- Slots
- Blackjack
- Roulette
- Live Dealer
- Baccarat
- Great selection of slots
- High-quality live dealer games
- Excellent welcome bonus
- Crypto-friendly
- Slots
- Blackjack
- Roulette
- Live Dealer
- Baccarat
- 300+ games
- Crypto-friendly casino
- Live dealer jackpot
- Bonus galore for different verticals
- Slots
- Blackjack
- Roulette
- Live Dealer
- Baccarat
- Accepts cryptocurrencies
- Generous welcome bonus
- Loyalty program
- Kahnawake Licence
However, the version that sparked particular interest among poker enthusiasts is the one whose pay tables included bonus prizes — Bonus Poker.
This article will discuss its rules and explore the Bonus Poker strategy and pay tables.
How to Play Bonus Poker
As mentioned, Bonus Poker is a variation of the base video poker game, so it shares most of its rules and gameplay. To start the action, you need to make a bet. Most available variations of this game allow players to wager anywhere between 1 and 5 coins. If you want the best winning odds, you should always opt for the maximum bet amount.
Once you’ve made your bet, you’ll receive 5 cards. They come from a single 52-card deck, as in most video poker variations. You can discard any number of cards to create a winning hand. The computer will exchange these for new ones from the same deck. You’ll receive a payout based on the rank of your final hand in the pay table that the game features.
Bonus Poker has the same hand-ranking system as Jacks or Better, plus a bonus payout — four of a kind. We’ve provided an example in the picture below. However, the exact payout for this hand differs between games.
Bonus Poker Pay Tables
The internet is well-stacked with Bonus Poker games, but not all of them are the same. Namely, manufacturers and casinos adjust the pay tables their games feature, so you can find a variety of options. Most of them differ in their payouts for the full house and flush hands, so we usually use these numbers as a way to differentiate between them.
You’ll see how this system works and find the most common Bonus Poker pay tables in the pictures below.
8/5 Bonus Poker
Hand
Payoff
Royal Flush
800
Straight Flush
50
4 of a Kind Aces
75
4 of a Kind, Two Through Fours
40
4 of a Kind, Fives Through Kings
25
Full House
8
Flush
5
Straight
4
3 of a Kind
3
2 Pairs
2
Jacks or Better
1
8/5 Bonus Poker (55 SF)
Hand
Payoff
Royal Flush
800
Straight Flush
55
Four Aces
80
Four 2s, 3s, 4s
40
Four 5s – Kings
25
Full House
8
Flush
5
Straight
4
3 of a Kind
3
2 Pairs
2
Jacks or Better
1
7/5 Bonus Poker
Hand
Payoff
Royal Flush
800
Straight Flush
55
4 of a Kind Aces
80
4 of a Kind, Two Through Fours
40
4 of a Kind, Fives Through Kings
25
Full House
7
Flush
5
Straight
4
3 of a Kind
3
2 Pairs
2
Jacks or Better
1
7/5 Bonus Poker (55 SF)
Hand
Payoff
Royal Flush
800
Straight Flush
55
Four Aces
80
Four 2s, 3s, 4s
40
Four 5s – Kings
25
Full House
7
Flush
5
Straight
4
3 of a Kind
3
2 Pairs
2
Jacks or Better
1
All Other
0
The Bonus Poker games whose pay tables we’ve featured above all have payback percentages in the 99% range.
- The first is the standard most casinos host, it offers a 99.01% return.
- The second has a slightly better straight flush payout, which increases its RTP to 99.21%
- The 7/5 Bonus Poker pay tables drop the payback percentage to 98.01% and 98.80% because of their lower full house and flush returns.
You’ll also encounter Bonus Poker pay tables with 35:1 or 30:1 payouts on four of a kind in some casinos. These payouts will lower the payback percentage significantly unless the table compensates for it by increasing returns on other hands. Make sure to take note of these differences before you decide whether to play the game.
Bonus Poker Strategy Explained
The optimal poker strategy we’ve mentioned above plays a crucial role in determining Bonus Poker odds. Your payback percentage won’t be as high as we’ve indicated unless you rely on it and place maximum bets.
Bonus Poker strategy will instruct you on the best way to act upon receiving any card combination. It’s organized as a list of hands, and you are supposed to find the one that is the most similar to your own to see how you should proceed with the game. For your convenience, we’ve attached this list below. Have a look.
- Four of a kind, straight flush, and royal flush — These three hands are the highest-ranked in Bonus Poker pay tables, so you should always hold onto them.
- Four to a royal flush — The payout for a royal flush makes it more than worth pursuing. Say you have a potential straight, but one of your cards isn’t suited — you’ll get a better payout if you discard that card in an attempt to get the royal flush.
- Straight, flush, and full house — There’s no need to contemplate keeping any of these hands. Feel free to press the Hold button and bag winnings whenever you land any of them.
- Three of a kind — This hand is part of the Bonus Poker winning hands, but the combo opens a possibility for four of a kind and full house, both of which pay more. So, discarding two cards might be better than keeping this hand.
- Four to a straight flush — Straight flush has the potential for a high return, so you can drop a card to chase it, even if you have a pair of jacks or better.
- Two pairs — Discard the cards that are not part of this hand to try to hit a full house.
- A pair of aces, jacks, queens, or kings — Use the available cards to form a potential three of a kind, four of a kind, or full house and drop the rest.
- Three to a royal flush — Royal flushes don’t come around that often, so you should think twice about if it’s worth pursuing or whether you can find a better use for the card combo you’ve been dealt.
- Four to a flush — Flushes are slightly more common, so they are worth chasing with this hand.
- Unsuited KQJT — Your primary objective with this hand is landing a straight. However, remember that a high pair might also be a good idea.
- Low pair — Keep the low pair and try to build a four or three of a kind around it.
- Four to an outside straight — The odds of hitting the winning hand with this draw are great. You can complete an outside straight on either end, so there are eight different cards that can make you a winner.
- Three to a straight flush — You can go after this hand if you have an open-ended straight flush draw with at least one high card or one gap.
- Unsuited AKQJ — Chase a straight, but have a high pair in mind.
- Two unsuited high cards — You can try to build a royal flush, but there’s also potential for many other hands.
- Three to a straight flush — Go after this hand only if you have an open-ended straight flush draw without high cards or gaps.
- Four to an inside straight with three high cards — You most likely won’t hit a straight with this card combo. However, you have a fair chance of getting a high enough pair to net an even money payout.
- Unsuited JQK or JQ — Your goal should be the same as with the set of cards above.
- Three to a straight flush with a high card — This is one of the most speculative hands, especially if your draw includes a gap. You should aim at hitting any hand that will grant you a payout, even a small one like a pair of jacks or better.
- Unsuited KQ or KJ — Either of these combos has the potential for a high pair.
- Unsuited TJ — Chasing a royal flush with this draw isn’t a good idea. Nevertheless, you can go after a pair of jacks, flush, straight, or a straight flush.
- Unsuited AQ, AJ, or AK — While there’s potential for a straight, you have a higher chance of getting a two pair or a high pair.
- Ace — Ace is a decent card, but you’ll have to be lucky to land a high-ranking hand with it alone.
- Suited QT or KT — You can go after a few different hands with this draw, including a royal flush.
- Jack, Queen, or King — High pairs are your best bet.
- Three to a straight flush — Chase a straight flush if you have two gaps and no high cards, but don’t get your hopes up.
Conclusion
Bonus Poker is a fantastic upgrade to the Jacks or Better video poker variant. It features all the elements players like about this game, plus a bonus payout for four-of-a-kind hands.
Thanks to its straightforward strategy, you can land hefty wins with some luck. Find a casino that hosts this game, check out its pay tables, and give it a try — you won’t regret it.
FAQ
- Aces and Eights
- Aces and Faces
- Bonus Poker
- Common Mistakes
- Deuces Wild
- Double Bonus Poker
- Double Double Bonus Poker
- Full Pay Video Poker
- Full vs. Short Pay
- How To Win
- Jacks or Better
- Jacks or Better Strategy
- Joker Poker
- Joker Poker Strategy
- Land-Based vs. Online
- Single vs. Multi-Hand
- Strategy Charts
- Tens or Better
- Tens or Better Strategy
- Video Poker Pay Tables
- Video Poker vs. Slots
- Video Poker vs. Table Poker
About the Author
