Dream Card/Triple Bonus

I found a Spin-Poker Dream card machine by IGT at Sunland Park, NM. I copied all the payouts and used the Video Poker Analyzer to get the % payouts. The payouts were quite low ranging from 96% to 97.2%.

Then I got to Triple Bonus Poker, the payout was 103.3%. I double checked all the numbers and went back to the Racino and started playing. I played for probably 30 minutes, when I was dealt 2 Queens. It payed nothing!

I checked the pay schedule again, Kings or Better, not Jacks or Better. Payout 94.5??! I knew they could change the numbers but not the words. Every machine I've looked at pays 1 coin for Jacks or Better.

There are two common variants of Triple Bonus: the Kings-or-Better Triple Bonus game as offered in Dream Card, and the Jacks-or-Better "Triple Bonus Plus". The demo of Dream Card on VideoPoker.com has used the Kings-or-Better version since it launched.

There is an enormous difference between the two versions. In regular Bonus Poker, the payouts are 25x, 40x, and 80x for four 5's thru K's, 2's-3's-4's, and Aces, respectively.

In the Kings or Better game (Triple Bonus), the prizes are in fact tripled, to 75x, 120x, and 240x. However, in the Jacks or Better game (Triple Bonus Plus), the prize for four 5's thru K's is NOT tripled; it is doubled (to 50x) like Double Bonus.

So that is the trade-off: higher-paying quads vs. an easier-to-achieve minimum hand.

Thanks, JB. If it sounds too good to be true, better take another look!

Dave

Quote: davidearl

Thanks, JB. If it sounds too good to be true, better take another look!

Most of the time, yes. I thought/assumed that the starting hand was Jacks or Better when I first analyzed it too.