Double Up in Video Poker

Did you know that on some video poker machines you can actually “double down” or “double up” after you win? Some people don’t want to risk their winnings on a double or nothing bet but actually can be a good idea.

When you play video poker you are going up against the house edge which can be anything from 1% to 5% or more. The great thing about the double or nothing bet is that there is no house advantage at all. It is simply an even odds bet where you will double your money or lose it all. It is risky but you actually have a 50-50 chance to win and other than taking the odds in craps, there is no other online casino bet that offers even odds.

Doubling up is risky but it sure is fun and if you really take it to the extreme it can vastly improve your odds of hitting it big. Let’s say that you are looking to hit the royal flush which pays out 4,000 coins. The odds of hitting a royal are really long but hitting something like four of a kind, while still long is more possible. In this example, you hit the 4 of a kind and win 125 coins. If you choose to double up you can actually reach 4,000 coins if you win your double up five straight times. There is no doubt that winning five straight double ups is unlikely but the odds of doing it are actually a lot better than hitting a royal flush.

There are two main types of double ups in video poker. One version has five cards being dealt with one face up. You goal is to pick one of the four remaining cards that is higher than the one face up. The other version has you getting one card face down and you choose whether it is red or black. If you are right you double up, if not you lose it all. Some versions also let you pick the exact suit if you want to risk it all with the chance to quadruple your win.