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Reason #2 why the Wizard likes Bovada:

No-hassle practice games

Most online casinos spend more effort trying to separate you from your money than they do trying to give you a good experience. They have all kinds of popup windows, they usually make you download their software, and if they do offer play-in-browser games then you have to register an account before you can play. And if you register they start sending you emails trying to get you to deposit real money.

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Double Down Stud

Last Update: Mar 18, 2006

Introduction

Double Down Stud is unique in that it is played roughly equally as a table game and an electronic game. That creates a problem in whether to address the pay tables on a "to one" (table games) or "for one" (electronic) basis in this section. So I have decided to do it both ways. As always, wins or losses are relative to the initial wager.

The Rules

  1. Players make an initial wager.
  2. The dealer gives each player one card face up and deals four community cards, three up and one down. Each hand is dealt from a freshly shuffled single deck.
  3. Each player has the option to double their bet or not.
  4. The dealer turns over the down card.
  5. Winning hands pay according to the payoff table.

    6. Return Tables

    Double Down Stud - Jacks or Better
    HandDoublePays (to one)Pays (for one)CombinationsProbabilityReturn
    Royal flush No 3999 4000 0 0 0
    Straight flush No 199 200 0 0 0
    Four of a kind No 49 50 0 0 0
    Full house No 11 12 0 0 0
    Flush No 8 9 0 0 0
    Straight No 5 6 31248 0.002405 0.012023
    Three of a kind No 3 4 50688 0.003901 0.011702
    Two pair No 2 3 152064 0.011702 0.023404
    Pair: J-A No 1 2 657720 0.050614 0.050614
    Pair: 6-10 No 0 1 816480 0.062831 0
    Loser No -1 0 8035992 0.618401 -0.618401
    Royal flush Yes 7998 7999 20 0.000002 0.01231
    Straight flush Yes 398 399 180 0.000014 0.005513
    Four of a kind Yes 98 99 3120 0.00024 0.023529
    Full house Yes 22 23 18720 0.001441 0.031693
    Flush Yes 16 17 25540 0.001965 0.031446
    Straight Yes 10 11 19752 0.00152 0.0152
    Three of a kind Yes 6 7 223872 0.017228 0.103367
    Two pair Yes 4 5 465696 0.035837 0.143348
    Pair: J-A Yes 2 3 1031880 0.079407 0.158814
    Pair: 6-10 Yes 0 1 1295520 0.099695 0
    Loser Yes -2 -1 166308 0.012798 -0.025596
    Total 12994800 1 -0.021033

    Double Down Stud - Jacks or Better
    HandDoublePays (to one)Pays (for one)CombinationsProbabilityReturn
    Royal flush No 999 1000 0 0 0
    Straight flush No 199 200 0 0 0
    Four of a kind No 49 50 0 0 0
    Full house No 11 12 0 0 0
    Flush No 8 9 0 0 0
    Straight No 5 6 31248 0.002405 0.012023
    Three of a kind No 3 4 50688 0.003901 0.011702
    Two pair No 2 3 152064 0.011702 0.023404
    Pair: J-A No 1 2 657720 0.050614 0.050614
    Pair: 6-10 No 0 1 816480 0.062831 0
    Loser No -1 0 8035992 0.618401 -0.618401
    Royal flush Yes 1998 1999 20 0.000002 0.003075
    Straight flush Yes 398 399 180 0.000014 0.005513
    Four of a kind Yes 98 99 3120 0.00024 0.023529
    Full house Yes 22 23 18720 0.001441 0.031693
    Flush Yes 16 17 25540 0.001965 0.031446
    Straight Yes 10 11 19752 0.00152 0.0152
    Three of a kind Yes 6 7 223872 0.017228 0.103367
    Two pair Yes 4 5 465696 0.035837 0.143348
    Pair: J-A Yes 2 3 1031880 0.079407 0.158814
    Pair: 6-10 Yes 0 1 1295520 0.099695 0
    Loser Yes -2 -1 166308 0.012798 -0.025596
    Total 12994800 1 -0.030267

    Double Down Stud - Jacks or Better
    HandDoublePays (to one)Pays (for one)CombinationsProbabilityReturn
    Royal flush No 999 1000 0 0 0
    Straight flush No 399 400 0 0 0
    Four of a kind No 99 100 0 0 0
    Full house No 14 15 0 0 0
    Flush No 9 10 0 0 0
    Straight No 5 6 31248 0.002405 0.012023
    Three of a kind No 3 4 63360 0.004876 0.014627
    Two pair No 2 3 190080 0.014627 0.029255
    Pair: J-A No 1 2 657720 0.050614 0.050614
    Pair: 7-10 No 0 1 653184 0.050265 0
    Loser No -1 0 8452728 0.65047 -0.65047
    Royal flush Yes 1998 1999 20 0.000002 0.003075
    Straight flush Yes 798 799 180 0.000014 0.011054
    Four of a kind Yes 198 199 3120 0.00024 0.047539
    Full house Yes 28 29 18720 0.001441 0.040336
    Flush Yes 18 19 25540 0.001965 0.035377
    Straight Yes 10 11 19752 0.00152 0.0152
    Three of a kind Yes 6 7 211200 0.016253 0.097516
    Two pair Yes 4 5 427680 0.032912 0.131647
    Pair: J-A Yes 2 3 1031880 0.079407 0.158814
    Pair: 7-10 Yes 0 1 1036416 0.079756 0
    Loser Yes -2 -1 171972 0.013234 -0.026468
    Total 12994800 1 -0.029861

    Double Down Stud - Bonus Deuces
    HandDoublePays (to one)Pays (for one)CombinationsProbabilityReturn
    Natural royal flush No 999 1000 0 0 0
    Four deuces plus ace No 799 800 0 0 0
    Four deuces No 399 400 0 0 0
    Wild royal flush No 79 80 0 0 0
    Five aces No 199 200 0 0 0
    Five 3-5 No 79 80 0 0 0
    Five 6-K No 39 40 0 0 0
    Straight flush No 11 12 0 0 0
    Four of a kind No 5 6 0 0 0
    Full house No 4 5 0 0 0
    Flush No 3 4 0 0 0
    Straight No 2 3 74592 0.00574 0.01148
    Three of a kind No 1 2 547200 0.042109 0.042109
    Two pair No 0 1 316800 0.024379 0
    Kings or better No 0 1 681288 0.052428 0
    Nothing No -1 0 7823640 0.602059 -0.602059
    Natural royal flush Yes 1998 1999 20 0.000002 0.003075
    Four deuces plus ace Yes 1598 1599 20 0.000002 0.002459
    Four deuces Yes 798 799 220 0.000017 0.01351
    Wild royal flush Yes 158 159 2400 0.000185 0.029181
    Five aces Yes 398 399 260 0.00002 0.007963
    Five 3-5 Yes 158 159 780 0.00006 0.009484
    Five 6-K Yes 78 79 2080 0.00016 0.012485
    Straight flush Yes 22 23 10340 0.000796 0.017505
    Four of a kind Yes 10 11 157760 0.01214 0.121402
    Full house Yes 8 9 63360 0.004876 0.039006
    Flush Yes 6 7 72360 0.005568 0.03341
    Straight Yes 4 5 236568 0.018205 0.072819
    Three of a kind Yes 2 3 1228200 0.094515 0.189029
    Two pair Yes 0 1 158400 0.012189 0
    Kings or better Yes 0 1 1343352 0.103376 0
    Nothing Yes -2 -1 275160 0.021175 -0.042349
    Total 12994800 1 -0.039488

    Strategy

    Here are the hands the player should raise on under the most liberal with the 2.10% house advantage.

    • Any pat hand of a pair of 6's or greater
    • 4 to a flush, straight flush, or royal flush
    • 4 to any outside straight
    • Unsuited JQKA (zero house edge)

    Michael Shackleford, ASA

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