You walk into a casino and see a sea of flashing lights. Most people head straight for the themed slots, the ones with the movie clips and the vibrating chairs. That's a mistake. If you actually want a mathematical shot at walking out with more than you started with, you need to find a machine running Double Double Bonus Video Poker. It’s the game that bridges the gap between the boring stability of Jacks or Better and the wild, bankroll-killing volatility of Triple Bonus.
Honestly, it’s the high-wire act of the gambling world.
The game is a variation of draw poker, but with a twist that makes gamblers salivate: massive payouts for specific four-of-a-kind hands. In a standard game, four Aces might pay you 125 or 160 credits. In Double Double Bonus, if you pull those four Aces with a low-card "kicker" (a 2, 3, or 4), you’re looking at a 2,000-coin jackpot. That’s half a Royal Flush just for landing four-of-a-kind. It’s intoxicating. It’s also dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.
The Pay Table Trap: Look for the 9/6
Most people just sit down at the first machine they see. Don't do that.
The entire "edge" in Double Double Bonus Video Poker lives and dies by the pay table. You’ll hear experts like Bob Dancer or Jean Scott talk about "Full Pay" machines. What they’re actually looking for is the "9/6" version. This means the machine pays 9 credits for a Full House and 6 credits for a Flush (based on a one-unit bet).
If you find a 9/6 machine, the theoretical return to player (RTP) is 98.98%. That’s nearly break-even. But casinos are sneaky. They’ll often drop that to 8/5 or even 7/5. It sounds like a tiny change. It isn't. An 8/5 machine drops your expected return by over 2%. Over a few hours of play, that’s the difference between a steak dinner and a sad walk to the parking garage.
Basically, if the machine says "8/5" or "7/5," keep walking. You’re being fleeced.
Why the Kicker Changes Everything
In most poker games, the fifth card in a four-of-a-kind hand—the kicker—is irrelevant. In Double Double Bonus, it’s the star of the show.
Landing four Aces is great. It pays 800 coins on a five-coin bet. But if that fifth card is a 2, 3, or 4? Suddenly that payout jumps to 2,000 coins. The same logic applies to four 2s, 3s, or 4s. If the kicker is an Ace, 2, 3, or 4, the payout doubles from 400 to 800.
This creates a weird psychological tension. You’ll find yourself holding a single Ace and discarding a winning pair because the "dream" of those four Aces is too strong. Sometimes that’s the right move mathematically. Often, it’s just a way to burn through your twenty-dollar bill in record time.
The volatility here is brutal. You will go through long, dry spells where you don't hit anything. You’ll watch your credits tick down to zero while you chase those kickers. It’s a "feast or famine" game. You have to have the stomach for it. If you want a slow, steady game where you can nurse a beer for two hours on $40, go play Jacks or Better. Double Double Bonus Video Poker is for the person who wants to swing for the fences.
Strategy Adjustments That Feel Wrong
You’ve gotta throw your "normal" poker instincts out the window.
For example, in many video poker variants, you’d never break up a Full House. In Double Double Bonus, if that Full House contains three Aces, you break it. You keep the three Aces and toss the pair. Why? Because the potential payout for four Aces (and that sweet, sweet kicker) is worth more than the guaranteed payout of the Full House.
It feels physically painful to hit "discard" on a winning hand. Your brain screams that you’re being stupid. But the math, championed by pros like the Wizard of Odds (Michael Shackleford), proves it’s the right play.
Another weird one: keeping a "low kicker" with a pair of Aces. If you have two Aces and a 3, some strategies suggest holding all three. You’re fishing for the 2,000-coin whale. It increases your variance, but it’s the only way to squeeze the maximum value out of the game’s unique payout structure.
The Myth of the "Hot" Machine
Let’s get one thing straight. There is no such thing as a hot machine.
Every hand in Double Double Bonus Video Poker is determined by a Random Number Generator (RNG). The cards are "shuffled" thousands of times per second. The moment you hit that "Deal" button, your fate is sealed. It doesn’t matter if the person before you just hit a Royal Flush or if the machine hasn't paid out in three days.
The odds are the same every single time.
The only thing you can control is your strategy. Because the payouts are so top-heavy (meaning most of the RTP is tied up in those rare four-of-a-kinds and Royals), playing "perfect" strategy is exhausting. One tiny mistake—like holding a Jack instead of a low kicker when you have four Aces—can cost you hundreds of dollars in theoretical value.
Bankroll Management for the Bold
If you’re going to play this game, you need a bigger bankroll than you think.
Since the game is so volatile, you can easily lose 50 or 100 hands in a row without hitting anything significant. If you’re playing quarters ($1.25 a spin), you should probably have at least $250 just for a single session. If you’re playing dollars? You better have a grand you’re willing to lose.
The lure of Double Double Bonus Video Poker is that you can get "well" in a single hand. You can be down $400, hit four 3s with an Ace kicker, and suddenly you’re back in the black. That "one hand away" feeling is what keeps the seats filled.
Misconceptions About the Royal Flush
People think the Royal Flush is the only thing that matters. In Double Double Bonus, it’s actually less important than in other games.
Don't get me wrong, it’s still the 4,000-coin holy grail. But because you’re getting paid so much for four Aces or four 2s-4s, your "recovery" happens much more often through these smaller jackpots. In Jacks or Better, you’re basically waiting for the Royal to save your life. Here, a "quad" with a kicker is your life raft.
This changes how you look at the screen. You’re not just looking for those high cards or suited connectors. You’re hunting for the "small" cards that act as the triggers for the big payouts.
What You Should Do Next
If you actually want to take this seriously and not just treat it as a fancy way to donate money to a casino, here is your roadmap.
First, download a trainer. There are plenty of apps (some free, some paid like WinPoker) that let you play on your phone but alert you every time you make a "sub-optimal" move. It’ll tell you exactly why holding that kicker was a bad idea in that specific context.
Second, print out a strategy card. Casinos generally don't mind if you have a small cheat sheet at the machine. Use one specifically for "Double Double Bonus 9/6." Do not use a generic "Bonus Poker" card. The nuances are too different.
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Third, always play five coins. The jump in the Royal Flush payout from 4 coins (1,000) to 5 coins (4,000) is massive. If you can’t afford five coins at the dollar level, move down to quarters. If you can’t afford five quarters, move to nickels. Playing fewer than five coins is literally giving the casino a higher house edge for no reason.
Finally, join the players club. Since you’re playing a high-volatility game, you’re going to be putting a lot of "coin-in" through the machine. Even if you lose your session, the points you earn can get you free meals, rooms, or "free play" cash. In a game with margins this thin, the "comps" are often what actually puts you into the profitable range.
Video poker isn't just gambling; it's a puzzle that pays. Double Double Bonus Video Poker is simply the most exciting version of that puzzle. It’s loud, it’s frustrating, and it’s occasionally life-changing. Just make sure you’re checking that pay table before you put your first twenty in. If it’s not 9/6, walk away. There's always another machine in the next pit.