Do you use the "double up" feature on video poker?

Do you use the double up feature?

I did once -- when I first started playing video poker and this goes back more than 15 years ago. I recall doubling up a full house, and then doubling again, and then doubling a third time and then losing it all. And that was the last time.

Recently I thought about "doubling up" on small wins such as a paying pair -- but I haven't actually gone through with it.

I've heard of people who have even played the double up on W2G amounts -- but not me. Doubling up might be a 50-50 bet (so say the books) but I won't flip a coin when $1200 or $1250 is on the line.

If you are playing a negative game it is a good bet. If you are playing a positive game it is a bad bet. It is basically 100% payback. Hence, if you are playing a 99% game you change the return to 99.5% in funny math (assuming you play half as many base hands).

However, most casinos don't provide points for these bets. That would mean it would take more play to reach tier levels if that was important. It would also reduce free play and comps. Since these elements might already add .5% to the return then you are gaining very little (if anything).

Dancer recently wrote that there are specific, highly unusual situations where doubling up may help. Rob will love this one, but Dancer has a friend who prefers doubling up on hand pays so he leaves fewer tips because he tips the same whether a jackpot is $1200 or $4800. It also slows people down in terms of number of hands per hour, so when playing a negative machine, it reduces loss per hour.

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Originally Posted by arcimede$

If you are playing a negative game it is a good bet.

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I've read that the chances of the double up bet are 50-50. How can 50-50 be a "good bet"? I would consider a "good bet" something that I am more likely to win. And when the house has an equal chance of winning, how can both the house and the player have a bet that is "good"?

It's a stupid bet any way you look at it, meant only for cheap thrills. Might as well play a video slot machine.

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Originally Posted by redietz

Dancer recently wrote that there are specific, highly unusual situations where doubling up may help. Rob will love this one, but Dancer has a friend who prefers doubling up on hand pays so he leaves fewer tips because he tips the same whether a jackpot is $1200 or $4800. It also slows people down in terms of number of hands per hour, so when playing a negative machine, it reduces loss per hour.

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If Dancer has a friend who tips handpays, he's a weak player. Such AP's claim to have to squeeze every last penny out of the promotions, then they foolishly give it all away in handpay tips. That tells you how very little they know about what they're actually doing.

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Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson

I've read that the chances of the double up bet are 50-50. How can 50-50 be a "good bet"? I would consider a "good bet" something that I am more likely to win. And when the house has an equal chance of winning, how can both the house and the player have a bet that is "good"?

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All VP games have a less than 50-50 chance of winning any given hand. Hence, by your definition they are all bad bets even if the ER was quite high. Think about a double royal promotion that added 2% to your BP return of 99.26%. The game would be over 101%. Would you really consider that to be a bad bet?

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Originally Posted by arcimede$

All VP games have a less than 50-50 chance of winning any given hand. Hence, by your definition they are all bad bets even if the ER was quite high. Think about a double royal promotion that added 2% to your BP return of 99.26%. The game would be over 101%. Would you really consider that to be a bad bet?

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Yes, but Arci, how often do you get a royal? Does that one or two (or three or five) percent difference in return really affect you?

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Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson

Doubling up might be a 50-50 bet (so say the books) but I won't flip a coin when $1200 or $1250 is on the line.

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Exactly! The same "good bet" as the Odds bet in craps..it's an "even money" (pays the same as the chance of happening), but still..why risk a ton of money on a COIN FLIP?!
The only hand I'll "Double Up" on (if it's offered) is 2-pair when I play DoubleDoubleBonus (Since 2 pair pays 1:1, I try to get it to pay 2:1), and even then, I only do it ONCE.