Chasing the Aces can leave you bankrupt. Now, I have to be careful with what I say about Double Double Bonus Poker because it is my mother’s favorite game. She ranks it above Jacks or Better because the payout for four aces is a big one. Not as big as the payout for a Royal Flush, but one that can send her home with some extra money in her pocket. But chasing those Aces can cause your bankroll to keep dropping and send you home with nothing in your pocket. The problem here is that you are trading a theoretical large pay out for more consistent small pay outs. But those small pay outs are often what keeps you earning money to play.
Now, the problem with Double Double bonus poker isn’t that it will give me an big bonus prize for hitting four aces or slightly smaller bonuses for hitting four of a kind with the fifth card as an ace. I like getting extra money. In fact, if anyone has extra money hanging around, send it my way. But my problem with Double Double Bonus poker is that for that potential extra money, I have to trade the two for one payout for two pairs for a one for one payout. Now, many players probably don’t notice the effect that has because two pair really isn’t a large pay out in any game. But during a session of video poker, I may hit with two pair a number of times while I may never hit four of a kind and four aces or four of a kind with aces is even a slimmer chance. So, I’m trading away the payout that might just keep me playing.
Perhaps I notice the low pay for two pair even more in this game since the best strategy would seem to involve chasing after any hand that would lead to four of a kind. So, I find that I hold the pairs in hopes of four of a kind, which means my odds of another pair are better than if I were holding for a straight or high card. So, I’m getting more two pair hands and earning less. I might just feel better about this if I were actually hitting four aces or four of a kind, but those hands keep eluding me.
