10/7 Double Bonus Strategy Chart
A rare positive-return game. Full-pay 10/7 Double Bonus returns over 100 percent, but only with tight, sometimes counterintuitive play.
Short answer
100.17% return, perfect play. Chase quads and premium draws harder than in Jacks or Better. Two pair pays only 1, so it drops down the order, and four to a flush now outranks three to a royal. Hold the highest entry below that you can make.
The pay table
| Hand | Per coin | Max (5 coins) |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 250 | 4,000 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 250 |
| Four Aces | 160 | 800 |
| Four 2s-4s | 80 | 400 |
| Four 5s-Ks | 50 | 250 |
| Full House | 10 | 50 |
| Flush | 7 | 35 |
| Straight | 5 | 25 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 15 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 5 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 5 |
The strategy chart: every hold in order
This is the complete 10/7 Double Bonus strategy chart, our cheat sheet with every play ranked by expected value.
Look at your dealt hand, find the highest entry here you can make, and hold exactly those cards. The number is the expected value per coin of that play, computed by the engine.
| # | Play | EV |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Four aces | 160 |
| 02 | Four 2s-4s | 80.00 |
| 03 | Four 5s-Ks | 50.00 |
| 04 | 4 to a royal | 19.81 |
| 05 | Three aces | 10.11 |
| 06 | Full house | 10.00 |
| 07 | Flush | 7.00 |
| 08 | Three of a kind | 5.43 |
| 09 | Straight | 5.00 |
| 10 | 4 to a straight flush | 3.81 |
| 11 | Two pair | 1.77 |
| 12 | High pair (JJ+) | 1.46 |
| 13 | 4 to a flush | 1.40 |
| 14 | 3 to a royal | 1.37 |
| 15 | 4 to an outside straight | 0.85 |
| 16 | Low pair | 0.74 |
| 17 | Two suited high cards | 0.58 |
| 18 | One high card | 0.46 |
The plays that cost the most
- Four to a flush now beats three to a royal — 4 to a flush 1.40 vs 3 to a royal 1.37 · costs 0.03
- Two pair is worth far less — two pair 1.77 vs vs 2.60 in Jacks or Better · costs
Why five coins, always
The royal flush pays 250 per coin on one through four coins, then jumps to 800 per coin (4,000 total) on the fifth. That single bonus is worth about 1.5 percent of return. Bet within your bankroll, but always bet max coins.
Practice it
Reading strategy is not playing it. The free trainer deals real Double Bonus hands, grades every hold against this exact strategy, and shows the precise expected value you give up on a mistake.
How it differs from Jacks or Better
Three big shifts from Jacks or Better, all from the pay table. First, two pair pays only 1 (not 2), so it falls to about 1.77 and no longer beats some draws. Second, the fatter flush (7) and straight (5) plus a 1 two pair flip a few close calls: four to a flush (1.40) now beats three to a royal (1.37). Third, the bigger quads raise three of a kind. The 100.17 percent return is real but fragile; sloppy play erases the edge fast.
More strategy
Common questions
Is 10/7 Double Bonus really over 100 percent?
Yes, full-pay 10/7 Double Bonus returns about 100.17 percent with perfect play, making it one of the few positive-return video poker games. The strategy is tighter and less forgiving than Jacks or Better, and the game is high variance.
Why does two pair pay only 1 in Double Bonus?
That single reduction funds the much larger four-of-a-kind payouts. It also changes strategy: two pair is worth less, so several draws now rank above it.