Double Joker Video Poker adds an exciting twist to traditional video poker by using a 54-card deck that includes two wild Joker cards instead of the standard 52 cards. You’ll receive five cards initially and can hold the ones you want while discarding the rest for new cards, with both Jokers acting as wild cards that can substitute for any card to help you build winning hands. This extra wild card makes it easier to create powerful combinations like five of a kind and royal flushes, though the paytable adjusts accordingly to balance the increased winning potential.
The game starts with a minimum qualifying hand of two pairs, and you can bet between one and five coins per hand. Understanding how the two Jokers change the odds and payouts is key to playing effectively. The house edge typically sits around 1.9% with optimal play, making it slightly riskier than single Joker Poker but still offering reasonable odds for video poker fans.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about Double Joker Video Poker, from basic rules and hand rankings to strategic decisions based on whether you’re dealt zero, one, or two Jokers. You’ll learn how to maximize your return, understand the different paytables offered by various providers, and develop the skills needed to make smart choices at every stage of the game.
Understanding Double Joker Video Poker
Double Joker video poker uses a 54-card deck with two wild jokers instead of the standard 52 cards, which changes both the odds and the payout structure compared to traditional video poker games.
What Is Double Joker Video Poker
Double Joker is a video poker variant that adds two joker cards to a standard 52-card deck. These jokers act as wild cards and can substitute for any card you need to complete a winning hand.
The game follows standard video poker rules where you place a bet, receive five cards, and choose which cards to hold or discard. After you make your selections, the machine replaces your discarded cards with new ones from the deck.
The two wild cards increase your chances of making strong hands. However, the paytable adjusts to account for this advantage by offering lower payouts than games with fewer or no wild cards.
Key Differences From Joker Poker
The main difference between Double Joker and Joker Poker is the addition of a second wild joker card. This change affects both the deck composition and how the game pays out winning hands.
Double Joker removes the Kings or Better payout that appears in many Joker Poker games. The paytable also reduces payouts for hands like Royal Flush, Five of a Kind, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, and Flush.
These lower payouts balance out the increased odds of making winning hands with two wild cards instead of one. The house edge varies by software provider, ranging from 0.03% to 3.09% depending on the specific paytable.
The 54 Card Deck Structure
The 54-card deck in Double Joker consists of all standard cards plus two additional jokers. You have 13 ranks (Ace through King) in four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades), plus the two wild jokers.
Each joker can represent any card value or suit you need. If you hold one or both jokers with three aces, for example, the jokers complete your Five of a Kind.
The deck composition affects your drawing strategy. With two wild cards in play, you have better odds of completing hands that require specific cards. This means you should adjust your hold decisions compared to traditional video poker games with no wild cards.
Rules and Gameplay Basics
Double Joker uses a 54-card deck with two joker wild cards, and your goal is to create the best possible poker hand after being dealt five cards. You’ll place your bet, receive cards, decide which to keep, and draw replacements to form winning combinations.
Game Objective and Setup
Your objective is to make the best five-card poker hand possible to win a payout based on the game’s paytable. The game uses a 54-card deck that includes all standard cards plus two jokers that act as wild cards.
Both jokers can substitute for any card to help you complete winning hands. This setup gives you better chances to form strong hands compared to standard video poker games. The minimum winning hand is typically two pairs, though this varies by paytable version.
You’ll see the paytable displayed on screen before you start playing. The paytable shows what each hand pays and helps you understand the game’s specific rules.
Step-by-Step Gameplay Guide
You start by selecting your coin value and number of coins you want to bet. Most versions let you bet between one and five coins per hand.
After placing your bet, click the “Deal” button to receive five cards face-up. You then choose which cards to hold and which to discard. The cards you don’t hold get replaced when you press “Draw.”
Your final five-card hand determines your payout. If you have a winning combination, credits are added to your balance automatically. You can then place another bet and start a new round.
Dealing, Holding, and Discarding
After the initial deal, you select cards to keep by clicking on them or pressing the “Hold” button beneath each card. Cards marked as “held” stay in your hand for the draw.
You can hold anywhere from zero to all five cards. The cards you don’t hold get replaced with new cards from the remaining deck when you draw.
Think carefully about your holding strategy. With two wild jokers in the deck, you have more opportunities to make hands like five of a kind, which pays significantly. You can change your mind about held cards before drawing by clicking them again.
Betting Options and Controls
The minimum bet is usually one coin, while the maximum bet is typically five coins. Betting five coins activates the best payout ratio for a natural royal flush.
You control your bet size through the coin value selector and the “Bet One” or “Bet Max” buttons. The “Bet Max” button automatically wagers five coins and deals your hand immediately.
Some versions include a gamble feature after a win. This optional feature lets you risk your winnings to potentially double them through a simple guessing game. You can typically choose to gamble on card color or suit.
Your total bet equals your coin value multiplied by the number of coins played. For example, if you set a $0.25 coin value and bet five coins, your total wager is $1.25 per hand.
Poker Hands and Payouts
Double Joker Poker pays out based on traditional poker hand rankings with adjustments for the two wild jokers in the 54-card deck. The paytable determines your winnings for each hand, with better hands earning higher payouts and the natural royal flush offering the top prize.
Ranking of Poker Hands
The hand rankings in Double Joker Poker follow standard poker rules, starting with the highest-paying natural royal flush down to the minimum qualifying hand of two pair. A natural royal flush consists of 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of the same suit without any jokers. Below that, you’ll find the wild royal flush (also called joker royal flush), which uses one or both jokers to complete the royal flush combination.
Five of a kind ranks next and requires four cards of the same rank plus a joker. This hand only exists in games with wild cards. A straight flush comes after, featuring five consecutive cards of the same suit.
Four of a kind, full house, flush, and straight follow in descending order. Three of a kind pays out lower, and two pair serves as the minimum qualifying hand in most Double Joker variations.
Unique Double Joker Hands
The two jokers create hand possibilities that don’t exist in standard poker games. Wild royal flush pays significantly less than a natural royal flush, typically 100 coins versus 800 coins for a five-coin bet. This difference encourages you to avoid using jokers when you already have four cards to a natural royal.
Five of a kind becomes easier to achieve with two wild cards in the deck. This hand usually pays 50 coins on a five-coin bet. You’ll see this hand more frequently than in single-joker games, which is why the paytable adjusts other payouts downward.
Payout Tables and Chart Explanation
Different versions of Double Joker Poker offer varying return percentages based on their pay charts. The full-pay version returns 99.97% with optimal play. Here’s what the full-pay table looks like:
| Hand | 1 Coin | 2 Coins | 3 Coins | 4 Coins | 5 Coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Royal Flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1000 | 4000 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 100 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 500 |
| Five of a Kind | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Straight Flush | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 |
| Four of a Kind | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
| Full House | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Flush | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Straight | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Three of a Kind | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Lower-paying versions reduce payouts for four of a kind (10 or 8 coins), full house (8 coins), and other hands. A 98.10% version pays only 8 coins for four of a kind instead of 9.
Minimum and Maximum Payouts
The minimum payout in Double Joker Poker requires two pair, which returns your original bet. Unlike Jacks or Better, you won’t find payouts for high pairs like kings or better. This makes the game harder to break even on individual hands.
The maximum payout of 4,000 coins comes from hitting a natural royal flush with a five-coin bet. This represents an 800-to-1 payout scale. If you bet fewer than five coins, the natural royal flush pays at a reduced 250-to-1 scale.
Casinos set coin denominations from $0.01 to $5.00 or higher. Your actual minimum and maximum payouts depend on your chosen denomination multiplied by the coin bet.
House Edge, RTP, and Theoretical Return
Double Joker Poker has a house edge of 1.9% with a theoretical return of 98.1% when using the standard Microgaming pay table. These numbers mean you can expect to get back $98.10 for every $100 wagered over the long term.
House Edge Explained
House edge shows how much the casino expects to keep from your bets over time. In Double Joker Poker, the house edge is 1.9% with standard payouts. This means the casino keeps $1.90 out of every $100 you wager on average.
The house edge in Double Joker Poker is higher than regular Joker Poker, which sits at 1.4%. You face a bigger disadvantage because the game has two wild cards instead of one. The extra joker makes certain hands easier to form, so the casino reduces payouts to maintain their advantage.
The house edge changes based on which pay table your casino uses. Some versions offer better or worse odds depending on how they structure payouts for hands like four of a kind, full house, and flush.
RTP in Double Joker Video Poker
RTP stands for Return to Player and represents the percentage of all wagered money that gets paid back to players. Double Joker Poker has an RTP of 98.1% using the standard pay table. Your RTP and house edge always add up to 100%.
Different software providers offer slightly different RTPs. B3W casinos provide 98.32% RTP, while Gale Wind versions reach 98.40%. These variations happen because providers adjust payouts for specific hands like four of a kind or flush.
You only achieve the stated RTP when you play perfect strategy and bet the maximum five coins per hand. Playing fewer coins or making strategic mistakes will lower your actual return rate.
Payouts vs Probability
The two jokers make strong hands more common, which affects how much each hand pays. Five of a kind pays 250 coins at max bet in Double Joker Poker, but it pays 1,000 coins in regular Joker Poker. The lower payout exists because you have twice the chance to make this hand with two wild cards.
Four of a kind drops from 85 coins in Joker Poker to just 40 coins in Double Joker Poker. Full house payouts decrease from 35 to 25 coins for the same reason. The easier probability of forming these hands means you get paid less when you hit them.
The minimum paying hand is two pairs instead of a high pair. This requirement exists because pairs become much easier to make with two wild cards in the deck.
Double Joker Video Poker Strategy
Playing Double Joker poker requires a different approach than standard video poker because the 54-card deck with two wild jokers changes the odds and hand values. Your strategy must adapt based on whether you have zero, one, or two jokers in your initial hand.
General Strategy Principles
Always bet the maximum five coins when playing Double Joker poker. This unlocks the best payout for a natural Royal Flush and lowers the house edge significantly. The jump from 800-to-1 on four coins to 4000-to-1 on five coins for a Royal Flush makes a major difference in your overall returns.
Focus on hands that use the wild jokers effectively. Unlike games that pay for high pairs, Double Joker typically starts payouts at Two Pair, which changes how you approach drawing cards. You should hold jokers in almost every situation since they can complete multiple winning combinations.
Pay attention to the specific paytable you’re playing. Different software providers offer house edges ranging from 0.03% to over 3%, with GameSys’s “No House Edge” version providing the best returns at 0.03%. The standard 1.90% house edge version is common across BetSoft, Microgaming, Rival, and Wager Gaming Technologies.
No Joker, One Joker, Two Jokers: How to Play Each
With no jokers in your hand, you follow a strategy similar to Jacks or Better but adjusted for the Two Pair minimum. Keep any paying hand of Two Pair or better. Hold four cards to a Royal Flush or Straight Flush over lower made hands. Keep three of a kind over a four-card flush or straight draw.
With one joker, your priorities shift dramatically. Always keep the joker and build around it. Hold the joker plus four cards to a Royal Flush. Keep the joker with three of a kind or better. Hold the joker with four cards to a Straight Flush. A joker with two cards to a Royal Flush is often better than a joker with four cards to a regular straight.
With two jokers, you already have a strong foundation for winning hands. Keep both jokers with any made hand of Three of a Kind or better. Hold both jokers with three cards to a Royal Flush. Never discard both jokers under any circumstances, as they guarantee at least Three of a Kind.
Strategy Charts and Hand Analyzers
Strategy charts organize hands in a hierarchy from strongest to weakest, helping you make quick decisions at the table. You should find the chart that matches your specific paytable, as different payouts require different holding decisions. Most charts separate scenarios by the number of jokers dealt.
Online strategy calculators let you input your five-card hand and instantly show the mathematically correct play. These tools calculate the expected value of every possible way to hold or discard cards. You can use them during practice sessions to learn optimal decisions before playing for real money.
Strategy trainers provide hands and give feedback when you make incorrect holding decisions. They work best when you set them to match the exact paytable you plan to play. Regular practice with a trainer helps you memorize common situations so you can play faster and more accurately.
Mistakes to Avoid
Never break up a paying hand to chase a Royal Flush unless you have four cards to the Royal. Many players mistakenly hold three high cards to a Royal while discarding a made Two Pair, which costs them money over time.
Don’t hold a single high card when you have no jokers. In Double Joker, high card pairs don’t pay, so holding a single King or Ace has no value. You’re better off drawing five new cards in most cases.
Avoid playing paytables with house edges above 2%. The difference between a 1.90% house edge and a 3.09% house edge adds up quickly. GameSys’s 0.03% version offers dramatically better returns than standard versions if you can find it.
Variations, Providers, and Online Play
Double Joker video poker comes in different versions with varying paytables and house edges. GameSys offers the best house edge at 0.03%, while BetSoft, Microgaming, Rival, and Wager Gaming Technologies provide versions with a 1.90% house edge when you bet 5 coins.
Full-Pay vs Short-Pay Double Joker Variants
Full-pay Double Joker games give you the best odds and lowest house edge. The GameSys “No House Edge” version offers a 0.03% house edge with a 2000-coin royal flush payout for 5 coins. This paytable also increases the wild royal flush to 500 coins and five of a kind to 300 coins.
Short-pay versions have higher house edges that favor the casino more. BetSoft, Microgaming, Rival, and Wager Gaming Technologies all use similar short-pay tables with 1.90% house edges. These versions pay 4000 coins for a royal flush on 5 coins.
The house edge increases when you bet fewer than 5 coins. Microgaming and Rival versions jump to 2.56% for 1-2 coins and 2.19% for 3 coins. GameSys maintains consistent house edges across all coin amounts.
Popular Software Providers
Microgaming delivers Double Joker with a standard 54-card deck that includes two wild jokers. Their version uses a tiered coin system where payouts scale differently based on your bet size.
Rival provides both single-hand and multi-hand versions of Double Joker. You can play up to four hands at once, which gives you more chances to hit winning combinations but requires a separate wager for each hand.
BetSoft maintains a flat house edge of 1.90% across all coin amounts. Their paytable multiplies evenly whether you bet 1 coin or 4 coins.
GameSys stands out by offering two distinct versions. Their normal version has a 3.09% house edge, but their “No House Edge” variant provides significantly better bonus payout opportunities.
Where to Play Online
You can find Double Joker at online casinos that partner with the software providers listed above. Look for sites that clearly display paytables before you start playing.
Check the royal flush payout for 5 coins to identify which version you’re playing. A 4000-coin payout indicates the standard 1.90% house edge version. A 2000-coin payout suggests the GameSys full-pay variant.
Some online video poker sites let you switch between different coin denominations. Start with lower stakes while you learn the game mechanics and hand rankings.
Special Features and Bonuses
Multi-hand play lets you work multiple hands from the same initial deal. When you choose cards to hold, those same cards stay in place across all active hands. Each hand then draws different cards to complete its combination.
The bonus payout structure in Double Joker differs from standard video poker. Five of a kind becomes possible with the two wild jokers and pays 250 coins (or 300 in GameSys full-pay). Wild royal flushes pay less than natural royal flushes but occur more frequently.
Some providers offer practice modes where you can play without real money. This helps you learn optimal strategy before risking your bankroll on actual games.
Frequently Asked Questions
Double Joker Video Poker uses a 54-card deck with two wild jokers, which changes both the strategy and payouts compared to standard video poker games. The game requires specific approaches depending on how many jokers you draw in your initial hand.
What is the optimal strategy for playing Double Joker Video Poker?
Your strategy for Double Joker Video Poker depends on how many jokers appear in your initial hand. The game requires three different strategy charts based on whether you draw no jokers, one joker, or two jokers.
When you have no jokers, you should prioritize holding a royal flush or straight flush first. Four cards to a royal flush ranks second, followed by four of a kind or full house. You’ll hold three of a kind over two pair in most situations.
With one joker in your hand, a completed joker royal, five of a kind, or straight flush takes top priority. Four of a kind ranks second, while four cards to a joker royal comes third. You should hold three of a kind over most partial hands.
When you draw two jokers, keep any completed joker royal, five of a kind, or straight flush. Four cards to a joker royal with jack-ten, jack-queen, or queen-ten ranks second. Four of a kind and other four-card joker royal combinations follow in priority.
Always bet the maximum five coins per hand. This strategy activates the bonus payout for a natural royal flush and creates the lowest possible house edge.
Can Double Joker Video Poker be played online, and if so, on which platforms?
You can play Double Joker Video Poker online through multiple software providers. Microgaming, Grand Virtual, Odds On, and Rival all offer versions of this game with standard paytables.
B3W and Gale Wind provide variations with slightly different payout structures. These platforms offer higher returns on certain hands while maintaining the core game rules. The return to player percentages range from 98.10% to 98.40% depending on the platform.
Different online casinos feature Double Joker through these software providers. You’ll find the game in both desktop and mobile formats at most sites that carry video poker titles.
What are the rules and hand rankings specific to Double Joker Video Poker?
Double Joker Video Poker uses a 54-card deck that includes two joker cards acting as wilds. These jokers can substitute for any card to help you complete winning hands.
The minimum winning hand is two pair, which pays 1 for 1 on a single coin bet. You won’t receive payouts for single pairs like you would in some other video poker variants. A natural royal flush without jokers pays 800 for 1 on a five-coin maximum bet.
A joker royal flush includes at least one wild card and pays 100 for 1. Five of a kind requires four matching cards plus one joker and pays 50 for 1. Straight flush pays 25 for 1, four of a kind pays 8 for 1, and full house pays 4 for 1.
Flush pays 3 for 1, straight pays 3 for 1, three of a kind pays 2 for 1, and two pair pays 1 for 1. You receive five cards initially and can choose which ones to hold before drawing replacements.
Are there any free versions of Double Joker Video Poker to practice with?
Many online casinos offer free play or demo versions of Double Joker Video Poker. You can practice without wagering real money to learn the game mechanics and test strategies.
These practice versions provide the same gameplay and paytables as real money versions. You’ll receive virtual credits to use for betting and can reload them as needed. Free versions let you keep strategy charts nearby to reference while you play.
The demo games help you understand how the two jokers affect hand formation. You can experiment with different holding decisions without financial risk before playing with real money.
How does the inclusion of Jokers in Double Joker Video Poker affect traditional video poker strategy?
The two wild jokers make it easier to form strong hands compared to standard video poker. This increased frequency of premium hands results in lower payouts for those combinations.
You’ll complete hands like four of a kind, straight flush, and five of a kind more often than in regular video poker. The paytable compensates by reducing the odds on these hands. Four of a kind pays only 8 for 1 in Double Joker compared to higher amounts in games without wild cards.
Your drawing strategy must account for the wild cards in your hand. When you hold one or two jokers, you’ll pursue different hands than when playing with no wilds. The presence of jokers means you should sometimes hold cards that wouldn’t make sense in standard video poker, like keeping a 5 or 9 with jokers for straight potential.
What are the payout differences between Double Joker Video Poker and standard video poker games?
Double Joker Video Poker pays less for most hands compared to single Joker Poker. Five of a kind pays only 250 credits maximum in Double Joker versus 1,000 credits in Joker Poker with five coins bet.
Straight flush drops from 250 credits to 125 credits maximum. Four of a kind decreases from 85 credits to 40 credits. Full house reduces from 35 credits to 25 credits, and flush drops from 25 credits to 20 credits.
The natural royal flush payout remains 4,000 credits for both games. Joker royal flush also stays at 500 credits maximum. Three of a kind and two pair maintain the same payouts across both variants.
The house edge increases to 1.9% in Double Joker compared to 1.4% in single Joker Poker. The theoretical return drops from 98.6% to 98.1%. These differences reflect how the second wild card makes winning hands easier to achieve.