Aces and eights in Double Double Bonus — do you break two pair?
Break it — throw the eights. The lone pair of aces is worth 1.9159 per coin on 9/6 Double Double Bonus vs 1.6809 for two pair, a 0.235 edge.
The exact numbers — A♥ A♦ 8♠ 8♣ 3♦
EVs are exact — every possible draw enumerated, not simulated — at max bet on 9/6 Double Double Bonus. Check it yourself: the analyzer runs the same solver in your browser.
See all 32 holds of this hand ranked →Why
Breaking two pair is unthinkable in every other game, and correct here. Two pair pays 1 in Double Double Bonus, not 2, so the hand you are giving up is worth almost nothing. What you buy is three draw cards instead of one at the two remaining aces — and quad aces pay 160, or 400 if a 2, 3 or 4 lands with them. Solve the identical five cards on 9/6 Jacks or Better and the answer flips hard: two pair 2.5957 vs 1.5405 for the aces. Same cards, opposite play, because of two paytable rows.
Chart line #12 of 39 — 'Pair of aces' sits above line #13, 'Two pair'. It is the only pair in the game that outranks a made two pair. See the full solver-optimized strategy chart, or drill hands with exact-EV feedback until plays like this are automatic.