Playtech has a diverse collection of video poker variations and one of the most interesting games among them is 2 Ways Royal. It is based on classic Jacks or Better but it gives players the chance to form not one but two top-paying poker hands that bring 4,000 coins with a maximum wager.
Rules and Gameplay
Playtech’s 2 Ways Royal is fairly easy to play and everyone who knows the basics of regular Jacks or Better would easily understand the rules. The game uses a standard deck of 52 cards and has no wild cards in it. Players need to collect 5 cards that constitute a winning poker hand in order to receive a payout.
Before that, they need to place a wager by selecting the number (1-5 coins) and value of the coins ($/€0.05-$/€1.00) they want to bet. After hitting the Deal button, they receive the first 5 cards and choose the ones they want to keep. Then, all other cards are replaced and if there is a winning hand, it is immediately announced. Players can gamble their winnings in a separate round where they pick a card and compare it to the dealer’s card. If they win, their winnings are 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 quite a standard game of video poker but it comes with two types of Royal Flush hands. The so-called Hi Royal Flush is our familiar top-ranked hand of 10-J-Q-K-A of the same suit. Lo Royal Flush, on the other hand, consists of the five lowest cards in the deck, i.e. 2-3-4-5-6 of the same suit.
These two hands pay out the same – 250 coins on a 1-coin bet and 4000 coins when betting the maximum number of coins. The payout for Four of a Kind higher than usual, bringing 40 instead of 25 coins. Full House and Flush, on the other hand, pay significantly less at 6:1 and 5:1, rather than the standard payout of 9:1 and 6:1.
Conclusion
Although this variation of video poker is very similar to Jacks or Better, the specific payout for Lo Royal Flush suggests a different playing strategy. The theoretical RTP of the game is 99.13% when playing with 5 coins and an optimal strategy.