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Bob Dancer writes a video poker column for beginners to experts. He also writes a column with Jeffrey Compton, "Player's Edge", featuring information on promotions at various Las Vegas casinos. Player's Edge is published each Friday in the Neon section of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Click here to send Bob Dancer an e-mail.

For more details and a schedule of Bob's free classes, visit www.bobdancer.com.

Jan. 19, 2010

An Unusual Play with Bonus Poker Deluxe

On Thursday, January 21 at 1 p.m. I'll be teaching 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe at South Point. Classes there are free and everyone at least 21 years old is welcome.

Bonus Poker Deluxe (BPD) has exactly the same pay schedule as Jacks or Better (JoB) --- with two exceptions. First, BPD returns 80-for-1 for 4-of-a-kinds while JoB returns 25-for-1. Second, BPD returns 1-for-1 for two pair while JoB returns 2-for-1. These two differences offset each other almost exactly. In the 9/6 version of both games, BPD returns 99.64% and JoB returns 99.54%.

Not surprisingly, the strategies for the two games are very similar to each other. The differences that do exist are primarily due to the difference in the return for two pair. Strategic differences due to the return on quads are much rarer.

When two pair returns single money, you hold 4-card straights (both inside and open-ended) a lot more than if two pair returns double money. On combinations like (unsuited) QJ98 and 6432 (inside straights with two and no high cards respectively), these are eligible to be held when two pair returns 1-for-1 but not eligible when two pair returns 2-for-1.

For open-ended straights, the only place the strategy varies depending on how much you receive for two pair is when you have a 4-card open-ended straight and a low pair in the same hand. In JoB (and Bonus Poker), the strategy is:

KQJT > 22-TT > 2345-QJT9

KQJT is the highest-valued open-ended 4-card straight because it also contains three high cards.

In games where two pair gets even money and straights pay 4-for-1 (such as Double Double Bonus, Super Double Bonus, Triple Bonus Poker Plus, White Hot Aces, Super Aces Bonus, etc.) the strategy is:

JT98-KQJT > 22-TT > 2345-789T

QJT9 and JT98 are lower-valued than KQJT because of few high cards, but the fact that two pair only pays 1-for-1 lowers the value of pairs.

Because I was aware of this pattern when two pair receives 1-for-1 and straights get 4-for-1, I expected the strategy for Bonus Poker Deluxe to be the same. But it isn't. In BPD, you get the same KQJT > 22-TT > 2345-QJT9 strategy you see in JoB. At first glance, I found this quite surprising. What gives?

Before I explain this, I suggest you try to figure it this dilemma by yourself. To become a successful player you're going to need to be able to figure out things. If you only understand new things after they are explained to you, you're always going to be behind the curve.

The reason for the difference in strategy is due to the return on quads, not two pair. In BPD, 5-coin 4-of-a-kinds pay 400 rather than the "standard" 250 in the other games where two pair pays 1-for-1. (We're only talking about 88, 99, and TT here. No other low pairs are possible in the same 5-card combination as KQJT, QJT9, and JT98.)

Drawing three cards to a pair, you complete a quad about 1 time in 360 (actually 3-in-1081). For a 5-coin dollar player, this means a pair of 8s, 9s, and Ts are worth almost 42¢ more in BPD than they are in Double Double Bonus or one of the other games listed with two pair returning 1-for-1.

This change in the value of low pairs changes the strategy. In DDB, for example, from QJT99, QJT9 is the preferred play by about 38¢. If 99 had 42¢ more value, as it does in BPD, holding the pair would be the better play.

The fact that the strategy in this area of the strategy chart is the same in BPD as it is in JoB is coincidental as both quads and two pair changed in value. But since the changes in value worked in opposite direction on the hands in question, it turns out that the net effect is a wash.

I haven't studied BPD before because it's not a game that I've played. Still, it's a popular game. I suspect that if my intuition on how to play these hands gave me the wrong answer, other players who study less that I do would be playing the hand wrong as well.