A Beginner’s Strategy Guide for Double Bonus Poker

The Rules of Double Bonus Poker

Learning how to play Double Bonus Poker is easy. Before the round starts, the player should set their stake. Then, once this has been done, five cards are dealt to the player. If the player has a strong winning hand, most Double Bonus Poker games will automatically keep hold of the cards for you. If not, the player will be able to dispose of the cards they do not want to keep. The discarded cards are replaced with new ones, which ends the round. Then, the player will know whether they have won or lost depending on the cards that they hold. The minimum requirement for a winning hand is to have at least a pair of Jacks. The stronger the player’s hand is, the bigger their payout will be.

When the player sets their stake, before the round starts, it is advisable to play with the maximum number of coins. With five coins bet, it is possible to win a boosted payout for a Royal Flush. Therefore, it is better to play with a smaller coin value and more coins than just a single high value coin.

Winning Hands in Double Bonus Poker

In Double Bonus Poker, there are eleven different hands that can win. The weakest of them is Jacks or Better. Anything lower than a pair of Jacks is a loss. The other winning hands are the following (from weakest to strongest):

• Jacks or Better – A hand that has at least a pair of Jacks or higher.
• Two Pair – A hand that has two pairs, for instance, two 5s and two 10s.
• Three of a Kind – A hand that has three matching cards, regardless of their suit. An example of this is three 5s (hearts, clubs, diamonds).
• Straight– A hand that contains five consecutive cards – for instance, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 – regardless of their suit.
• Flush– A hand with five cards that have the same suit. An example of this is 2, 6, 7, 9, J of Hearts.
• Full House – A hand that has a pair and three of a kind. An example of this is two 6s and three Js.
• Four of a Kind (5s – Ks) – A hand that has four matching symbols, such as four 5s, 6s, 7s, 8s, 9s, 10s, Js, Qs, or Ks.
• Four of a Kind (2s – 4s) – This is a hand that contains four matching cards between two and four, such as four 2s, 3s, or 4s.
• Four of a Kind (A) – A hand that has four Aces.
• Straight Flush– A hand that has five consecutive numbers that share the same suit. An example of this is 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 of Hearts.
• Royal Flush– A hand that is essentially a Straight Flush but with the highest valued cards. A Royal Flush is a hand that includes 10, J, Q, K, A of either spades/clubs/diamonds/hearts suited. 

How to use Double Bonus Poker Strategy?

To improve your chances of winning at Double Bonus Poker, it is advised to use basic strategy. Although this may be difficult to learn at first, after practicing it becomes easier. Basic strategy uses an approach that is based on possible outcomes and chance. The idea is simple, but as noted, it does require practice. You start at the top of the list below and as soon as you come across a hand that describes the cards you are holding, you stop. You then discard any cards that are not part of that hand.

1. Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Royal Flush 
2. 4 to a Royal Flush 
3. Three Aces 
4. Straight, Flush, Full House 
5. Three of a Kind (except Aces) 
6. 4 to a Straight Flush
7. Two Pair
8. High Pair
9. 4 to a Flush
10. 3 to a Royal Flush
11. 4 to an Outside Straight
12. Low Pair
13. AKQJ Unsuited
14. 3 to a Straight Flush (with More High Cards than Gaps)
15. 4 to an Inside Straight with 3 High Cards
16. QJ Suited
17. 3 to a Flush with 2 High Cards
18. 2 Suited High Cards
19. 4 to an Inside Straight with 2 High Cards
20. 3 to a Straight Flush (1 Gap or 2 Gaps with High Card or 234 suited)
21. 4 to an Inside Straight with 1 High Card
22. KQJ Unsuited
23. JT Suited
24. QJ Unsuited
25. 3 to a Flush with 1 High Card
26. QT Suited
27. 3 to a Straight Flush (2 Gaps, No High Cards)
28. KQ, KJ Unsuited
29. Ace
30. KT Suited
31. Jack, Queen or King
32. 4 to an Inside Straight with no High Cards
33. 3 to a Flush with No High Cards
34. Discard Everything

Examples

To help you understand, here are a few examples:

1st Scenario

The player is dealt a 5 of clubs, Queen of spades, Ace of spades, 9 of diamonds and 3 of hearts.

For this scenario, the player’s best cards are two suited high cards – the Queen of spades and Ace of spades. When going down the list, we see that number 18 refers to a position where the player has two suited high cards. Thus, the player should keep the two suited high cards and discard the rest.

2nd Scenario

The player is dealt a 7 of hearts, an 8 of clubs, a 10 of spades, a 7 of diamonds and a 7 of spades.

In this scenario, the player has already been dealt a three of a kind. This is number 5 on the list, meaning quite a strong hand. The player must keep all three 7s and discard the rest of his cards. In doing so, he may be able to add a fourth seven to form a four of a kind or maybe land a pair to form a full house.

3rd Scenario

The player is dealt a 4 of spades, 4 of clubs, an 8 of diamonds, 10 of clubs and Queen of hearts.

The best option for the player in this decision is to keep their already existing pair. However, the pair is of two low cards, meaning it will not be enough alone. The player should hope to improve their hand with another pair or to add an additional 3 for a three of a kind. This is number 12 on the list.

4th Scenario

The player is dealt a 2 of hearts, a 3 of hearts, a 9 of spades, a Jack of clubs and a 6 of hearts.

In this scenario, the player should keep hold of the 2, 3 and 6 of hearts. They are cards that could potentially form a Straight Flush. If the 4 and 5 of hearts are drawn, the Straight Flush is complete. However, the player can also benefit from an unsuited 4 and 5 or from two random number cards that are suited to hearts. This hand can lead to either a Straight, a Flush or a Straight Flush.

5th Scenario

The player is dealt a 4 of clubs, a 5 of diamonds, a 6 of spades, a 7 of clubs and a 7 of hearts.

In this scenario, the player has an outside straight draw if they discard of one of the 7s and hope to land either a 3 or an 8. The other option is to discard the 4, 5 and 6 and keep both 7s, resulting in a low pair. The stronger hand is the outside straight but the safer hand to play is to discard of the three cards.