The wombat says: Breathe a sigh of relief Wombat Fans, as Double Bonus Poker or Bonus Poker Deluxe as its also known is a simple and easy to understand table game from Microgaming that is very similar to your bog standard poker! You’ll hopefully be familiar with the ranking of poker hands from playing games like Triple Pocket Hold ‘Em Poker Gold, but even if you’re not, you soon will be after a few rounds of Bonus Poker.
The only difference between this game and other video pokers is that there are some winning hands that will yield some really rather generous payouts; and there’s a ‘double it’ button too, hence the ‘double’ of the game’s name.
We’ve got some cracking card games on the site (try our Odd One in 1X2 game for example) and Double Bonus Poker fits right in. Let’s dive in!
Look and Feel
Alright fair dos, so we’ve seen better looking online poker games – but this Microgaming release does what it says on the tin, making it ideal for beginners. Tired of all the casino background noise? (Maybe you’ve been playing too much Common Draw Live Blackjack. Then turn it off! Yup, players have the option of playing without game sounds, winning jingles or background noises. There are also a number of other options you can switch on or off (depending on how irritable you feel, which is most of the time in our case), and they include Auto Hold, Auto-Rebet, AutoPlay, Optimal Play Hints and the Game Analyzer – which is basically made up of your stats and bet history.
Game Play
Fire up this game up you will be faced with a standard Microgaming interface that features a paytable above the five cards that will make up your poker hand. Next, it’s time to pick your bet which is done using the plus and minus buttons. You can bet between €0.25 and €25 with different levels and coin values. An FYI though: with minimum bet levels the lowest payout is x1 your bet and is awarded to you for landing Jacks or Better, or 2 pairs in your hand.
So here’s the basic rules:
A regular 52-card deck is in play Wombat Fans, and there are no wild cards.
After your first deal you can ‘hold’ whichever cards you want to keep and discard the rest which will be replaced. Only one ‘draw’ is allowed and the game will automatically hold any cards it thinks are useful for you – just click ’em again if you want change up your hand.
Bonuses are for awarded for 4-of-a-kind wins. Fives to kings, fours, threes or twos and 4-of-a-kind Aces from lowest to highest will pay you out x50, x80 or x160 your initial bet respectively.
Double Feature
Those of you familiar with Microgaming’s slots will recognise this cheeky little extra feature. If you’re feeling lucky, you can gamble any win by clicking the ‘Double’ button below the reels; all you need to do is try to draw a card that is higher than the dealer’s. Pull off this little trick and you’ll double the gambled amount. Simples!
Conclusion
There’s only one thing better than a bonus Wombat Fans, and that’s a double bonus. Double Bonus Poker is very easy to play, so a great one to try your hand at (get it?) if this is your first foray into table games. BUT it doesn’t explain the rules of poker anywhere, so make sure your read up before you start playing. The experts among you might want something a bit more sophisticated…