Double Double Bonus Poker Strategy Chart (9/6 Baseline)

Sooner or later, the Double Double Bonus poker (DDB), which is famous for its boosted payouts, will find its way to your must-play games list. And if you’re going to play for the extra winnings, be sure you have the Double Double Bonus poker strategy chart with you.

This casino guide highlights the DDB poker playing strategy chart optimized for the 9/6 variant, which offers the best return to players (98.98%). With this chart, you can make informed decisions, knowing what cards to hold or discard.

Still, if you want to play online poker in all its variations, you have come to the right place!

Double Double Bonus Poker Strategy Chart – 9/6 Full-Pay Guide

DDB poker is loved by players for its bonus payouts when you have four-of-a-kind hands with “kickers,” which aren’t available in Deuces Wild and other paytables.

A kicker is a fifth card that increases the worth of a specific four-of-a-kind hand when added to it. However, the payout you get depends on the machine’s paytable. Therefore, it is crucial to learn Double Double Bonus rules and gameplay.

The table below compares the 9/5, 9/6, and 10/6 Double Double Bonus poker paytables.

A decrease or increase in full house and flush payouts affects RTP in DDB poker. To get the best returns in 9/6 DDB poker (98.98%), you will need to play with an optimal strategy.

Quick heads-up: You can’t use a Double Bonus Poker strategy chart for DDB poker. Therefore, make sure you view the complete list of video poker charts.

9/6 Double Double Bonus Poker Strategy Chart

The Double Double Bonus Poker cheat sheet ranks every hand according to its expected value (EV), from most to least significant. Each position represents the mathematically correct hold or discard decision.

Here is the Double Double Bonus Poker strategy chart, complete hand-order list, including kicker-specific hands that trigger extra payouts.

Strategy Exceptions in Double Double Bonus Poker

Cases where optimal DDB play contradicts common intuition:

1. Always keep A-A-X kicker instead of suited high cards.
A-A-2/3/4 outranks any suited K-Q, Q-J, or A-K draw. The kicker potential dominates.

2. Never break Two Pair (except Aces).
Hold both pairs in DDB.
Exception: Break Aces + another pair only when drawing to A-A-X kicker is mathematically superior.

3. Do not chase inside straights when you have a high pair.
High pairs have higher EV than all inside straight draws.

4. Keep 3 Aces over most high-card suited draws.
Three Aces has strong quad potential tied to kicker bonuses.

5. Keep 4 to a Flush over weak straight draws.
Open-ended straights are good. Inside straights and weak straight draws are not. Flush draw EV beats them.

6. Do not break made Flushes / Straights to chase kicker-based quads.
Existing made hands outrank speculative kicker draws unless you hold three Aces or three 2s–4s.

DDB Poker Strategy Chart Practical Applications

Example 1: You’re dealt A♠️ A♥️ 2♦️ 9♣️ K♠️. The best move here is to hold A♠️ A♥️ 2. The 2 kicker transforms this hand from a regular high pair into a premium draw, i.e, Four Aces with 2, 3, or 4 kicker, one of the highest-paying hands.

Example 2: You’re dealt 10♣️  10♦️ K♠️ K♦️ 7♣️. Here, you should hold both pairs for a Full House draw, which has a higher expected value than breaking one pair to chase quads.

Simplified Double Double Bonus Poker Strategy Chart

Here is a simpler version of the Double Double Bonus poker strategy chart for regular gameplay. However, note that it has a slightly lower expected return (98.97%).

1. Premium Hands

Never break Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, or Full House.

2. Kicker-Based Quads and Draws

Take advantage of kicker-based quads (four-of-a-kinds of the same rank). They can trigger the game’s biggest payouts:

• Four Aces + 2, 3, or 4 kicker
• Four 2s-4s with Ace, 2, 3, or 4 kicker
• Four to a Royal Flush

3. Strong Hands

• High Pair (Jacks or Better)
• 3 of a Kind
• 2 Pairs
• 4 to a Straight Flush

4. Valuable Draws

Prioritize the below open-ended straight draws over inside straights or weak flush attempts:

• 3 to a Royal Flush
• 4 to a Flush
• 4 to an Outside Straight

5. Weak but Playable Hands

• Low Pair (10s or below)
• Two Suited High Cards
• One High Card (J, Q, K, or A)

6. Discard and Redraw

Suppose you don’t have any of the combinations from the above; you can draw five new cards.

Volatility and Bankroll Management in DDB

Short, factual section to add before or after the strategy chart.

DDB is one of the highest-volatility video poker games.
The paytable’s value is concentrated in:

• Four Aces + kicker

• Four 2s–4s + kicker

• Natural Royal Flush
  These happen rarely. Because most of the RTP comes from those rare hits, your bankroll swings will be larger compared to Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker, or standard DB poker.

Why this matters for strategy

• You must follow the EV chart strictly because misplaying premium kicker situations increases loss rate.

• Breaking pairs or chasing bad draws punishes you harder in DDB than in low-variance games.

• Optimal play reduces volatility but does not eliminate it. Players should expect long dry streaks between large payouts.

Suggested bankroll

For stable play: 300–500 credits minimum.
For extended sessions: 800–1,200 credits is common.

Kicker Rules: The Core of DDB Strategy

As mentioned, a kicker is the fifth card in a four-of-a-kind hand in DDB. It determines whether the hand qualifies for a bonus-level payout. However, the reward for a four-of-a-kind hand with a kicker varies. Take note of this as you compare with Jacks or Better strategy.

Kickers’ Payout Structure Rules:

• Four Aces + 2, 3, or 4 kicker: Highest non-royal payout in the game.
• Four 2s–4s + Ace, 2, 3, or 4 kicker: Second-highest payout tier.
• Four 5s–Kings: Standard quad payout that doesn’t require kickers.

Deuces Wild rules and gameplay focus on the wild cards (deuces), while that of DDB is on kickers.

Common DDB Strategy Mistakes to Avoid

Below are the common Double Double Bonus poker playing strategy errors that can reduce your expected returns, even if you download more poker cheat sheets.

1. Overvaluing inside straight and weak draws (often better to hold high cards or other premium hands instead).
2. Ignoring kicker advantages when deciding to hold or break four-of-a-kind or three-of-a-kind hands.
3. Breaking winning pairs or full houses unnecessarily due to misjudgment of potential kicker value.

Packing To Go

The Double Double Bonus poker strategy chart helps prevent guesswork during gameplay. If you’re new to the game, download the PDF cheat sheet for easy access when you want to play.

FAQs

What is the best strategy for Double Double Bonus Poker?

Download the Double Double Bonus Poker strategy chart designed for the 9/6 paytable.

How does a Double Double Bonus strategy chart work?

DDB strategy chart. It ranks possible hands by their expected value, guiding which cards to keep to maximize long-term return.

What does 9/6 mean in Double Double Bonus Poker?

It represents a 9:1 payout for a Full House and a 6:1 payout for a flush. This paytable has an RTP of 98.98%.

How do kickers affect the strategy in Double Double Bonus Poker?

Kickers (2, 3, 4) increase payouts for certain 4-of-a-kinds, which affects optimal hold choices.

What’s the difference between Double Bonus and Double Double Bonus Poker?

DDB poker adds kicker-based bonuses to its rewards, making its strategy chart more complex and its payout higher compared to DB poker.