Complete strategy for 8/5 Bonus Poker — the ideal stepping stone between Jacks or Better and the Double Bonus family. Bonus payouts for quads without the extreme variance of DB/DDB. Lower variance makes this one of the most playable multi-hand games.
Bonus Poker adds tiered bonuses for four-of-a-kind on top of the standard Jacks or Better framework, without going to the extreme payouts (and reduced base payouts) of Double Bonus. The result: a game that's familiar to JoB players, introduces the concept of playing differently for different quad ranks, and does it with lower variance than any Double Bonus variant. It's a great introduction to quad-bonus strategy and still enjoyable at 50–100 hands without destroying your bankroll.
Named "8/5" for the Full House (8) and Flush (5) payouts. The base game is similar to JoB's 8/5 version (97.29% without bonuses), but the quad bonuses raise the return to 99.17%. Note that Two Pair still pays 2x here — unlike Double Bonus variants where it drops to 1x. This is the key reason Bonus Poker has lower variance.
| Rank | Hold This Hand | Approx. EV | Notes & Multi-Hand Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Flush (pat) | 800.00 | Hold all 5. 100H: Hits multiple times per session |
| 2 | Straight Flush (pat) | 50.00 | Hold all 5. Do not break for royal unless 4 to a natural royal. |
| 3 | Four Aces | 80.00 | Hold all 4, discard kicker. 80x is a solid bonus payout. Multi-H: Four Aces hits a few times per long session at 50+ hands |
| 4 | 4 to a Royal Flush | ~18.70 | Break a straight, flush, full house. Do not break a pat straight flush. |
| 5 | Four 2s, 3s, or 4s | 40.00 | Hold all 4, discard kicker. 40x bonus payout. |
| 6 | Full House (pat) | 8.00 | Hold all 5. Never break a full house. |
| 7 | Four 5s through Kings | 25.00 | Hold all 4, discard kicker. Same payout as JoB's generic four-of-a-kind (25x). |
| 8 | Flush (pat) | 5.00 | Hold all 5 unless 4 to a royal is present. Note: flush only pays 5x here (vs 6x in 9/6 JoB). |
| 9 | Three of a Kind | 4.25 | Hold 3, draw 2. For Aces: higher EV due to 80x quad bonus — always prioritize three Aces. Multi-H: Three Aces is a strong opportunity across all hands |
| 10 | Straight (pat) | 4.00 | Hold all 5 unless 4 to a royal present. |
| 11 | Two Pair | 2.60 | Hold both pairs, draw 1. Two pair still pays 2x here — unlike DB/DDB. This significantly reduces variance and makes Bonus Poker more forgiving. Multi-H: Two pair delivers consistent small returns across all hands |
| 12 | High Pair (Jacks–Aces) | 1.54 | Hold the pair, draw 3. For Aces: EV is higher due to the 80x quad bonus. Never discard a pair of Aces for a drawing hand. |
| 13 | 4 to a Straight Flush | 2.18–3.40 | Hold 4 suited connectors. Break a low pair for an open-ended SF draw. |
| 14 | Three Aces (draw) | ~5.20 | Hold just the 3 Aces, draw 2. The 80x quad bonus makes this a high-priority draw even against made hands. |
| 15 | Low Pair (2s–10s) | 0.82 | Hold the pair, draw 3. Low pairs 2/3/4 have slightly higher EV due to the 40x quad bonus. Multi-H: Consistent output — quads hit regularly at 50+ hands |
| 16 | 4 to a Flush | 1.15 | Hold 4 suited cards, draw 1. Note: flush pays 5x, slightly lower EV than 9/6 JoB's 4-flush draw. |
| 17 | Open-Ended Straight Draw | 0.87 | Hold 4 consecutive cards, draw 1. |
| 18 | 3 to a Royal Flush | 0.54–1.41 | Hold 3 suited high cards. Especially strong with A-K or A-Q suited. |
| 19 | 2 High Cards (J–A, unsuited) | 0.49 | Hold 2 high cards, draw 3. |
| 20 | 4 to an Inside Straight (3+ high cards) | 0.74 | Inside straight with 3+ high cards. Enough high card equity to justify the draw. |
| 21 | 1 High Card (J, Q, K, or A) | 0.47 | Hold single high card, draw 4. |
| 22 | 3 to a Straight Flush (open-ended) | 0.63 | 3 suited consecutive cards. Beats a single high card. |
| 23 | Suited J-Q, J-K, Q-K, or A-high suited | 0.49–0.52 | Two suited high cards — flush + royal potential. |
| 24 | 3 to a Flush (2+ high cards) | 0.48 | Hold 3 suited cards with 2+ high cards (J, Q, K, A). Close decision vs single high card. |
| 25 | 3 to a Straight Flush (1 gap, 2 high cards) | 0.52 | Inside SF draw with 2 high cards. Good non-SF coverage. |
| — | Discard All 5 | 0.36 | When nothing ranks above. Less common than in DB because two pair still pays 2x. |
Bonus Poker maintains the 2x two-pair payout from Jacks or Better — the key factor that keeps variance manageable. Players get to enjoy quad bonuses without the brutal cold streaks of Double Bonus variants. At 10–50 hands, Bonus Poker is arguably the best balance of bonus excitement and sustainable bankroll requirements.
In 100-hand play, every time you hold three Aces you have 100 shots at the 80x quad payout. The quad Aces hand hits multiple times per session in heavy multi-hand play. While 80x is much less dramatic than Double Bonus's 800x, it hits far more predictably and the consistent two-pair returns smooth the swings in between.
| Hands | Cost/Deal | Std Dev/Deal | Recommended Bankroll |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0.25 | ~$1.20 | $130 |
| 3 | $0.75 | ~$2.08 | $300 |
| 5 | $1.25 | ~$2.68 | $450 |
| 10 | $2.50 | ~$3.79 | $800 |
| 25 | $6.25 | ~$6.00 | $1,800 |
| 50 | $12.50 | ~$8.49 | $3,200 |
| 100 | $25.00 | ~$12.00 | $5,800 |
Notably lower than Double Bonus variants. Use our variance calculator for custom scenarios.
When holding three of a kind, the rank matters. Three Aces should be chased more aggressively (80x quad) than three 5s–Kings (25x quad). Adjust your break decisions for full houses and two pairs accordingly.
Bonus Poker keeps the 2x two-pair payout. Don't play the more aggressive Double Bonus strategy (which breaks two pair more often) on a Bonus Poker machine. Two pair is worth holding in BP.
The 7/5 Bonus Poker version returns only 98.01%. Always verify Full House = 8 and Flush = 5 on the machine. The difference of 1 on each pays out to over 1% RTP difference.
Bonus Poker is the ideal game for players who want a taste of the quad-bonus experience without committing to the extreme variance of Double Bonus. The retained 2x two-pair payout makes sessions more consistent — you're not entirely dependent on hitting big quads to have a good session. At 99.17% with correct play, it's also a respectable return that competes well with Double Bonus when accounting for the lower bankroll requirements. An excellent choice for multi-hand players at the 10–50 hand range.
The simplest baseline — 99.54% RTP with no quad bonuses. Master this strategy before adding Bonus Poker complexity.
View Strategy →The natural next step — higher variance and positive EV at 100.17%. Bigger Ace bonuses, trickier strategy.
View Strategy →Similar variance to Bonus Poker but adds face card bonuses (J/Q/K). Popular online variant with frequent quad events.
View Strategy →Try our Multi-Hand Variance Calculator to see how Bonus Poker plays at different hand counts and compare it to Double Bonus variance.