Two pair is a hand that contains two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank and one card of a third rank (the kicker), such as J ♥ J ♣ 4 ♣ 4 ♠ 9 ♥ ('two pair, jacks and fours' or 'two pair, jacks over fours' or 'jacks up'). It ranks below three of a kind and above one pair. Who wins when two players have a flush? For example, say the first player also has two pair, one in their hand (two 3's), and one on the board (two 8's). The second player has AQ, with the same pair on the board (two 8's). Player one completes the flush with one of the threes in their hand. Player two completes the flush with the ace in their hand. The above Two Pair figure does not subtract the counts for suited Two Pair hands if they are deemed to be higher in rank than other Two Pair hands. Nevertheless, the figures show that Three of a Kind is still a better-ranking hand than Two Pair. Doubling up is winning a hand, doubling the amount of chips in your possession in the process. Basically you must go all in and win. Technically to double up precisely you have to do that against one opponent with more chips than you do, but I think winning more than that by going in a showdown with three or more people also counts.
Double Double Bonus Poker is a high variance video poker game similar to Jacks or Better. While the goal of the game is the same – to get a royal flush – there are smaller jackpots for special four of a kinds in Double Double Bonus Poker. The payout is even bigger if a jackpot four of a kind is matched with a special kicker card.
This game is a part of the Bonus Poker family distributed by IGT and may be found in online casino software and at most live casinos on Game King machines. Read on to learn more about proper strategy, how to play and find pay tables.
Special Payouts
Double Double Bonus Poker pays double on most four of a kind hands. It has an added bonus for quad aces, twos, threes and fours when the fifth card is also an ace, two, three or four. The basic strategy for Double Double Bonus Poker is complicated which is due to the bonus pays on the kicker. The perfect play varies depending on the pay table.
Our advice applies to the full pay version of Double Double Bonus Poker. This game pays 10 coins on a full house and six on a flush. Most casinos pay 9/6, 9/5, or even worse; 8/5. The 10/6 pay table returns 100.07% with perfect play. The 9/6 payout drops that to 99%. The other versions return below 98%. Most online casinos offer the 9/6 Double Double Bonus Poker structure if running the IGT version. Some knock off video poker platforms pay 9/5 or lower.
Finding the Best Double Double Bonus Poker Machine
The best Double Double Bonus Poker machines will pay 10 on a full house and 6 on a flush. These are very hard to find. Station Casinos properties in Las Vegas are known to spread these games that return just over 100% to players. The second best pay table returns 9 on a full house and 6 on a flush. This is a 99% return to player with perfect strategy. Double Double Bonus Poker machines that pay less than 9 on a full house and 6 on a flush should be avoided as the hold is at least two percent.
As we briefly mentioned above, the first step in receiving the best Double Double Bonus Poker return is finding the best pay table. At Aliante Casino and Station Casinos in Las Vegas, that is the 10/6 pay table. These may be found on machines that advertise 100% returns. That pay table looks like this:
Best Double Double Bonus Pay Table
– Royal Flush: 800 (250 if fewer than five coins wagered)
– Four Aces with a 2, 3 or 4 kicker: 400
– Four Twos, Three or Fours with an Ace, Two, Three or Four Kicker: 160
– Four Aces with a Five-King Kicker: 160
– Straight Flush: 50
– Four of a Kind 2's, 3's and 4's with a Five-King Kicker: 80
– Four of a Kind 5's through Kings: 50
– Full House: 10
– Flush: 6
– Straight: 5
– Three of a Kind: 3
– Two Pair: 1
– Pair of Jacks or Higher: 1
The high returns on four of a kind hands, especially those involving aces, twos, threes and fours, make Double Double Bonus Poker a high variance game. There are some unusual plays that are important to know before putting your cash into the machine.
How to Play Double Double Bonus Poker
The first step to playing Double Double Bonus Poker is to insert a bill into the acceptor. Modern bill acceptors will also accept tickets that were printed by other games at the casino. Some older machines like those at The D in downtown Las Vegas still accept coins but not tickets.
The next step is to bet five coins. This may be done by pressing the max bet button. Players should always bet the max because it increases the payout on a royal flush from 250 to 800 per coin. Once the bet is made, five cards are dealt. The player clicks the hold button on cards that he wishes to stay with and clicks deal. This will remove the discards and replace them with fresh ones. The hand is then graded using the pay table on the machine.
Finding the best pay table and using a players card are two ways to get the best return while playing video poker. Those benefits will not matter if you make mistakes while playing. It is important to learn the proper strategy for Double Double Bonus Poker before inserting your money into the machine.
It is obvious that a player should always keep a royal or straight flush. Four of a kind should always be held, but if the quads are aces, twos, threes or fours, the kicker should be thrown if it is not a bonus card. From there, four to a royal flush should be held. The next steps for which cards to hold are listed below in the order of importance:
– Three aces (discard bottom pair if dealt full house)
– Full house, flush and straight
– All other trips or four to any straight flush
– Pair of aces (break to pair aces up)
– Two pair
– Pair of jacks or better, unless JQK suited, then hold royal flush draw
– Any other three-card royal flush
– Four to a flush
– Four to an open ended straight
– Pair of 10's or lower
– Four un-paired cards jack and higher
– KQJ offsuit; also hold a nine, if dealt
– Four-card gutshot (inside straight draw) with two cards jack or higher
– QJ off-suit
– Bare ace
– JT suited
– King-high with a queen or jack
– Ten with a suited queen or king
– Bare jack, queen or king
– Any gutshot
– Redraw five new cards
Double Double Bonus Poker Strategy
While the game is based on Jacks or Better, the higher payout for special quads changes some of the decisions. The difference is that players will break apart three aces from a full house and two aces from two pair. Players dealt a special four of a kind will need to make sure the kicker is an ace, 2, 3, or 4. If not, the kicker should be tossed in the hopes that a bonus card is drawn.
Standard Double Double Bonus Poker Pay Table
Double Double Bonus Poker Strategy
While the game is based on Jacks or Better, the higher payout for special quads changes some of the decisions. The difference is that players will break apart three aces from a full house and two aces from two pair. Players dealt a special four of a kind will need to make sure the kicker is an ace, 2, 3, or 4. If not, the kicker should be tossed in the hopes that a bonus card is drawn.
Standard Double Double Bonus Poker Pay Table
The following table is the most common Double Double Bonus Poker pay table. It returns 99%. Some casinos will short pay the game by only paying 7 or 8 on a full house. The full pay game pays 10 on a full house.
Note that four of a kind pays at least double a standard Jacks or Better game. Two pair only returns the bet to offset this advantage.
– Royal Flush: 250-1 (800-1 on five coins)
– Straight Flush: 50-1
– Four Aces with 2, 3, or 4 kicker: 400-1
– Four Aces: 160-1
– Four 2's, 3's, or 4's with Ace, 2, 3, or 4 kicker: 160-1
– Four 2's, 3's, or 4's: 80-1
– All other quads: 50-1
– Full House: 9-1
– Flush: 6-1
– Straight: 4-1
– Three of a Kind: 3-1
– Two Pair: 1-1
– Pair of Jacks or Better: 1-1
Where to Find 10/6 Double Double Bonus Poker
There are 13 casinos in Las Vegas that offer 10/6 Double Double Bonus Poker. All major Station Casinos properties have this game which includes:
– Red Rock Resort
– Green Valley Ranch
– Texas Station
– Palace Station
– Sunset Station
– Boulder Station
– Santa Fe Station
– Fiestas
– Aliante Casino
– Club Fortune
– Sam's Town
Most other casinos will offer this game where a full house only pays nine coins. Some casinos go as low as seven or eight on a full house and five on a flush. Those machines should be avoided as the house edge is more than 3%.
How to Increase Your Return at Double Double Bonus Poker
While finding the best pay table for Double Double Bonus Poker is important, there are other steps to take to ensure receiving the best return on the game. Always use a players card when gambling in a casino. New players often receive perks like $5 or $10 in free play. The first trip to a casino will often trigger an inflated mailer to entice a return visit. This will include free play and maybe a hotel room. A food comp is sometimes included.
The actual play will also generate comps. Points earned while on the machine can often be converted to free play right on the machine. Some casinos pay cash for these points.
There is little downside to joining a casino players club. The only exception is if you are a professional gambler that only gives action on 100% video poker or counts cards at blackjack. Some casinos will eventually stop mailing offers if they suspect that you are an advantage gambler.
Online casino players are automatically enrolled in the site's VIP program. Make sure to read the rules on the promotions page. Some online casinos require players to opt in for VIP and bonus programs.
Common Double Double Bonus Poker Mistakes
Players used to playing Jacks or Better or other bonus games may make some errors at Double Double Bonus Poker. One mistake may be not going for an ace, two, three or four kicker when dealt bonus quads. Another may be failing to break apart a full house with three aces or two pair when one is aces. While quad deuces, threes and fours pay a bonus, these pairs should not be kept over flush and open ended straight draws.
Always Play with a Players Card
Casinos issue players cards upon request. These return free play based on the total amount wagered. Players can also get comped based on this action. At the end of the month, the casino will rate the play and send offers by mail that include free slot play, meals, and hotel, as well as other coupons.
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GSN's broadcast of the FullTiltPoker.Net's Doubles Poker Championship continued this week with teams trying to make it past the second round of action to earn a spot at the coveted final table in this $50,000 buy-in event series. In case you missed previous episodes, the Doubles Poker Championship pits 16 randomly selected two-player teams against each other in a unique format that features one member of the team playing preflop and the turn, while the teammate sees action postflop and the river. To make things even more challenging for the teams, team members can't share information during a hand unless they call a 30-second timeout and then switch roles after each hand.
Saturday, September 18, 2010 -– This episode features the conclusion of the third round of play as the remaining players battled for enough individual points to earn them a spot at the two semi-final tables. Pairings for the show's first match included cash-game specialist and mathematics whiz David Oppenheim and Chris Ferguson, 2010 World Series of Poker bracelet-winner Gavin Smith and online ace Andrew 'LuckyChewy' Lichtenburger, New York City poker scene veterans Nick 'Takeover' Schulman and eight-time WSOP bracelet winner Erik Seidel, and online wunderkind Phil 'OMGClayAiken' Galfond and two-time WSOP bracelet winner Greg Mueller. As one might expect, the diversity of the teams fueled table action once play got under way with plenty of fireworks happening early in the match.
The first big all-in confrontation featured Oppenheim and Seidel versus Galfond and Mueller. Pre-flop, Mueller completed the small blind with 7 5 for 800 and was raised to 4,800 by Ferguson who woke up with 2 2 to 4,800. Banking on his partner's strong post-flop play, Mueller made the call and the flop came 4 4 3. Galfond quickly checked the flop only to be popped by Oppenheim who made it 6,200 to go. The uber-aggressive Galfond showed he wasn't intimidated by Oppenheim's bet by moving all-in with a gut-shot straight draw and a flush draw. Puzzled by Galfond's move, Oppenheim called a time-out to discuss the hand with Ferguson who commented that he was comfortable with Oppenheim's read that they held the better hand. After returning to the table and a little more deliberation, Oppenheim made the call, much to 'Jesus' approval. Unfortunately for the pair, the move backfired and they were eliminated when the A fell on the turn and gave Mueller-Galfond a flush.
The match's second elimination came when Smith and Lichtenburger moved all-in with K J only to find themselves dominated by Shulman and Seidel's A J. The flop offered Smith's team several additional outs when the board came Q 10 6, giving them the open-ended straight draw, but unfortunately for Smith and Lichtenburger, variance didn't go their way when the board bricked and gave Shulman and Seidel the win with just ace-high.
Down to heads-up play, Galfond and Mueller made the first move by winning a monster hand that crippled Schulman and Seidel. After waking up with A Q, Galfond raised 7,000 preflop and was called by Schulman. The flop fell Q 9 7, giving both teams Queens, with Galfond's team holding the higher kicker. The often-conservative Seidel checked his hand, possibly recognizing that his opponent's might be strong. Mueller then bet 8,500, and despite hesitating, Seidel made the call. The turn brought the 5, helping neither team. Unlike his partner, Schulman decided to play the hand much more aggressively by betting 17,500 sending Galfond into the tank forcing him to use the team's only time-out to get Mueller's read on the hand. After conferring with his partner, Galfond moved all-in and Schulman insta-called only to see himself dominated. The river blanked, giving Galfond and Mueller a monster chip-lead heading into heads-up action.
Despite being the underdog, Seidel and Schulman held steady and managed to double-up after waking up with Kings versus their opponent's pocket Queens, but it simply wasn't meant to be for the duo. The final hand saw Mueller move all-in preflop holding 4 3. Shulman quickly made the call holding Q 9. Schulman's bad luck in heads-up play continued when the flop came A 8 2, giving Mueller's team plenty of outs. One of those outs landed on the turn when the 5 fell to the felt, giving Mueller and Galfond the victory in Match 11.
Poker Two Doubles
Match 12 featured a table full of players with diverse styles looking to exploit their various strengths to score big on the felt. The teams seeing action included Howard 'The Professor' Lederer and David Chiu, former MIT blackjack whiz Andy Bloch and Justin 'BoostedJ' Smith, French poker export David Benyamine and WSOPPOY winner Erik Lindgren, and a pair of action-junkies in Gus Hansen and Vivek Rajkumar.
The match's first elimination saw Bloch and Smith eliminate Hansen and Rajkumar when their aggressive tendencies backfired. Having previously laid down a big hand in what some might call a conservative play, Hansen had no problem getting his chips in the middle after Bloch bet 5,600 and Benyamine called. Unfortunately for Hansen, Bloch had no problem matching aggression with aggression insta-calling Hansen's move. Bloch and Smith won the hand when their pocket Queens held against Hansen and Rajukumar's A 10 when the board failed to bring one of the pair's three outs.
Two Doubles Poker Games
Several hands later, Prof. Lederer and his sidekick, Chiu, made their exit courtesy of Benyamine and Lindgren. After waking up with pocket Jacks preflop, Lindgren raised to 7,000 preflop. That's when things got interesting as Chiu, who could easily be considered one of the 'old school' players featured on the show, made a move that would suit many of the young guns who show no fear when holding a weak hand before the flop. Despite implying that he had a solid hand, Chiu ignored Lindgren's bet by coming over the top and moving all-in. Lindgren willingly obliged Chiu and company, scoring the win when the board bricked for Lederer and Chiu.
The final hand of the episode featured the all-in clash between Bloch- Smith and Benyamine-Lindgren after Lindgren set a trap by betting 8,000 preflop with a pair of nines. Smith didn't hesitate to ship his and Bloch's chips after looking at his hole cards and finding a pair of pocket eights receiving a insta-call from Lindgren. The board came A J 7 6 K, giving Benyamine and Lindgren the win.
Two Doubles Poker Game
Make sure to tune in to GSN next weekend for more exciting Doubles Poker action brought to you by FullTiltPoker.Net.
