Page 14 - October 2007 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Bob Dancer: Video Poker
SComparing Two “Super” Games
uper Double Bonus (sdb) and Super Aces Bonus (sab) are both variations of Double Bonus. In “regular” Double Bonus, four aces get paid 160 for 1, four 2s-4s get paid 80 for 1, and four 5s-Ks get
the di erence is the large amount you receive for four aces in sab.
e fourth and last hand is intentionally tricky, in that there are more than two choices. Holding “KT” is obvious. Holding the inside straight, “T876,” is also an eligible choice. It takes some experience to know that inside straights with no high cards are worth considerably less than either single high cards or a single high card with a suited ten. Perhaps the hardest option to see is holding the king by itself. Some players can’t bring themselves to break up royal combinations no matter what the pay schedule. Once you realize that the king by itself is a viable option, then since sdb pays more for four kings, holding the single king in that game is the better play by 2.8¢. In sab, the “normal” play of “KT” is better by 3.0¢.
So how did you do? As a test, this wasn’t too di cult. But as a learning experience, there were some important things to remember. First of all, each game has its own strategy and those of you who use more-or-less the same strategy for most games are taking the worst of it. Second, sometimes the reason for the di erences in the strategies is obvious once you closely examine the idiosyncrasies of the pay schedule.
Finally, I want to leave you with a hand that’s played the same in both games, assuming you are playing with the best pay schedule. K♥ K♠ 9♥ 9♦
3♣. Although many seat-of-the-pants players will just hold the kings, in sab, holding “KK99” is better by 79¢. In sdb it’s a closer play because four kings pay so much, but “KK99” is still better in that game by 19¢. If you nd yourself playing a version of sdb where the full house pays only 40 or less instead of 45, that’s enough to change the correct play to “KK.”
Bob Dancer is America’s best-known video poker writer and teacher. He has a variety of “how to play better video poker” products, including Winner’s Guides, strategy cards, his autobiography Million Dollar Video Poker, and his two novels, including Sex, Lies, and Video Poker. Dancer’s products may be ordered at www.bobdancer.com.
paid 50 for one.
Each of the variations we’re looking at today keeps that basic structure for the quads, with one exception each. In sdb, four Js–Ks receive 120 for 1 rather than
50 for 1 (and you receive more for the straight ush as well). In sab, four aces receive a gigantic 400 for 1. In both games, the amount for the full house and ush is adjusted downward until it gets into the “acceptable” range. is means the pay schedule returns enough to attract the players, but not so much that the casinos are afraid of it. e two pay schedules discussed in this article are the highest ones allowed for these particular games. In many casinos, you’ll nd lower pay schedules than these, but that won’t a ect the discussion that follows.
e strategies for the two games are very similar. is is largely because they receive identical amounts for ushes, straights, and two pair—which are the three pay schedule categories that matter most when
it comes to strategy.
In this column, I’m going to present four hands that
are played di erently in the two games. Your job is to gure out both plays. Even if you have never played either game, you have two important clues to help you out: e plays are di erent. is is a huge clue. And the plays are di erent because of the pay schedule.
Here are the hands: (Where dollar and cents amounts are indicated, it assumes you are playing for dollars, ve coins at a time.)
1. 5♣ 6♣ 7♣ 8♣ 9♥ 2. A♥ Q♠ J♦ 9♣ 3♠ 3. A♣ Q♥ 8♦ 4♣ 3♠ 4. K♥ T♥ 8♦ 7♣6♠
In the rst hand, there are only two reasonable plays. e “chickens” keep the straight and the “gamblers” go for the straight ush. e di erent returns for quads has no bearing when you hold at least four cards of di erent ranks, so the determining factor must be
that sdb returns more for the straight ush. In sdb, “5678” is better by $2.87, and in sab, “56789” is better
by $1.39. Obviously neither play is close.
In the second hand, with three unsuited high cards including an ace, the “standard” play in both Jacks or Better and Double Bonus is to discard the ace and hold the other two high cards. at’s the correct play in sdb by 10.6¢. In sab, the much greater return for
four aces means that you go for them more. In sab, holding the single ace is the better play by 20.6¢.
In the third hand, this is very similar to the second hand. In sdb you hold “AQ” by 2.6¢. In sab you hold the solitary ace by 19.6¢. And the reason, again, for
9/5 Super Double Bonus
8/5 Super Aces Bonus
Royal Flush
800
800
Straight Flush
80
60
Four Aces
160
400
Four Js–Ks
120
50
Four 2s–4s
80
80
Four 5s–Ts
50
50
Full House
9
8
Flush
5
5
Straight
4
4
Three of a Kind
3
3
Two Pair
1
1
Jacks or Better
1
1
Return
96.69%
99.94%
Variance
38.0
63.4
Page 14
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
October 2007
Video Poker with Bob Dancer