Most online casinos offer so many unique poker games that it can be a challenge to find the game that suits your style. Three of the most common games in most online venues are Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker, and Double Double Bonus. Let’s go through the key differences and help you find the video poker game that makes the most sense for your level, bankroll, and playing style.
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Jacks or Better vs. Bonus Poker vs. Double Double Bonus: Which Has the Best Odds?
What Is Jacks or Better Video Poker?
Jacks or Better combines elements of traditional five-card draw poker with the simplicity of a slot machine. Players receive five cards, choose which cards to hold, and replace the remaining cards in an attempt to create a winning poker hand.
The game gets its name from the minimum winning hand. In order to receive a payout, the player must have a hand with Jacks or better. Payouts increase based on the strength of the player’s hand.
This is one of the most common video poker formats and is found in just about every online or brick-and-mortar casino.
What Is Bonus Poker?
Bonus Poker is a popular video poker variation that’s similar to Jacks or Better. Bonus Poker offers larger payouts for certain four-of-a-kind hands. Like Jacks or Better, players receive five cards, select which cards to hold, and draw replacement cards to complete their hand. A pair of jacks or better is the minimum winning combination.
Bonus Poker typically pays more for exotic hands like Royal Flushes and Four-Of-A-Kind, but typically pays less for full houses and flushes than Jacks or Better does. Check the pay table before sitting down.
What Is Double Double Bonus Video Poker?
Double Double Bonus is a video poker variation that offers larger payouts for certain four-of-a-kind hands than Jacks or Better or standard Bonus Poker. It follows the same basic five-card draw format. Players receive five cards, choose which cards to hold, and draw replacement cards to complete their final hand. A pair of jacks or better is the minimum winning combination.
The biggest difference is how Double Double Bonus rewards four-of-a-kind hands. Some variants have specific bonuses for hands with aces, 2s, 3s, and 4s. The game also introduces kicker cards. These can increase the payout for certain hands. A kicker is the fifth card accompanying four of a kind.
How Do the Pay Tables Compare?
For the purpose of our comparison, we’ll use a 9/6 Jacks or Better table, a 9/6 Bonus Poker table, and a 9/6 Double Double Bonus Poker table.
Jacks or Better rewards winning hands more generously, while Bonus Poker and Double Double Bonus offer larger payouts for specific four-of-a-kind combinations. Double Double Bonus provides the largest potential payouts for four-of-a-kind hands. This is an even bigger advantage when kicker cards are included.
Jacks or Better pays 125 coins for any four-of-a-kind hand on a five-coin wager. Bonus Poker increases the payout to 400 coins for four aces and 200 coins for four 2s, 3s, or 4s. Double Double Bonus offers as much as 2,000 coins for four aces accompanied by a qualifying kicker.
Jacks or Better and Bonus Poker both pay 10 coins for two pair. Double Double Bonus pays just five coins. This is a key difference because two pair occurs much more frequently than premium four-of-a-kind hands.
The 9/6 Jacks or Better and 9/6 Double Double Bonus versions pay 45 coins for a full house and 30 coins for a flush. The 8/5 Bonus Poker version pays 40 and 25 coins for these two hands.
Which Video Poker Game Has the Lowest House Edge?
Of the three video poker versions compared, 9/6 Jacks or Better has the lowest house edge at approximately 0.46% when played with optimal strategy. That corresponds to a theoretical return to player (RTP) of 99.54%.
Full-pay 8/5 Bonus Poker has an RTP of approximately 99.17%, giving the casino a house edge of about 0.83%. A common 9/6 Double Double Bonus pay table returns approximately 98.98%, resulting in a house edge of about 1.02%.
Which Video Poker Game Has the Highest Volatility?
Double Double Bonus has the highest volatility of these three video poker games. Bonus Poker comes in second, and Jacks or Better is the least volatile of the three. This means Double Double Bonus generally produces larger bankroll swings. This is because more of its theoretical return comes from rare, high-paying hands.
The biggest reason Double Double Bonus has higher volatility is its payout structure. For example, a five-coin wager can return 2,000 coins when a player hits four aces with a 2, 3, or 4 kicker. However, Double Double Bonus pays only five coins for two pair. Jacks or Better and Bonus Poker pay 10 counts for the same hand with the same wager.
Because two pair occurs much more frequently than premium four-of-a-kind combinations, Double Double Bonus players generally experience longer stretches of smaller returns while pursuing its larger payouts.
Remember, playing video poker online is meant to be a fun diversion. If you find yourself stressing over poker, the advice is simple. Just take a break, put on headphones, and listen to the latest episode of the Sports Gambling Podcast. Sean and Ryan have got you covered, even if online poker seems to have turned on you.
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