| Updated: Playtech offers a diverse collection of video poker variations, and one of its most interesting titles is 2 Ways Royal. It is based on the classic Jacks or Better but allows players to form two top-paying poker hands, each awarding 4,000 coins when the maximum wager is placed.
Rules and Gameplay
Playtech’s 2 Ways Royal is easy to play, and anyone familiar with regular Jacks or Better will quickly understand the rules. The game uses a standard 52-card deck and has no wild cards. Players must collect five cards that form a winning poker hand to receive a payout.
Before the deal, players must place a wager by selecting both the number of coins (1 to 5) and the coin value ($/€0.05 to $/€1.00). After selecting the Deal button, they receive five cards and choose which ones to keep. All unwanted cards are then replaced, and any winning hand is announced immediately. Players can gamble their winnings in a separate round by choosing a card and comparing it with the dealer’s card. If they win, their payout is doubled.
Paytable and Specific Features
| Hand | 1 coin | 2 coins | 3 coins | 4 coins | 5 coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hi Royal Flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1000 | 4000 |
| Lo Royal Flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1000 | 4000 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| 4 of a Kind | 40 | 80 | 120 | 160 | 200 |
| Full House | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 |
| Flush | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Straight | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| 3 of a Kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| 2 Pair | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Overall, 2 Ways Royal is a fairly standard video poker game, but it features two types of Royal Flush hands. The Hi Royal Flush is the familiar top-ranked hand consisting of 10-J-Q-K-A of the same suit. By contrast, the Lo Royal Flush consists of 2-3-4-5-6 of the same suit.
These two hands offer the same payout: 250 coins on a 1-coin bet and 4,000 coins when wagering the maximum. The payout for Four of a Kind is higher than usual, paying 40 coins instead of 25. However, Full House and Flush pay significantly less at 6:1 and 5:1, respectively, rather than the standard payouts of 9:1 and 6:1.
Conclusion
Although this variation of video poker is very similar to Jacks or Better, the specific payout for the Lo Royal Flush requires a different playing strategy. The theoretical RTP of the game is 99.13% when playing with 5 coins and using optimal strategy.