Also known as DDB, double double bonus poker is a rather volatile game, which means that the bankroll swings are greater than in less fickle games like Jacks or Better for instance. DDB is also one of the most popular and appreciated types of video poker games out there. It’s so amazing because of the extra bonus players get every time they have 4 x Aces, 2s, 3s, and 4s, escorted by a “kicker” ( the fifth card).
A better understanding of the kickers
DDB poker was among the first video poker games to have a kicker attached. The name of “double double bonus” comes from the payoffs, which are specific to 4-of-a-kind hands. These hands pay 2 times x the amount paid out in Double Poker in the presence of a kicker. The kicker in DDB poker is: Ace, 2, 3 and 4.
The strategy
You may have the tendency to believe that DDB is just as DB poker. They’re not in spite of some name similarities. The key factor that affects a player’s strategy is the final payoff in case of a flush (instead of a payout for a straight or full house). The payoff for 9/6 Double Double Poker is 6-coin times the bet, while in Double Poker is 7 coins. As far as the strategy is concerned, we must say it’s quite unique because Aces and kickers add more value.
If you have a full-house while playing DDB poker and that full house has 3 Aces, you would break it up and just hold onto those 3 Aces. Furthermore, if you come across a 2-pair hand, and in one of the pairs you have Aces, your best strategy would be to keep them.
Variation
We previously mentioned that DDB poker can be extremely volatile. That’s because those 4-of-a-kind that contain Aces, 2s, 3s or 4s accompanied by a kicker happen infrequently, at the cost of an abridged payoff for the most frequent hits like pair, straight, full-house, and flush hands. If you’re not that lucky and you only get one 4-of-a-kind hand in a session, your entire bankroll can easily head south.
Because of an increased volatility, DDB poker demands a greater bankroll to help you get pass those long stretches, and surpass a jackpot onto the next. You just have to be prepared financially and emotionally if you want to win big.
