Home         Gambling Info         Odds         Gambling Online         Ask the Wizard         Play for Fun         Blog         Radio         Video    

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.

But Bovada is different. They have no popup windows at all, and their practice games play right in your browser, with no download, and no registration required. You don’t even have to give up your email address. It couldn’t be simpler: just one click and you’re playing the game.

I wish all online casinos showed this much respect for their players. Other casinos practically ask for your first born child to play for free. Meanwhile Bovada is patient and does not twist anybody’s arm to play for real money. You can play as long as you like for free with no obligation. The real-money games are available if that’s your preference, but if not, you can play the free practice games for as long as you like without hassle.

Visit Bovada

Bonus Poker

Last Update: Jul 25, 2008

Introduction

This page shows my strategy for 8/5 Bonus Poker. With optimal strategy, the expected return of 8/5 Bonus Poker is 99.17%. Often, 8/5 Bonus Poker is the best available video poker game in a given casino, so it is a valuable strategy to know. The following table shows the probability and return for each hand.

"8/5" Bonus Poker — 99.17%
HandPayoffCombinationsProbabilityReturn
Royal flush8004954431360.0000250.019884
Straight flush5021296042640.0001070.005342
4 aces8039037758120.0001960.015667
4 2-440105098663280.0005270.021090
4 5-K25326884173360.0016400.040997
Full house82295168699240.0115140.092114
Flush52168736450000.0108800.054400
Straight42236763199120.0112210.044885
3 of a kind314843911678560.0744680.223405
Two pair225775236037520.1293080.258616
Jacks or better142908109814440.2152590.215259
Nothing0108607108224360.5448550.000000
Total199332305172001.0000000.991660

Confict Hands

The following list shows all the difficult hands, and how to correctly play them.

Definitions:

  • High Card = Jack, Queen, King or Ace
  • Straight Flush draw (type 1) = Open-ended straight flush draw with 1 high card and 0 or 1 gaps.
  • Straight Flush draw (type 2) = Open-ended straight flush draw with no high cards and no gaps.
  • Straight Flush draw (type 3) = Straight flush draw with 1 high card and 2 gaps (includes all ace-low draws).
  • Straight Flush draw (type 4) = Open-ended straight flush draw with no high cards and 1 gap (includes 234 suited).
  • Straight Flush draw (type 5) = Straight flush draw with no high cards and 2 gaps.

Difficult hands:
  1. K Q J T 9 — Straight flush or 4 to a royal flush: Keep the Straight Flush
  2. A K Q J T — 4 to a royal flush or Straight: Keep 4 to a royal flush
  3. A K J T 9 — 4 to a royal flush or Flush: Keep 4 to a royal flush
  4. A K Q J J — 4 to a royal flush or High pair: Keep 4 to a royal flush
  5. A 2 3 4 5 — Straight or 4 to a straight flush: Keep the straight
  6. A K Q J T — Straight or 3 to a royal flush: Keep the straight
  7. T T T J Q — Three of a kind or 3 to a royal flush: Keep Three of a kind
  8. Q J T 9 Q — 4 to a straight flush or High pair: Keep 4 to a straight flush
  9. 9 T J Q 2 — 4 to a straight flush or 3 to a royal flush: Keep 4 to a straight flush
  10. K K Q Q J — Two pair or 3 to a royal flush: Keep the two pair
  11. A K K Q 3 — High pair or 3 to a royal flush: Keep High pair
  12. 3 7 9 J J — High pair or 4 to a flush: Keep High pair
  13. K Q J T J — High pair or KQJT unsuited: Keep High pair
  14. 2 A Q T 4 — 3 to a royal flush or 4 to a flush: Keep 3 to a royal flush
  15. T J Q K 8 — 3 to a royal flush or 4 to an outside straight: Keep 3 to a royal flush
  16. Q J T T 3 — 3 to a royal flush or Low pair: Keep 3 to a royal flush
  17. A K Q J 9 — 3 to a royal flush or AKQJ unsuited: Keep 3 to a royal flush
  18. 3 7 9 T T — 4 to a flush or Low pair: Keep 4 to a flush
  19. 2 5 6 7 T — 4 to a flush or 3 to a straight flush (any type): Keep 4 to a flush
  20. K Q J T T — KQJT unsuited or Low pair: Keep KQJT unsuited
  21. K Q J T 8 — KQJT unsuited or 2 suited high cards: Keep KQJT unsuited
  22. K Q J T 2 — KQJT unsuited or JT suited: Keep KQJT unsuited
  23. K Q J T 7 — KQJT unsuited or KT, QT suited: Keep KQJT unsuited
  24. 6 7 8 9 9 — Low pair or 4 to an outside straight: Keep Low pair
  25. 9 9 T J 4 — Low pair or 3 to a straight flush (any type): Keep Low pair
  26. K Q J 9 9 — Low pair or 4 to an inside straight with 3 high cards: Keep Low pair
  27. 8 9 T J 3 — 4 to an outside straight or 3 to a straight flush (any type): Keep 4 to an outside straight
  28. A K Q J 5 — AKQJ unsuited or 2 suited high cards: Keep AKQJ unsuited
  29. K J 3 4 5 — 2 suited high cards or 3 to a straight flush (type 2, 3, 4 or 5): Keep 2 suited high cards
  30. K Q J 9 7 — 2 suited high cards or 4 to an inside straight with 3 high cards: Keep 2 suited high cards
  31. K Q J 7 5 — 2 suited high cards or Unsuited JQK: Keep 2 suited high cards
  32. 3 4 5 J Q — 3 to a straight flush (type 2) or two unsuited high cards: Keep 3 to a straight flush (type 2)
  33. 3 4 5 T J — 3 to a straight flush (type 2) or JT suited: Keep 3 to a straight flush (type 2)
  34. 8 9 J Q K — 4 to an inside straight with 3 high cards or 3 to a straight flush (type 3): Keep 4 to an inside straight with 3 high cards
  35. 7 8 J Q K — Unsuited JQK or 3 to a straight flush (type 3): Keep Unsuited JQK
  36. A 2 3 J Q — Unsuited JQ or 3 to a straight flush (type 3): Keep Unsuited JQ
  37. 2 4 T J Q — Unsuited JQ or JT suited: Keep Unsuited JQ
  38. J Q 2 3 4 — Unsuited JQ or 3 to a straight flush (type 4 or 5): Keep Unsuited JQ
  39. A 3 5 K Q — 3 to a straight flush (type 3) or KQ, KJ unsuited: Keep 3 to a straight flush (type 3)
  40. A 3 5 J T — 3 to a straight flush (type 3) or JT suited: Keep 3 to a straight flush (type 3)
  41. K J T 4 7 — KJ unsuited or JT suited: Keep KJ unsuited
  42. A K Q 8 6 — KQ, KJ unsuited or AK, AQ, AJ unsuited: Keep KQ, KJ unsuited
  43. K J 2 3 4 — KQ, KJ unsuited or 3 to a straight flush (type 5): Keep KQ, KJ unsuited
  44. K Q T 7 3 — KQ, KJ unsuited or KT, QT suited: Keep KQ, KJ unsuited
  45. J T A 5 7 — JT suited or AK, AQ, AJ unsuited: Keep JT suited
  46. J T 2 3 4 — JT suited or 3 to a straight flush (type 4 or 5): Keep JT suited
  47. A K 2 3 4 — AK, AQ, AJ unsuited or 3 to a straight flush (type 4 or 5): Keep AK, AQ, AJ unsuited
  48. A Q T 8 4 — AK, AQ, AJ unsuited or KT, QT suited: Keep AK, AQ, AJ unsuited
  49. A 2 3 4 9 — Ace or 3 to a straight flush (type 4 or 5): Keep Ace
  50. 2 3 4 Q T — 3 to a straight flush (type 4) or KT, QT suited: Keep 3 to a straight flush (type 4)
  51. 2 3 4 J 7 — 3 to a straight flush (type 4) or Jack, Queen or King: Keep 3 to a straight flush (type 4)
  52. K T 2 4 6 — KT, QT suited or 3 to a straight flush (type 5): Keep KT, QT suited
  53. K 3 5 7 9 — Jack, Queen or King or 3 to a straight flush (type 5): Keep Jack, Queen or King

Traditional Strategy Table

The following list shows the value of each type of hand on the deal, in order from best to worst. To play a difficult hand, look up all viable ways to play it on the list, and play the highest one.

  1. Four of a kind, straight flush, royal flush
  2. 4 to a royal flush
  3. Straight, flush, full house
  4. Three of a kind
  5. 4 to a straight flush
  6. Two pair
  7. High pair
  8. 3 to a royal flush
  9. 4 to a flush
  10. KQJT unsuited
  11. Low pair
  12. 4 to an outside straight
  13. 3 to a straight flush (type 1)
  14. AKQJ unsuited
  15. 2 suited high cards
  16. 3 to a straight flush (type 2)
  17. 4 to an inside straight with 3 high cards
  18. Unsuited JQK
  19. Unsuited JQ
  20. 3 to a straight flush (type 3)
  21. KQ, KJ unsuited
  22. JT suited
  23. AK, AQ, AJ unsuited
  24. Ace
  25. 3 to a straight flush (type 4)
  26. KT, QT suited
  27. Jack, Queen or King
  28. 3 to a straight flush (type 5)
  29. Discard everything

My Video Poker Offerings

Basic Video Poker Info

  • My main Video Poker page

  • Return tables:

  • Probability of Ruin for single-play video poker

  • Random simulations of multi-play video poker

  • The standard deviation of n-play video poker

Practice / Play Video Poker for Free

Video Poker Calculator

  • Analyze the return for almost any video poker paytable

Other Stuff

Strategies

Full-Pay Jacks or Better:

Full-Pay Deuces Wild:

Quick Quads:

Other Strategies:

Copyright © 1998-2012 Wizard of Odds Consulting, Inc.  All rights reserved.  •  About  |  Privacy & Terms  |  Site Map  |  Links  |  Contact

The Wizard’s other sites: Wizard of Vegas  |  Wizard of Macau  |  Math Problems   •   Recommended: Vegas Click