- Appendices
- Strategies
- Jacks or Better
- Deuces Wild
- Quick Quads
- Ultimate X
- Miscellaneous
Introduction
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If there’s to name one of the most widely discussed features, then it’s Double up in VP. The fact is that it adds to the game’s variance without shifting its long-term payout percentage. What bothers the community is whether it’s necessary to push the luck, and travel the uncharted waters, or leave things be.
Should players use Double up while playing video poker?
Yes, and no is our answer. That’s because this option comes with an almost equal number of pros and cons. Okay, the proposition is 50/50 if Double up is implemented after a winning hand of poker, and it does increase volatility without modifying the payback.
But there’s more to this than it meets the eyes. Only after observing a broader perspective can one be able to evaluate whether this option makes sense or not.
Let’s check it out!
How Do Things Look from Theoretical Point of View?
The simplest explanation of this feature is as follow:
After a winning hand, a punter is dealt five cards with four facing down, one facing up. The latter is the “house” card. A punter is then challenged to select one of the other four cards.
If it’s higher than the “house card”, a player has doubled up the winnings. If the card is lower than the “house” has got, a player loses the original winnings. Some video poker machines allow doubling up repeatedly following a winning hand while the others only permit players to utilize this feature once.
Those in favor of this option will refer to it as “one of the better bets a player can make in any casino”. One thing is sure, randomness is one of the major highlights.
To cut it short…
…RNG will make sure the cards are dealt randomly, without paying attention to which hand you’ve got at the moment of dealing. It could be two pairs, flush, four of a kind, or even a royal flush- the machine doesn’t care at all. The generator does its business- quietly and randomly.
Punters are often troubled by a theory that this feature is adjusted to award winners on lower hands more readily than on higher hands. This is where RNG saves the day. Again.
So, chances are equal for both the player and a casino, both parties are dealt a random card, making it 50/50. That’s why it’s seen as one of the best bets.
Getting Down to Practical Application
Now that you are aware of how this feature work and understand the relevant strategies for a selected game, the next step would be to find the right machine and apply the acquired knowledge.
Speaking of …
…for those interested in training the skills a bit, the Wizard of Odds himself designed multiple useful tools. There are several analyzers (for hands and paytables), a strategy calculator along with an app.
So, what are the main points to take into account when making up your mind and choosing a machine to test whether double up works?
- Make sure the proposition is an even-money game, with no edge to the house.
- Pay attention that the main game’s payback is already a noteworthy one. For example, a scenario best avoided is ending up with a lower overall payback than might be available from higher-paying non-double-up VPs.
- Have a thorough understanding of basic stats.
Call it a side-effect or a fact, as you wish…
…but when these steps are implemented punters get the impression that they are playing longer for the same amount of funds. Knowing that the house edge is based on the number of sessions played, the edge is reduced significantly, while the payback grows.
An example?
Let’s say you opt for a game with 98.5%, which means there will be 15 bets lost on 1,000 played. As a result, double up will increase the payback to 99.2%, stretching the number of sessions from 1,000 to 1,900, with the number of lost bets remaining the same- 15.
Worth stressing out is that…
…majority agrees that this feature shouldn’t be used when one is playing a game with a positive EV payout. If one is running a game with 100% or higher payback, there’s a small edge over the house. On this occasion, double up will only negate a portion of that all too rare edge over the house.
No one will advocate using it after every winning hand, a huge deal would look approvingly on using it from time to time. You will find players stating Double up works on the middle hands but not on low hands or high hands, but definitions of what hands should and shouldn’t be played vary widely.
To Double (or Not to Trouble)?
In the end, you will find so many comments both in favor and against this option. But things are far from being black and white here, as there are many factors which have an impact on this.
Getting a valuable knowledge on the game in general…
…is the best starting point, as it will put you in a slightly advantageous position over those who don’t possess it at all. Knowledge. Then, have in mind that the online variant is a much better option than the land-based version, simply because it offers demo mode.
However, do note not all the casinos allow collecting points when implementing this (or some similar) bet. On the other hand, some will allow this, and won’t restrict such betting when one’s meeting playthrough requirements.
What you mustn’t forget is that…
…the winning displayed on the screen are not mere “credits”, they are real money. Knowing that will help a lot when determining whether to call it quits after several successive wins or keep on doubling.
Once you have a thorough understanding of all the strategies and rules, along with bankroll size and house edge, you will get a clear picture is double up an option for you.
One thing is clear, though.
There’s no consensus. Some punters will be in favor of this option, the others will strongly disapprove, and yet the third group will rely on specific circumstances when determining whether to Double up or not.
All in all, it’s your call.
Written by: Alexis Gold
Poker Strategy
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Poker Bonuses
If you’re looking for a low risk bankroll building strategy, then Pokerstars’ Double Up SNGs are right up your alley. Ten players enter, and five players leave with double their money. There are no points for first and your only objective should be to survive the bubble. For that reason, a good tight aggressive strategy (with an emphasis on tight) is the right way to approach these games. Don’t forget to check out our top five SNG tips article as well for regular SNG and turbo SNG tips.
Keep in mind that these are most profitable when multi-tabling. With that in mind, this guide presents tips designed to help players who plan to play 3 or more tables at once.
Top five Double UP SNG tips
1. Play Tight
Unlike a traditional SNG where you are focused on first making the top 3, and then winning, double up SNGs are about one thing, survive to five. In the early stages of the SNG there is no reason to get aggressive or put yourself at risk when your sole focus is to survive the bubble with at least one chip. For this reason you should play a very conservative game. You want to preserve as many chips as possible for the bubble or situations where you are favored.
Let your opponents eliminate one another and do your best to preserve your chips and look for good spots.
2. Play Push Fold Poker Near the Bubble
When you have around 8 to 10 blinds left in your stack, the value of a standard raise goes down dramatically. At this point in the tournament you should be looking for good situations to put all your chips in the middle of the table. The benefit of moving all-in goes up in double up SNGs where your opponents are even more reluctant than usual to call off a significant portion of their chips.
What you should be looking for in these situations is reasonably strong hands with no openers in the pot ahead of you; or if the size of your chip stack is around 6 to 7 blinds, any two cards will do so long as no one has entered the pot.
3. Get Loose and Aggressive on the Bubble if Necessary
If you are one of the chip leaders, then you don’t need to put your stack in jeopardy by loosening up on the bubble. However, if you are one of the shorter stacked players at the table then you need to look for spots to pick on the medium stacks. The beauty of double-up SNGs is that your opponents will want to do everything in their power to avoid losing in 6th place. This means that you if you are in danger of losing in 6th place yourself, you can jam your entire stack in the middle and force the big blind to pick up a big hand or else risk busting out. Avoid the big stack when making this play.
4. Avoid the Bubble
As mentioned before, you don’t want to go out in 6th place if you can avoid it. Once there are 6 players remaining, the pressure is on the two shortest stacks to make a play and avoid blinding off.
If you are short stacked, it is at this point that you need to take measure of your opposition and figure out what your game plan is. The position of the more aggressive big stacks becomes very important here. If the aggressive big stack is on the button when you are in the big blind and under the gun when the other short stack is in the big blind, the pressure is actually on you even if you have the other short stack out chipped.
Determine who has to make the first move between you and the other short stack and play accordingly.
Regardless of who has to make the first move, it is very dangerous to allow your stack to get shorter than 4 to 5 big blinds. That being said, double-up SNGs are one of the few types of SNGs where it is at times correct to allow yourself to blind off while the shorter stack gets blinded off and eliminated. Experience will give you a better sense of how to handle these situations.
5. Avoid the Big Stack
Whenever you are involved in a hand with a player in a double-up SNG, you would prefer to be the player with the larger chip stack. If you are not yourself the chip leader, this somewhat limits the hands you will be able to play.
The reason you want to avoid the big stack is because the pressure for being eliminated in a double-up SNG is higher than in a regular SNG. This means that being the larger stack has a slight advantage in any confrontation. That being said, a strong hand will definitely make up for this disadvantage.
This is never truer than on the bubble or approaching the bubble. If you are a shorter stack and you are looking for places to move all-in to steal the blinds, avoid the big stack unless your hand is strong enough to go to a showdown.