Double Up Feature

By John Grochowski on Monday September 19, 2011

double-up, gaming, gaming-strategy, tourism, tunica, video-poker

Optional features come and go in video poker, just as they do in many casino games. One that’s been with us for a couple of decades is the Double Up option on video poker games from International Game Technology.

It had a flurry of popularity a couple of decades ago, faded into the background, but every now and then has a resurgence. Today, it’s a mild surprise when I see a Double Up pop up, but it happens.

After a winning hand, you can choose to just take your winnings, or you can play Double Up. If you go for the doubler, you see five more cards on the screen, one face up and four face down. The face-up card is the house card. It’s up to you to choose a face-down card that will beat it. If you pick a lower card, you lose your payback for that hand. If you win, the winnings are doubled, and you’re offered another opportunity to Double Up.

For a real-life example, I drew a pair of Jacks for a five-coin winner. I chose to Double Up, and my 10 beat the face-up 5. Now I had a 10-coin win. I doubled again, and my 9 beat a 7 to bring my winnings up to 20 coins. Feeling reckless, I doubled once more, and was distraught to see a Queen. But I pulled out an Ace, and had 40 coins.

I quit while was ahead.

The house has no edge on Double Up. Players win as often as they lose. But Double Up adds volatility to the game. If making your money last is a main goal, skip Double Up. It can lead to faster losses. It also can lead to big wins. Just don’t go to the well too often. Limit the number of times you try to double.