy

You might think the playing strategy for DDB would be identical to Double Bonus (after all, the names are nearly the same). But this isn’t the case. The factor that most affects the strategy is the payoff for the flush (rather than the payoff for the full house and straight). The flush payoff for 9/6 DDB is 6 coins times your bet, whereas it’s 7 coins in Double Bonus. (In fact, the playing strategy for DDB is closer to 9/6 Jacks or Better, because the flushes in the latter game pay 6 coins times your bet.)

The playing strategy for DDB is unique because of the extra value of Aces and kickers. For example, if you play DDB and you have a full house that contains three aces, you’d break up the full house and hold the three aces. Likewise, if you have a hand that contains two pair and one of the pair is aces, you only hold the two aces. You’ll also be going for inside straights more often playing DDB, compared to Jacks or Better.

You’ll find an accurate playing strategy for DDB on the video poker page at www.wizardofodds.com, including a list of 39 practice hands to test your playing skills. I’d also recommend that you consider using a video poker software training program on your home computer to practice the strategy—and there’s no shame in bringing a strategy card to the casino, either.

Variance

The most important fact to remember about DDB is that it’s a highly volatile game, meaning the bankroll swings are much greater than a less volatile game such as Jacks or Better. Let me repeat this so it sinks in: DDB is very volatile.

Bonus Poker Free Game

The reason the game is more volatile is because those juicy four of a kind jackpot hands containing aces through 4s with a kicker occur infrequently, at the expense of a reduced payoff for the more frequently hit two pair, straight, flush, and full house hands. If you don’t get lucky and get at least one four of a kind hand during a session, your bankroll will head south rather quickly. Because DDB has a high volatility, it also requires a relatively greater bankroll to get you through those long stretches from one jackpot to the next. Heed my advice and be prepared—emotionally, and financially—for the volatility that is inherent in this game.

Summary

DDB has these characteristics:

1. The game offers mini-jackpots for infrequent four of a kind hands with a kicker.
2. The ER of the common 9/6 DDB is 98.98%. This means most recreational players will lose in the long run playing this game because it’s rare to find casino perks that will increase the overall EV to greater than 100%. If you’re in Las Vegas, play the 10/7 DDB game.
3. The playing strategy is unique, and you need to learn it before you play (don’t use the Double Bonus strategy even if the names of these games sound almost the same).
4. The game is very volatile, so expect large swings in your bankroll.

Tamburin’s Tip of the Month

Bonus Poker Pay Tables

How would you play this hand in DDB?

Bonus Poker Strategy

Most players would hold the three aces along with a kicker because they’re hoping to draw another ace, which would give them four aces and a deuce kicker for a half-royal payoff. However, making that play is a mistake. With DDB, if your hand has three aces and a 2 through 4 kicker, you shouldn’t keep the kicker. The play that has the higher expected value is to hold the three aces and draw two cards.

A Closer Look At Double Double Bonus Poker.