Video Poker Bonus Poker Calculator: Chase the Quads

Bonus Poker enhances four-of-a-kind payouts while reducing full house and flush returns. Our calculator shows optimal strategy adjustments for these bonus payouts, revealing when to chase quads and how it changes expected value.

What Is Bonus Poker?

Bonus Poker is a Jacks or Better variant that pays extra for four-of-a-kind hands. Aces pay 80 (vs standard 25), 2s-4s pay 40, and 5s-Kings pay 25. This bonus comes at a cost—full house drops to 8 and flush to 5, reducing overall return compared to 9/6 Jacks or Better.

Quick Answer: Bonus Poker pays extra for quads: 80 for aces, 40 for 2s-4s, 25 for others. Full-pay return: 99.17% (8/5 pay table). Strategy differs from Jacks or Better—hold lower pairs more often when quad bonus is significant. Keep pairs of aces, 2s, 3s, 4s more aggressively. Chase those four-of-a-kinds!

How to Use Our Calculator

Use the Bonus Poker Calculator →

Enter your hand for optimal holds considering bonus payouts.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Enter Your Hand: All 5 cards

2. View Paytable: Bonus structure

3. See Optimal Hold: Which cards to keep

4. Check Expected Value: For the play

5. Compare to Jacks or Better: Strategy differences

Input Fields Explained

Field	Description	Example
Your Hand	5 dealt cards	A♠ A♦ 7♣ 4♥ 2♠
Current Hand	What you have	Pair of Aces
Optimal Hold	Best play	A♠ A♦
Expected Value	Return	+2.84
Quad Chance	Four-of-a-kind	0.28%
Best Outcome	If luck	Four Aces (80)

Bonus Poker Paytable

Full-Pay 8/5 Bonus Poker

Hand	Payout (per coin)
Royal Flush	800
Straight Flush	50
Four Aces	80
Four 2s-4s	40
Four 5s-Kings	25
Full House	8
Flush	5
Straight	4
Three of a Kind	3
Two Pair	2
Jacks or Better	1

Return: 99.17%

Common Variants

Version	FH/FL	Four Aces	Return
8/5 Full Pay	8/5	80	99.17%
7/5	7/5	80	98.01%
6/5	6/5	80	96.87%

Strategy Differences from Jacks or Better

When to Break Pairs Differently

Jacks or Better:
Keep high pair over 4-card flush draw

Bonus Poker:
Still keep high pair usually
BUT: Consider quad bonus value

Aces more valuable:
Four aces = 80 vs 25
Keep AA over most alternatives

Low Pair Decisions

Standard Jacks or Better:
Low pair = draw 3 cards
Looking for trips, full house, quads

Bonus Poker:
Low 2-3-4 pairs more valuable
Quad 2-3-4 pays 40 (not 25)
More incentive to hold these pairs

Key Strategy Adjustments

Hold pair of aces over:
- 4 to a straight
- 4 to a flush (usually)

Hold pair of 2s/3s/4s over:
- Some straight draws
- Some flush draws (borderline)

Quads are worth chasing:
80, 40, and 25 change EV calculations

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Ace Pair Priority

Hand: A♠ A♦ K♥ Q♦ J♠

Jacks or Better thinking:

Pair of aces (pays 1) vs
4 to a royal (AKQJ) - huge!

JoB: Break aces for royal draw
EV of royal draw: ~2.5
EV of keeping aces: ~0.8

Bonus Poker thinking:

Four aces pays 80 (not 25)
This changes calculation

Still break for royal draw:
Royal > 4 aces in any game
But marginal decisions shift

Example 2: Low Pair Value

Hand: 3♠ 3♦ Q♥ J♦ T♣

Analysis:

Pair of 3s: Quad pays 40
QJT: Open-ended potential

Jacks or Better:
EV keeping 3s: ~0.54
EV keeping QJT: ~0.47
Keep 3s (slight edge)

Bonus Poker:
EV keeping 3s: ~0.59 (higher quad value)
EV keeping QJT: ~0.47
Keep 3s (larger edge)

Example 3: Flush Draw vs Pair

Hand: 2♥ 2♦ K♥ 9♥ 4♥

Analysis:

Pair of 2s: Quad pays 40
4 to flush (K-9-4-2 hearts)

Jacks or Better:
4 to flush: EV ~0.43
Pair of 2s: EV ~0.54
Keep pair

Bonus Poker:
4 to flush: EV ~0.43
Pair of 2s: EV ~0.58
Keep pair (larger margin)

Example 4: Three-of-a-Kind

Hand: 4♠ 4♦ 4♥ J♣ 7♠

Analysis:

Three 4s already!
Quad 4s pays 40

Hold: 4♠ 4♦ 4♥
Draw 2 cards

Quad probability: ~4.3%
Expected value: High
Don't break trips, ever

Expected Value by Hand Type

Four-of-a-Kind EV Boost

Standard VP:
All quads pay 25
Four 3s = 25

Bonus Poker:
Four Aces = 80 (+220%)
Four 2-3-4 = 40 (+60%)
Four 5-K = 25 (same)

Significant strategy impact

Pair EV Comparison

Holding pair of aces:
JoB quad value: 25 × 0.28% = 0.07
Bonus quad value: 80 × 0.28% = 0.22

Extra EV: +0.15 per hand
Makes aces much more valuable

Holding pair of 2-3-4:
JoB quad value: 25 × 0.28% = 0.07
Bonus quad value: 40 × 0.28% = 0.11

Extra EV: +0.04 per hand
Smaller but meaningful

Finding Full-Pay Machines

Where to Look

Favorable locations:
- Las Vegas locals casinos
- Downtown Vegas
- Online casinos (check RTP)
- Higher denomination ($1+)

Avoid:
- Vegas Strip (usually short-pay)
- Tourist-heavy venues
- Airport/convenience machines

Identifying Full Pay

Quick check:
Full House = 8? ✓
Flush = 5? ✓
Four Aces = 80? ✓
Four 2-4 = 40? ✓

If yes: 99.17% return
If lower: Find another machine

Common Mistakes

1. Playing Like Jacks or Better

Mistake: Same strategy as JoB Problem: Missing bonus value Fix: Adjust for quad payouts

2. Chasing Aces Too Hard

Mistake: Hold single ace for quad chase Problem: One card = unlikely quad Fix: Need pair minimum to chase

3. Ignoring Paytable

Mistake: Assume all Bonus Poker is same Problem: 8/5 vs 7/5 vs 6/5 varies greatly Fix: Check full house/flush pays

4. Breaking Three-of-a-Kind

Mistake: Break trips for straight draw Problem: Trips → quads is valuable Fix: Never break three-of-a-kind

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bonus Poker better than Jacks or Better?

Depends on paytable. 9/6 JoB (99.54%) beats 8/5 Bonus (99.17%). But 8/5 Bonus beats most short-pay JoB games.

Should I always keep aces over everything?

Not over strong royal draws. Aces are more valuable in Bonus Poker but still not as valuable as royal flush potential.

How do the quad bonuses change strategy?

Hold pairs of aces, 2s, 3s, 4s more aggressively. These ranks have enhanced quad payouts worth chasing.

What's the biggest strategy difference?

Low pairs (2-3-4) become more valuable. You'll hold these over some draws that JoB strategy wouldn't.

Is the variance higher in Bonus Poker?

Slightly. Quad bonus adds variance since you're partially playing for rare big hands. Not dramatically different though.

Should I play max coins?

Yes. Royal flush at max coins pays 4,000 (vs 1,250 at 4 coins). Always bet 5 coins.

Pro Tips

• Check paytable first: 8/5 or avoid

• Aces are gold: 80 for four aces matters

• Low pairs matter: 2-3-4 have bonus value

• Max coins always: Royal needs max bet

• Don't break trips: Ever, for any draw

Related Calculators

• Video Poker Strategy Calculator - General strategy
• Jacks or Better Calculator - Standard VP
• Deuces Wild Calculator - Wild card VP
• Video Poker Paytable Calculator - Compare returns
• Expected Value Calculator - EV analysis

Conclusion

Bonus Poker rewards four-of-a-kind hands with enhanced payouts—aces at 80, low cards at 40. Our calculator adjusts strategy for these bonuses, showing when pair value increases enough to change optimal decisions.

Calculate Bonus Poker Strategy Now →

Those quad bonuses aren't just lucky outcomes—they're strategic considerations. Our calculator reveals how 80 for aces and 40 for 2s-4s should influence your holds, turning standard Jacks or Better intuition into Bonus Poker optimization.