This article shows our strategy for Bonus Poker. The expected return of Bonus Poker is 99.17%. This version of video poker is very popular so this strategy is very handy to learn.
Introduction
The first versions of Video Poker came about at the same time as personal computers in the 1970s. These were very basic however and offered only a couple of versions, nothing like what is available now. Video Poker has grown since then to become one of the most played games in casinos as it offers players the chance of solitude as well as some nice wins, especially if the holy grail of poker hands the Royal flush comes in.
Bonus Poker Rules
Bonus Poker is a version of Video Poker that is very similar to Jacks or Better.
In fact, the only difference is that in Bonus Poker you get better payouts for Four of a Kind.
So, to start you need to choose your stake, then you are dealt 5 cards from a standard 52 card deck. At this point, you can hold or discard each card. Any you discard are then replaced by other cards from the same deck. You are then paid out based on the strength of your hand. You aren’t playing against a dealer or other players, so if your hand is a Pair of Jacks or better, you get paid. It’s that simple!
You still get a payout for a pair of Jacks or better as the screenshot below demonstrates.
As you will see above, Four of a Kind Aces pays out significantly more than a Straight Flush, Four of a Kind 2’s, 3’s or 4’s pay slightly more than a Straight Flush whilst any other Four of a Kind – 5’s through to Kings – pay the same as a Straight Flush. As with most versions of Video Poker, playing with 5 coins increases the jackpot for a Royal Flush significantly.
Paytable and Odds
The table below outlines the payout for each hand, the number of possibilities for each hand and the probability of each coming in.
Hand
Payout (with 5 coins)
Combinations
Probability
Royal Flush
4,000
495443136
0.000025
Straight Flush
250
2129604264
0.000107
4 of a Kind Aces
800
3903775812
0.000196
4 of a Kind 2’s to 4’s
400
10509866328
0.000527
4 of a Kind 5’s to K’s
250
32688417336
0.001640
Full House
45
229516869924
0.011514
Flush
35
216873645000
0.010880
Straight
25
223676319912
0.011221
3 of a Kind
15
1484391167856
0.074468
2 Pair
5
2577523603752
0.129308
Jacks or Better
5
4290810981444
0.215259
Nothing
0
10860710822436
0.544855
Total
19933230517200
1.000000
Bonus Poker Strategy
The strategy shown below gives you the best chance of getting a payout with Bonus Poker. As there are many variations of Video Poker and each has a slightly different strategy, make sure it is Bonus Poker you are playing before referring to it.
Start at the top of the table, working your way down until you find a hand that is relevant for the initial 5 cards you are dealt with. When you come across your hand, follow the instructions for the best chance to win.
Bonus Poker has an expected return of around 99.17% which makes it not a bad game to play from a payout perspective.
Best to Worst Hands
Order
Hand
1
Royal Flush
2
Straight Flush
3
Four of a Kind
4
4 of a Royal Flush
5
Full House
6
Flush
7
Three of a Kind
8
Straight
9
4 of a Straight Flush
10
Two Pair
11
High Pair
12
3 of a Royal Flush
13
4 of a Flush
14
Unsuited 10, J, Q, K
15
Low Pair
16
4 of an Outside Straight
17
3 of a Straight Flush
18
Suited J, Q
19
4 of an Inside Straight
20
Suited J, Q or J, K
21
Suited A,K A,Q or A,J
22
Unsuited J,Q,K
23
Unsuited J,Q
24
Suited 10,J
25
2 Unsuited High Cards, K High
26
Suited 10, Q
27
2 Unsuited High Card, A High
28
J only
29
Suited 10,K
30
Q only
31
K only
32
A only
33
Garbage, discard everything
Outside Straight is a hand that needs a card at either end – e.g. 5, 6, 7, 8 – either a 4 or 9 would complete the Straight.
Inside Straight is a hand that needs a card in the middle – e.g. 3, 4, 6, 7 – only a 5 would complete the Straight.
This is meant as a guide only but if followed correctly it will give you the best chance of winning the session.
Related Articles:
Advanced Video Poker Strategy
How To Play Joker’s Wild Poker
