Video Poker Double Up

Back in the day playing 5 cent video poker and drinking long necks by the 1/2 dozen you could "double up" your winnings from the last hand if you so choose.
Do these still exist? I do not play nickel much anymore except 4-card keno. I remember taking a win (a pair) and trying to double to 10. And then agonizing over whether to double again.
It was like sigma derby; if with a group of 2 or more the tension can be cut with a knife.
I remember (drunkenly) doing ok taking a minimal win to 20 as much as not. Just really wondered if Tring had only numbers on Playing this option. I recall there were times when the cards were revealed that none of the cards tied or won. But we were young and (here's the best part) should of done better but did not.

 

I've read that some/most Game Kings have the feature, but you often have to request for a slot tech to manually turn it on.

 

I've seen it recently at Harrah's Kansas City. I tried it on a couple of JOB hands and found it annoying (always lost). Anyway, there was an option for the machine not to ask anymore, and I used that option.

 

I believe they have some at Fremont.

 

I asked about it once at MSS, the tech said the coin-droppers in front of the cage have. She also said the function is on all the VP machines at MSS but the techs are not allowed to turn it on.

The 9/6 JoB machines in front of the cage at 4Qs have the feature. Kim loves it! I'll watch her out to the corner of my eye, she'll be twitchy and jumpy trying to decide how many times to go for it in a row.

I don't double-up often myself, I don't think I get coin-in credit for it.

 

I've played the double up on quarters at the casino bar at Plaza before. Only place I remember seeing it, but I'm sure it exists elsewhere on Game Kings.

Side note: the double up feature played a role in the Video Poker bug that one player found, exploited, and was eventually caught. The Wired article is a good read.

"With the Double Up option turned on, the bug worked; turned off, it didn't. Whatever internal stew of code made the Game King exploitable, Nestor concluded, the Double Up option had been a key ingredient the whole time. They just hadn't known it."

https://www.wired.com/2014/10/cheating-video-poker/

 

Last March the VP at the Rio Sports Book had them.......the wife loves the extra chance to gamble.

I doubled up to $120 as I recall, once, then chickened out to go any more

 

You don't because it's still based on your initial wager. Also it's 100% return because it mimics war with zero house edge (i.e. all ties push) and NV law dictates that electronic games must have the same probabilities of live gambling game outcomes.

Yeah the "bug" that boxofbirds mentioned is why many have stayed shut off. That was the casinos' temp fix until IGT issued a mandatory update to fix it. Some places have it on, but hell I struggle to remember which places have it. I can take or leave the option. You can ask a slot attendant to turn it on. I can't speak to how effective that is though. Apparently it's "No." at MSS, i would assume higher up approval would be needed.

I think the most gamble I've done is up to 60 credits. I'm a damn chicken.

 

I've tried it, but NEVER did very well. It has to be biased strongly toward the house. It seemed to me like the better the hand, the worse your chances were.

As an aside, at the old Casino Omaha (before the flood and the rebuild) one VP machine just outside the bar had the words "F*ck No" scratched by the button used for the No function.

 

Wouldn't you have to have a 50/50 chance by law?

 

No 50/50 as the cards are revealed once your choice is made and there were times where no choice would have won. Not sure about all being winners as when a winning choice was made that became the focus. For me.
I only did it occasionally when I had "won" five to at least get ten or continue getting 0 hands. Think I did it for a straight twice. Won the first one and then lost. Stupid stupid stupid. But I like the option.

 

https://wizardofodds.com/ask-the-wizard/video-poker/double-up/

 

Very interesting statement here:

Thanks for the link!

 

It's still a 50/50 bet. Because there are times when the dealer has a 2 showing and there are no cards that the player could lose with.

 

Love Double Up. Once doubled up to 400...couldn't go much further than that.

Will have to check out Fremont and see if I can find any.

 

Yep, love when that deuce shows up...unless you're doubling up on a deuces wild hand. They make deuces the "unbeatable" card in that game.

The game setup dictates that sometimes there will never be a winning card to pick. But that should be equally balanced by times there is never a losing card to pick.

From my limited experience on the feature, I'm pretty sure I'm over 100% return being a lucky picker.

 

My buddies and I play that you have to double every other non-premium 4oak. Only when playing quarters, however.

 

That's pretty gutsy. But this is the craziest I've found on the Internet.

 

Yeah, I can stomach $62.50...not so sure about $1,000

 

The Four Queens has a few set up for Double-Up at the Palace Bar, at least when I was there in September.