I received an email from a player, “Sam,” discussing a promotion that has come and gone, in an unnamed casino in an unnamed state. He wanted to know how I would have analyzed whether or not to play it. The gist of the promotion was that for two consecutive days, four hours per day, each […]
Posts tagged Double Double Bonus
Promotion at Molly’s — Part I of II
I received the following email for the Gambling with an Edge mailbag show: Hi Bob, how do you calculate the edge on this video poker promotion? Molly’s in Vegas offers “lose $20, get $20” but I’m not sure how to calculate the advantage (if any). Also, if you have played this promotion before, do you […]
My Lucky Shirt — Part 1 of 2
This true story happened some time ago, but so far, I haven’t written about it. I was playing $25 single line Double Double Bonus (DDB), rather heavily, at an out-of-town casino for more than a week. What casino, pay schedule, slot club, and promotions that made this a good play in my opinion are for […]
What’s Wrong with Jacks or Better?
In terms of number of hands played, or number of dollars played, 9/6 Jacks or Better has been the video poker game I’ve played most in my career. Not so much recently, but certainly over my entire career. The major things I like about the game are: a. Return (99.54%). This isn’t high enough to […]
Why is There a Difference?
You’re playing dollar Double Double Bonus with progressives on both the royal and aces with a kicker (AWAK). On the hands we’re going to talk about today, the only thing that matters are quads and full houses, so assume AWAK pays $2,200 and a full house pays $45. If you’re not familiar with the game, […]
Looking at a 50-coin Penalty for the Straight F...
There is a version of 10-6 DDB that pays 200 for the straight flush rather than 250 and that change drops the return from 100.06% to 99.96%. Casinos which have a firm policy of never offering a game returning more than 100% sometimes have this game. I refer to the games as 10-6-50 and 10-6-40, […]
Is it Good for Me or Good for Us?
Not too long ago, here I wrote an article about when to hold a kicker to three aces while playing a Double Double Bonus progressive. The thumbnail conclusion was that if four aces pay 800 coins, and the aces-with-a-kicker (AWAK) progressive is at least 2285 coins, from a hand like AAA53, you should hold AAA3. […]
When to Hold a Kicker in Double Double Bonus Pr...
Competent Double Double Bonus players know that from a hand like A♠ A♥ A♣ 4♦ 7♠, the correct play is AAA and not AAA4. Players might be tempted to hold AAA4 because four aces with a 2, 3, or 4 (a kicker) in this game receive 2,000 coins and four aces with any other fifth […]
Dollars and Sense
This column is written primarily for beginners and low-intermediate players. Readers more advanced than that should give it a once-over as well. There’s a chart here you’ve likely never seen before. You’re playing Double Double Bonus, receiving 45 for a full house. How much you get for the flush is irrelevant to this discussion. If […]
Too Good to be True?
Casinos are in the business to make money. They don’t intentionally make mistakes. Still, sometimes mistakes happen that smart players can exploit. You don’t need to be a pro. You just have to be alert and savvy — and find one of these mistakes. It also helps if you have the requisite knowledge and bankroll […]
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