Another video poker strategy quiz

12 July 2025

By Jerry Stickman

Today’s article is a quiz on proper video poker strategy. Rather than the usual one or two hands for a single game, this quiz is for one dealt hand in four different games.

See if you can play this hand properly on all four games.

Today’s hand contains:
- A of clubs (Ac)
- A of diamonds (Ah)
- A of spades (As)
- 2 of diamonds (2d)
- 7 of clubs (7c)

The contents of this hand generate the same question from many video poker players – that is: “Should I hold the 2 of diamonds kicker along with the three aces?”

Obviously, this hand only comes into question when the game being played pays for a four-of-a-kind plus a kicker. With that in mind, the choice of games for this quiz include the following:
- Double-Double Bonus Poker – 9/6, returning 98.98 percent
- Triple Double Bonus – 9/6, returning 98.15 percent
- Super Double-Double Bonus Poker – 7/5, returning 98.61 percent
- Double-Double Aces and Faces (with dealt hand slightly modified – the jack of diamonds instead of the 2 of diamonds) – 9/5, returning 98.37 percent

The main factor in deciding the correct holds for this hand is which winning hands pay more, proportionately – the hands that can be generated holding just the three aces or those that can be generated holding the three aces with a kicker.

When the three aces are held, there are a total of 1,081 possible outcomes. There are:
- 969 hands with three-of-a-kind (the three aces)
- 66 hands with a full house
- 35 hands containing four aces
- 11 hands containing four aces and a kicker of a 2, 3, or 4 (K, Q, or J in Double-Double Aces and Faces)

When three aces plus the kicker are held, there are just 47 possible outcomes:
- 43 hands with three-of-a-kind (the three aces)
- Three hands containing a full house
- One hand containing four aces and a kicker

In order for the proper hold to be the latter (the hold of three aces and a kicker), a hand of four aces with a kicker must pay extremely well.

Let’s see how things play out.

Pay tables for the subject games pay as follows.

Four Aces pays:
- Double-Double Bonus Poker – 800-for-5
- Triple Double Bonus – 800-for-5
- Super Double-Double Bonus Poker – 800-for-5
- Double-Double Aces and Faces – 800-for-5

Four Aces with a 2, 3, or 4 kicker pays:
- Double-Double Bonus Poker – 2,000-for-5
- Triple Double Bonus – 4,000-for-5
- Super Double-Double Bonus Poker – 2,000-for-5
- Double-Double Aces and Faces – 2,000-for-5

In which games would you hold the three aces and in which would you hold the three aces and the kicker?

Here are the returns for each of the two holds.

The example hand returns the following for a five-credit bet:
- Double-Double Bonus Poker – AAA: 62.4468, AAA2: 59.1489
- Triple Double Bonus – AAA: 78.3163, AAA2: 97.1276
- Super Double-Double Bonus Poker – AAA: 70.7169, AAA2: 58.5106
- Double-Double Aces and Faces – AAA: 62.4468, AAAJ: 59.1489

I find the results very interesting. In order for the proper hold to include the kicker card along with the three aces (in Triple Double Bonus), four aces with a kicker must pay double what the other three games pay (4,000-for-5 vs. 2,000-for-5).

How did you do? Is this what you chose?

As always, may all your wins be swift and large, and your losses be slow and tiny.

Jerry “Stickman”

Jerry “Stickman” is an expert in craps, blackjack and video poker and advantage slot machine play. He is a regular contributor to top gaming magazines and 888casino.com. He authored the video poker section of Everything Casino Poker: Get the Edge at Video Poker, Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Pai Gow Poker! You can contact Jerry “Stickman” at stickmanjerryg@gmail.com