Bonus Poker Deluxe simplifies the bonus game concept: every Four of a Kind pays the same enhanced rate — 80-for-1 — regardless of rank. No tiered quads, no kicker cards, no memorizing which ranks pay what. If you hit four of anything, you get 80 coins per coin bet.
The tradeoff is the same one every bonus game makes: Two Pair drops to 1-for-1 to fund the quad boost. This makes the game more volatile than Jacks or Better but simpler than Bonus Poker or Double Bonus.
How It Compares to Other Bonus Games
The "Deluxe" in the name means the quad payout is flat — no tiers:
| Game | Four Aces | Four 2-4 | Four 5-K | Two Pair |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacks or Better | 25 | 25 | 25 | 2 |
| Bonus Poker | 80 | 40 | 25 | 2 |
| Bonus Poker Deluxe | 80 | 80 | 80 | 1 |
| Double Bonus | 160 | 80 | 50 | 1 |
| Double Double Bonus | 160-400 | 80-160 | 50 | 1 |
Bonus Poker Deluxe sits in a unique spot: higher quad payouts than Bonus Poker for low-rank quads (80 vs 25 for Four 5s-Kings), but lower than Double Bonus. The flat structure means a quad of 7s is just as exciting as quad Aces.
The key difference from regular Bonus Poker: Two Pair pays 1-for-1 instead of 2-for-1. Since Two Pair occurs roughly every 7-8 hands, this is a constant drain. You're essentially paying for those enhanced quads with every Two Pair you hit.
Pay Table Variants
| Hand | 9/6 | 8/6 | 8/5 | 7/5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| Four of a Kind | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| Full House | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| Flush | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Straight | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| RTP | 99.64% | 98.49% | 97.40% | 96.25% |
The 9/6 full-pay version at 99.64% is a strong game — better than 8/5 Bonus Poker (99.17%). But pay tables drop fast: 8/5 BPD is already 2.24% worse than 9/6.
Strategy
Bonus Poker Deluxe strategy is closer to JoB than most bonus games, but the 1-for-1 Two Pair and enhanced quads create a few important differences:
Key Differences from JoB
Low pairs are more valuable. In JoB, a low pair (2s through 10s) competes with four-card Straight and Flush draws. In BPD, the quad payoff is 80-for-1 regardless of rank, so a pair of 3s has more "quad potential" value. You'll sometimes keep a low pair over a four-card inside Straight.
Two Pair holds are automatic but painful. Always hold Two Pair — the chance of drawing to a Full House (9-for-1) is worth it. But know that 1-for-1 is just getting your bet back, so don't celebrate.
Three of a Kind is more exciting. You're one card from an 80-for-1 payout (~1 in 47 chance to improve to quads on the draw).
Simplified Strategy Priority
- Royal Flush, Straight Flush
- Four of a Kind
- Four to a Royal Flush
- Full House, Flush, Straight
- Three of a Kind
- Four to a Straight Flush
- Two Pair
- High Pair (Jacks or Better)
- Three to a Royal Flush
- Four to a Flush
- Low Pair
- Four to an open-ended Straight
- Two suited high cards
- Single high card (J, Q, K, A)
Common Mistakes
Playing Double Bonus strategy. In Double Bonus, you sometimes break Two Pair to hold Three of a Kind because the quad payout differential is huge. In BPD, every quad pays the same 80, so Two Pair should always be held intact — the Full House draw is more valuable than chasing a specific rank.
Ignoring the pay table. The 80-for-1 quad is flashy, but the Full House and Flush numbers determine your actual return. A 7/5 BPD machine costs you $25+ per hour more than a 9/6 at quarter denomination.
Underbetting. Like all video poker, max coins (5) is required to get the full Royal Flush bonus (800-for-1 vs 250-for-1). If 5 coins is too much, drop to a lower denomination.
Who Should Play Bonus Poker Deluxe
BPD is for players who want bigger quad payouts without memorizing which ranks pay what. If you find the tiered structure of Bonus Poker or the kicker system of Double Double Bonus confusing, BPD eliminates that complexity: every quad is 80, every time. Just accept the 1-for-1 Two Pair as the cost of entry.