VIDEO POKER

Learning About Multi Strike

Multi Strike players generally find it of value to use "Video Poker for Winners." It's the only software licensed for the game and it comes with strategies.

Before VPW, most of us used WinPoker or other software using the +2, +4, +6 method. That is, for Level 1x, we added 6 to every element of the pay schedule. For Level 2x, we added 4, and for Level 4x, we added 2 to each element. And we had to work out our own strategies.

When I'm trying to perfect a strategy, I still use WinPoker and the +2, +4, and +6 method. While I like several features of VPW, I find the "Hard Hands" feature of WinPoker very useful.

As I mentioned in last week's column, I've recently been studying 8-5 Bonus Poker Multi Strike. While I started with the strategy of VPW, I used WinPoker to check out all of the penalty card situations.

One of the interesting hands in the 4x level of the game is a suited 'QJ9'. According to WinPoker, the only time you hold 'QJ9' is when one of the extra cards is an ace, and the other card isn't an 8 or K. VPW disagrees with this, at least partly. From 'QJ9' A8, both VPW and WinPoker say to hold 'QJ', but from 'QJ9' AK (whether or not the ace and king are suited with each other), VPW says to hold 'QJ9' and WinPoker says to hold 'QJ'.

So what gives? Does this mean WinPoker isn't up to snuff? No it doesn't. If we used the +2 methodology in VPW, we'd get exactly the same answer as we get in WinPoker. What this means is that the +2, +4, +6 is very good, but not perfect. Several years ago I spoke to Larry DeMar, who heads up Leading Edge Design and is the inventor of Multi Strike. DeMar commented that he assumes there are hands out there where the +2, +4, +6 method gives the incorrect answer. He just hadn't come across any at that time. Well, here's one.

This doesn't rank with finding the Holy Grail. It's less than a cent difference for dollar maximum-coin players and is found once every 72,000 Level 4x hands --- which in turn occurs about one-fourth of the time you play Level 1 hands on this game. Since this game isn't one of my primary plays (at least at this time), it's very possible that I'll NEVER be faced with this hand during Level 4x of this game.

Still, if I study and practice enough to learn the obscure hands, I will have seen the not-so-obscure hands many times and I'll get them correct as well. Players who choose not to be as obsessive about learning the minor plays likely make far more mistakes than they realize.

There are two other penalty card hands on Level 4x of this game. Both of these are slightly unusual.

The first case is a totally unpenalized 'QJ' is superior in value to 55, 66, and 77. As it happens, the 'QJ' can survive being penalized a little bit. It can handle two 8s at one time, so long as there is not a 9, and it can handle one 9 with 55, 66, and 77. If a T, K, A or flush penalty to the 'QJ' occurs in the hand, go with the small pair. On my strategy sheet, I write this as: ('QJ' with no fp, Tp, Kp, Ap, or 8p+9p > 55-88)

The second case deals with AKQJ. This combination is held so long as the four cards are totally unsuited. If exactly two cards are suited with each other, those two are held. If we have two sets of suited cards, you generally go with the one with the lower high card. That is, from 'AK' "QJ", you go with "QJ". The exception to this is if one of the combinations has an ace and the other has both a king and a flush penalty, such as 'AJ' "KQ3" or 'AQ' "KJ5". In these cases, we hold the 'AH' combination. On my strategy sheet I write this as: (From AKQJ, 'KH' with fp < 'AH')