Ask The Slot Expert

I am having trouble finding any information on advanced strategies/situations for Double Double Bonus Poker where the payout is 4,000 coins for a royal flush (non-progressive); 2,000 coins for four aces w/2, 3, or 4; 800 coins for four aces; 800 coins for four 2s, 3s, or 4s with A, 2, 3, or4; and 400 coins for four 2s, 3s, 4s.

I have several situations I would like to know about:

1. Hold a winning pair vs. four to a straight or flush (if you hold four to a straight or flush, does it include throwing away the powerful aces?).
2. Hold a winning pair vs. three cards to the royal (if you hold three to the royal in this case, does it include throwing away the powerful aces?).
3. Hold a dealt full house with three 2s, 3s, or 4s or three aces vs. throwing two cards away for the possibility of a powerful four of a kind.

These are only a few of the many questions I have concerning this game. I would also like to know if the strategy changes when playing a multi-play machine like triple play or five-play. Furthermore, I would like to know if you think the casinos set the multi-play machines so they do not give one of these powerful hands on the deal trying to avoid a very large payout?

I would appreciate any advice/reply.

Thanks,
Scott

Dear Scott,

I use a program called Bob Dancer Presents WinPoker to answer questions like these. The program lets me set up a particular hand and then it will tell me the expected values of all the different combinations of cards I could hold.

My answers are based on the 9/6 version of Double Double Bonus, that is, a full house pays 9 coins and a flush 6.

1. Hold a high pair over four to a straight or flush.

2. Hold a three-card royal over a pair of jacks, queens, or kings, but hold a pair of aces over a three-card royal.

3. Hold the pat full house with three 2s, 3s, or 4s, but break the full house when it has three aces.

As for multi-hand machines, the strategy is exactly the same regardless of the number of hands you play, one or one hundred. And the casinos cannot set the machines so they do not deal these high-paying hands. The video poker machines made by IGT and other U.S. manufacturers deal the cards as if you were dealing them from a deck at your kitchen table. On the deal, every five-card hand is equally likely to be dealt--even one containing four aces and a kicker.

Bob Dancer Presents WinPoker can be ordered from Huntington Press.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos,
John

Send your slot and video poker questions to John Robison, Slot Expert, at slotexpert@comcast.net.

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