What is the RTP of Louisiana Double?

Louisiana Double has an RTP of 93.45% with optimal play. This is lower than standard Jacks or Better, which often exceeds 99%, because several payouts were reduced to compensate for the Double card mechanic.

What does the Double card do in Louisiana Double?

The Double card is an extra card added to the standard 52-card deck. When it forms part of a winning hand, it doubles the payout - but it can only contribute to hands involving four cards or fewer, such as pairs, two pair, three of a kind, and four of a kind. It cannot be used in five-card hands like straights, flushes, full houses, or a Royal Flush.

Who makes Louisiana Double?

Louisiana Double is developed by Microgaming. It is a video poker variant based on the classic Jacks or Better format with the addition of a single Double card to the deck.

How much can you bet on Louisiana Double?

You can bet between £0.25 and £25 per hand. The game supports up to five coins per hand, and betting the maximum five coins improves the Royal Flush payout from 500 coins per coin to 800 coins per coin.

What is the highest paying hand in Louisiana Double?

The Royal Flush is the top paying hand, worth 800 coins per coin staked when playing at the maximum five-coin bet. A Straight Flush pays 75 coins per coin, and Four of a Kind pays 35 coins per coin - or 70 coins per coin if the Double card contributes.

How does the double-up feature work in Louisiana Double?

After any winning hand, you can choose to gamble your payout using the double-up feature. The dealer exposes one card, and you pick one of four face-down cards. If your card beats the dealer's, your win doubles. You can repeat the process, though each successive gamble carries the same risk.

Louisiana Double Review - Microgaming Video Poker

Provider	Microgaming

Louisiana Double is a video poker variant from Microgaming that puts a fresh spin on the classic Jacks or Better format. The twist is straightforward: a single extra card - the Double card - is added to the standard 52-card deck, taking it to 53 cards. That one addition changes the strategy and the feel of every hand you play.

How Louisiana Double Works

The core game plays exactly like Jacks or Better. You are dealt five cards, choose which to hold, draw replacements, and get paid if your final hand hits one of the nine ranked combinations. The minimum winning hand is Kings or Better, which pays 1x your coin value, and the top prize is the Royal Flush at 500 coins per coin staked (800 coins per coin at maximum five-coin bet).

The Double card is the mechanic that sets Louisiana Double apart. When it lands in your hand, it doubles the payout of any winning combination it contributes to - but with an important limitation. The Double card can only be part of hands involving four or fewer cards: a pair, two pair, three of a kind, or four of a kind. It cannot appear in five-card hands such as straights, flushes, full houses, straight flushes, or a Royal Flush. If you hold the Double card and draw into one of those five-card hands, the Double card becomes irrelevant.

This creates a genuine decision point that standard video poker does not have. Say you are holding the Double card alongside a pair of Jacks. You are already sitting on a paying hand. Do you keep the Double card and improve the pair's payout, or discard it and chase a stronger five-card combination? The right call depends on what else is in your hand, and getting it wrong repeatedly will cost you over time.

Paytable and RTP

The return to player on Louisiana Double sits at 93.45% with optimal play. That is noticeably lower than standard Jacks or Better, which typically runs above 99%. The reason is baked into the design: Microgaming reduced several payouts to account for the Double card's ability to multiply wins. The Royal Flush, for example, pays 500 coins per coin at standard bets versus the 800 coins per coin you would find in most full-pay Jacks or Better games. The Double card can double four-of-a-kind and similar hands, but the overall maths still favours the house more than in the base game.

Here is how the nine winning hands pay out per coin staked, at standard bet levels:

Kings or Better - 1x
Two Pair - 2x
Three of a Kind - 2x
Straight - 4x
Flush - 6x
Full House - 9x
Four of a Kind - 35x (70x with the Double card)
Straight Flush - 75x
Royal Flush - 500x per coin (800x per coin at maximum five-coin bet)

Note that Two Pair and Three of a Kind pay the same amount - 2x per coin. In standard video poker, Three of a Kind typically pays 3x, so this is a meaningful reduction. Stakes run from £0.25 to £25 per hand.

Gameplay and Controls

The layout follows the standard video poker template. Your five cards sit in the centre of the screen, below them are the hold buttons, which you toggle before hitting Draw. The interface is clean and functional, though the visual style reflects Microgaming's older catalogue. What it does have is reliable, fast play without loading delays between hands.

You can bet one to five coins per hand. Betting five coins is the correct move if you are targeting the Royal Flush, as the payout structure improves significantly at maximum stake. At fewer than five coins, the Royal Flush pays 500 coins per coin. At five coins, it jumps to 800 coins per coin - a 60% improvement for the game's top prize.

If you enjoy other Microgaming card game variants, Double Bonus Poker is a related title with a different bonus structure and a higher theoretical return at full pay. The full catalogue is available under video poker on this site.

Double Up Feature

After any winning hand, you have the option to gamble your payout using the double-up feature. The dealer reveals one card face up, and you select one of four face-down cards hoping to beat the dealer's value. If yours is higher, your win doubles. Ties generally result in a push, returning your stake. You can repeat the process on successive wins, though the risk compounds each time.

The double-up feature is a 50/50 proposition and does not affect the base game's RTP - it is mathematically neutral. Use it selectively on smaller wins rather than large payouts you would rather protect.

Strategy Notes

Standard Jacks or Better strategy does not transfer cleanly to Louisiana Double. The presence of the Double card introduces situations not covered by a basic strategy chart. A few principles hold up well:

When you hold the Double card alongside a made paying hand (pair of Kings or better, three of a kind), consider whether the Double multiplier adds more value than the cards you would gain by discarding it and drawing replacements.
When you hold the Double card but have a strong draw to a five-card hand (four cards to a flush or straight), the Double card cannot contribute to that hand - discard it freely.
Four of a kind with the Double card pays 70x per coin, which is the game's most achievable large win below a Straight Flush. Hands drawing to four of a kind are worth pursuing over weaker made hands.
Two pair pays 2x per coin - the same as Three of a Kind. This is lower than most video poker games and changes the value of low pairs significantly.

Taking a few hands at low stakes to understand how the Double card interacts with your decisions is sensible before moving to higher bet levels.

Where to Play Louisiana Double

Louisiana Double appears at online casinos that carry Microgaming's video poker suite. It is not part of every operator's catalogue - many platforms focus on slots from the same developer and carry only a handful of video poker titles. Check the game library filter for video poker when evaluating a new site.

Verdict

Louisiana Double is a niche but worthwhile video poker variant for players who already know their way around Jacks or Better. The Double card mechanic is genuinely interesting and adds a layer of decision-making that keeps hands from feeling routine. The trade-off is a 93.45% RTP - lower than you would find in most standard video poker titles - so it rewards careful play rather than casual button-pressing. If the strategic angle appeals to you, it is a well-built game that holds up. For the best return per hand, classic full-pay Jacks or Better remains the stronger choice.