Video poker is a fun and interactive game that combines the best parts of poker and slot machines, and one of the best things about it is that learning how to play takes no time at all. Double Double Bonus Video Poker. Double Double Bonus, also known as 10/6 video poker, is another popular variant based on Jacks or Better. This game also uses the standard 52-card deck and offers all the same video poker fun and more. What makes this variant special is that it pays a premium for all hands containing Four of a Kind.

1. Video Poker Double Up Flaw Against
2. Video Poker Double Up Flawless

Every gaming machine addict or enthusiast dreams of hitting a jackpot, the bigger the better! The flashing lights signalling that huge payout is a massive draw in casinos the world over, and the reason why slot machines take up so much space. Now imagine if your dream became a reality and you could repeat it again and again and again?

That’s exactly what happened to John Kane who discovered a bug in his favorite video poker slot and took it for millions!

In the beginning

The amazing story begins back in April 2009 when Kane – a virtuoso pianist with a penchant for Game King video poker – stumbled upon a very serious hole in the machine’s programming. There was a bug which had gone undetected for seven years, according to the Wired.com piece on this remarkable tale!

By Nevada standards, The Fremont Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas’ Glitter Gulch is an unassuming place, offering topless dancers and cheap drinks, but it did have exactly what John Kane looked for in a casino – four Game King machines in a row! And for some strange reason, on this day it decided to reward him with a $1000 jackpot.

The only catch being, Kane hadn’t actually won, there had been a glitch. Kane knew the machine inside-out, having installed one in his Nevada home years previously, so he reported the glitch which had rewarded him to the supervisor, but the supervisor just laughed, thinking Kane was joking!

Machines don’t pay out unless you hit the correct sequence. Kane’s video poker hand wasn’t a winner , he had merely hit the Cash Out button to take his more modest winnings to a new machine, but the jackpot candle at the top of the Game King lit up anyway. The $1000 was his to keep, and now Kane knew that there was a serious flaw hidden somewhere inside the machine’s code.

Old school techniques

Now, unlike playing on an online poker site or online casino site like casino.com, these money-making machines are not controlled via the internet, so every piece of code resides in circuit boards which are manually produced, inserted, and checked. Kane wasn’t a programming expert, so he turned to the age-old method of trial and error. If he could discover the flaw, he could win at will!

This turning point in Kane’s life was to lead to some very serious money – and some very serious consequences. He enlisted the help of Andre Nestor, a friend from the good old days when the gaming addicts would play the machines together, desperate for that elusive, life-changing big win.

Nestor was a superstitious guy, a younger man who was haunted by the gambler’s nightmare of not playing the numbers his dreams had told him to, thus missing out on a Pennsylvania lottery jackpot some 15 years earlier.

Hitting the big time

Between them, they worked out the first part of the Game King machine’s bug – you could lose at the lowest levels ( 1 cent) for a long time, but when you finally hit a huge hand, you could suddenly switch to 50 cent play, and the machine would pay out on the much bigger sum!

Jackpot! Lose small, win big!

It wasn’t easy to replicate this bug-control plan, but the two men soon developed a winning sequence, and the money started to roll in.

The Double-up and the Missing Link

As with most slots, you can gamble your winnings and take a chance of double-or-nothing and similar options. Now, if you had just cracked a machines fatal flaw and were winning big, would you be satisfied with that or want to double your money?

For Kane and Nestor it was a no-brainer. The DoubleUp feature was free money, and the pair netted more than $100,000 from the Fremont casino alone, but naturally there were eyes on the pair by now!

Casinos track wins and losses in all parts of their domain – after all, they have to make a living too! Spotting that the winning pair of gamblers always used the DoubleUp feature, the casino simply disabled that option, and the Kane Nestor combo started to hit a loss.

Now they knew the DoubleUp option was needed to win anything – nothing happened when it was switched off. And even better for the bad boys, their trial-and-error approach had shown that they could actually replay the same winning hand over-and-over-and-over again!

No honour among thieves

Of course, greed is a terrible thing when it comes to gamblers and money – too much is never enough! Kane and Nestor were soon arguing over the financial split from their ill-gotten gains.

Kane wanted more than half as it was his initial plan and ‘work’ which had brought them their riches. Nestor claimed that he had solved the DoubleUp segment of the puzzle, and therefore they were level. What to do?

Split and hit

Relationships end, and often have serious consequences, and so it was here with Kane and Nestor.

Kane kept his ‘show’ in Vegas, pulling in a haul from the GameKings of more than $500,000 according to the FBI records. His four 9’s on one of the bug-ridden slots in Vegas’ Wynn Casino was paying out for days at a time, eventually netting him $225,240. Nestor, on the other hand, returned to his native Pennsylvania where his own winning streak seemed to have no end.

All good things…

Sometimes the authorities may be slow, but they are generally not stupid! The early summer of easy money was coming to an end for the duo, with Kane’s latest winning streak being watch by the eagle-eyes of the Silverton Casino's director of surveillance, Charles Williams.

After cashing out his latest scoop, Kane was met by casino security as he tried to leave. The game was finally up! As yet, nobody knew how he was doing it, but that didn’t matter – he had to be stopped and the Silverton’s security team did just that, hand-cuffing him to a chair in a back-room.

His $27,000 in cash confiscated, he was soon staring at the face of an armed Gaming Control Board agent and being charged with suspicion of theft. But his friend Nestor was still a free man, living it up in the casinos of Pennsylvania.

…come to an end

Ignoring warnings from his onetime friend and accomplice, John Kane, Nestor continued his wicked ways, also taking close to $500K with his knowledge of the Game King weaknesses. It went on until one fatal day when the casino refused to pay out on his winnings. The Meadows Casino and Racetrack in North Strabane had seen enough – Nestor was now a marked man.

When the State police finally raided his home, it resulted in the biggest gambling scandal the state had seen since legalizing slot machines five years previously. Nestor was charged with a staggering 698 felony counts, had all his winnings taken and was given 10 days in jail to think about what was about to happen.

It’s a federal bust now

What was about to happen took another year, but would scare Nestor and Kane to the core. Their state trials, at jury selection stage, were disrupted by federal officials – they were now under the jurisdiction of the Justice Department. It had been decided that their cases were inter-state crimes, with all the extra possibilities of jail-time that decision brought with it.

What did we do wrong?

As a defence argument, 'What did we do wrong' it was very clever and very simple:

With conspiracy and violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act on the prosecutors table, the assistant US attorney for the District of Nevada Michael Chu stated in court papers that:

Slowrolling

For 18 months the show rolled on, the arguments on both sides seemingly having equal merit.

The defense claimed that there couldn’t be computer hacking charges levied against the pair: they hadn’t hacked anything, and if the Game King slots allowed Kane and Nestor to do something, then that something was “authorized access” by definition. “All these guys did is simply push a sequence of buttons that they were legally entitled to push,” claimed Leavitt, Kane's attorney.

In the meantime, other non-gambling hacking cases had been made public, the judge in the Game King case drawing parallels and ordering the prosecutors to justify such charges. They couldn’t and didn’t – and the most dangerous of the charges to the duo were dropped.

The Prisoner’s Dilemma

This classic case of ‘game theory’ was likely well-known to both Kane and Nestor, or at least they managed to replicate the best result for both men!

Basically, the prosecutors offered each of them a deal. The first man to agree to testify against the other would get away with five years of probation and no jail time. The other, obviously, would be hit with the full force of the law.

The traditional view is that the prisoner’s dilemma would see one or both of them offer to testify, even though keeping silent is the optimum for them taken as a pair. To their credit, Kane and Nestor either respected and liked each other too much, realized that the criminal code of keeping schtum was paramount, or, most likely, their lawyers had realized what the prosecution ploy was because they had such a poor case!

Freedom comes at a cost

Whatever the reason, the Game King kings both declined the offer and…within a few months they were both free men! The government had finally accepted that they couldn’t really argue their case well enough to secure a conviction – the men really had simply exploited a basic flaw in programming.

And so both men were back on the streets, although quite how much of their winnings they were left with is very unclear. Nestor claimed that he had nothing left and was facing a huge IRS bill on his winnings, some $240,000 being sought, while Kane has kept silent about the whole affair since.

The machine codes, naturally, were analysed, changed and tightened up – although the $1million+ which Kane and Nestor managed to siphon off has doubtless been recouped – and more – by the popular video slot.

For the gambler who has found a bug, perhaps the moral of the story is not ‘don’t exploit it’, but rather ‘don’t be greedy and don’t get caught!’

Double Double Bonus Poker is a high variance video poker game similar to Jacks or Better. While the goal of the game is the same – to get a royal flush – there are smaller jackpots for special four of a kinds in Double Double Bonus Poker. The payout is even bigger if a jackpot four of a kind is matched with a special kicker card.

This game is a part of the Bonus Poker family distributed by IGT and may be found in online casino software and at most live casinos on Game King machines. Read on to learn more about proper strategy, how to play and find pay tables.

Special Payouts

Double Double Bonus Poker pays double on most four of a kind hands. It has an added bonus for quad aces, twos, threes and fours when the fifth card is also an ace, two, three or four. The basic strategy for Double Double Bonus Poker is complicated which is due to the bonus pays on the kicker. The perfect play varies depending on the pay table.

Our advice applies to the full pay version of Double Double Bonus Poker. This game pays 10 coins on a full house and six on a flush. Most casinos pay 9/6, 9/5, or even worse; 8/5. The 10/6 pay table returns 100.07% with perfect play. The 9/6 payout drops that to 99%. The other versions return below 98%. Most online casinos offer the 9/6 Double Double Bonus Poker structure if running the IGT version. Some knock off video poker platforms pay 9/5 or lower.

Finding the Best Double Double Bonus Poker Machine

The best Double Double Bonus Poker machines will pay 10 on a full house and 6 on a flush. These are very hard to find. Station Casinos properties in Las Vegas are known to spread these games that return just over 100% to players. The second best pay table returns 9 on a full house and 6 on a flush. This is a 99% return to player with perfect strategy. Double Double Bonus Poker machines that pay less than 9 on a full house and 6 on a flush should be avoided as the hold is at least two percent.

Video Poker Double Up Flaw Against

As we briefly mentioned above, the first step in receiving the best Double Double Bonus Poker return is finding the best pay table. At Aliante Casino and Station Casinos in Las Vegas, that is the 10/6 pay table. These may be found on machines that advertise 100% returns. That pay table looks like this:

Best Double Double Bonus Pay Table

– Royal Flush: 800 (250 if fewer than five coins wagered)
– Four Aces with a 2, 3 or 4 kicker: 400
– Four Twos, Three or Fours with an Ace, Two, Three or Four Kicker: 160
– Four Aces with a Five-King Kicker: 160
– Straight Flush: 50
– Four of a Kind 2’s, 3’s and 4’s with a Five-King Kicker: 80
– Four of a Kind 5’s through Kings: 50
– Full House: 10
– Flush: 6
– Straight: 5
– Three of a Kind: 3
– Two Pair: 1
– Pair of Jacks or Higher: 1

The high returns on four of a kind hands, especially those involving aces, twos, threes and fours, make Double Double Bonus Poker a high variance game. There are some unusual plays that are important to know before putting your cash into the machine.

How to Play Double Double Bonus Poker

The first step to playing Double Double Bonus Poker is to insert a bill into the acceptor. Modern bill acceptors will also accept tickets that were printed by other games at the casino. Some older machines like those at The D in downtown Las Vegas still accept coins but not tickets.

The next step is to bet five coins. This may be done by pressing the max bet button. Players should always bet the max because it increases the payout on a royal flush from 250 to 800 per coin. Once the bet is made, five cards are dealt. The player clicks the hold button on cards that he wishes to stay with and clicks deal. This will remove the discards and replace them with fresh ones. The hand is then graded using the pay table on the machine.

Finding the best pay table and using a players card are two ways to get the best return while playing video poker. Those benefits will not matter if you make mistakes while playing. It is important to learn the proper strategy for Double Double Bonus Poker before inserting your money into the machine.

It is obvious that a player should always keep a royal or straight flush. Four of a kind should always be held, but if the quads are aces, twos, threes or fours, the kicker should be thrown if it is not a bonus card. From there, four to a royal flush should be held. The next steps for which cards to hold are listed below in the order of importance:

– Three aces (discard bottom pair if dealt full house)
– Full house, flush and straight
– All other trips or four to any straight flush
– Pair of aces (break to pair aces up)
– Two pair
– Pair of jacks or better, unless JQK suited, then hold royal flush draw
– Any other three-card royal flush
– Four to a flush
– Four to an open ended straight
– Pair of 10’s or lower
– Four un-paired cards jack and higher
– KQJ offsuit; also hold a nine, if dealt
– Four-card gutshot (inside straight draw) with two cards jack or higher
– QJ off-suit
– Bare ace
– JT suited
– King-high with a queen or jack
– Ten with a suited queen or king
– Bare jack, queen or king
– Any gutshot
– Redraw five new cards

Double Double Bonus Poker Strategy

While the game is based on Jacks or Better, the higher payout for special quads changes some of the decisions. The difference is that players will break apart three aces from a full house and two aces from two pair. Players dealt a special four of a kind will need to make sure the kicker is an ace, 2, 3, or 4. If not, the kicker should be tossed in the hopes that a bonus card is drawn.

Standard Double Double Bonus Poker Pay Table

The following table is the most common Double Double Bonus Poker pay table. It returns 99%. Some casinos will short pay the game by only paying 7 or 8 on a full house. The full pay game pays 10 on a full house.

Note that four of a kind pays at least double a standard Jacks or Better game. Two pair only returns the bet to offset this advantage.

– Royal Flush: 250-1 (800-1 on five coins)
– Straight Flush: 50-1
– Four Aces with 2, 3, or 4 kicker: 400-1
– Four Aces: 160-1
– Four 2’s, 3’s, or 4’s with Ace, 2, 3, or 4 kicker: 160-1
– Four 2’s, 3’s, or 4’s: 80-1
– All other quads: 50-1
– Full House: 9-1
– Flush: 6-1
– Straight: 4-1
– Three of a Kind: 3-1
– Two Pair: 1-1
– Pair of Jacks or Better: 1-1

Where to Find 10/6 Double Double Bonus Poker

Video Poker Double Up Flawless

There are 13 casinos in Las Vegas that offer 10/6 Double Double Bonus Poker. All major Station Casinos properties have this game which includes:

– Red Rock Resort
– Green Valley Ranch
– Texas Station
– Palace Station
– Sunset Station
– Boulder Station
– Santa Fe Station
– Fiestas
– Aliante Casino
– Club Fortune
– Sam’s Town

Most other casinos will offer this game where a full house only pays nine coins. Some casinos go as low as seven or eight on a full house and five on a flush. Those machines should be avoided as the house edge is more than 3%.

How to Increase Your Return at Double Double Bonus Poker

While finding the best pay table for Double Double Bonus Poker is important, there are other steps to take to ensure receiving the best return on the game. Always use a players card when gambling in a casino. New players often receive perks like $5 or $10 in free play. The first trip to a casino will often trigger an inflated mailer to entice a return visit. This will include free play and maybe a hotel room. A food comp is sometimes included.

The actual play will also generate comps. Points earned while on the machine can often be converted to free play right on the machine. Some casinos pay cash for these points.

There is little downside to joining a casino players club. The only exception is if you are a professional gambler that only gives action on 100% video poker or counts cards at blackjack. Some casinos will eventually stop mailing offers if they suspect that you are an advantage gambler.

Online casino players are automatically enrolled in the site’s VIP program. Make sure to read the rules on the promotions page. Some online casinos require players to opt in for VIP and bonus programs.

Common Double Double Bonus Poker Mistakes

Players used to playing Jacks or Better or other bonus games may make some errors at Double Double Bonus Poker. One mistake may be not going for an ace, two, three or four kicker when dealt bonus quads. Another may be failing to break apart a full house with three aces or two pair when one is aces. While quad deuces, threes and fours pay a bonus, these pairs should not be kept over flush and open ended straight draws.

Always Play with a Players Card

Casinos issue players cards upon request. These return free play based on the total amount wagered. Players can also get comped based on this action. At the end of the month, the casino will rate the play and send offers by mail that include free slot play, meals, and hotel, as well as other coupons.