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Build a Wheel Poker

Introduction

Build a Wheel is a variation of video poker that I first encountered in December 2011 at the Red Rock and Palace Station casinos. In this game, players have the chance to spin a prize wheel if they place an additional wager. This differs from other prize wheel games as players fill in the wheel slices themselves whenever they are dealt three of a kind or better. Once the wheel is completely filled, they can spin it. Wheel Poker You can play Build a Wheel like standard 3-play or 5-play video poker. Alternatively, players can opt to make an extra bet to activate the Build a Wheel feature. This additional stake is equivalent to one complete 5-coin bet for a single hand. For instance, if you are playing 3-play video poker, the maximum bet would total 20 coins, which includes 15 coins for three lines with 5 coins each, plus 5 coins for activating the Build a Wheel feature.

Rules

  1. The prize wheel is divided into eight sections, starting with this distribution:
  2. One section features a progressive jackpot, beginning at a seed value of 10,000 coins.
    • 6 blank slices.
    • 1 slice with a win of 4,000 coins.
    • Should the player get dealt a three of a kind, a straight, or a flush while having the Build a Wheel option activated, one section will be filled in. The value for this section is randomly determined, averaging around:
  3. If the player hits a full house or better while the Build a Wheel feature is active, all unfilled sections will receive values. These values are also assigned randomly, with average values as follows:
    • Three of a kind: 650.00
    • Straight: 952.50
    • Flush: 1468.13
  4. Once the wheel is filled, the player can spin it to reveal their winnings.
    • Full house: 938.46
    • Four of a kind: 2188.46
    • Straight flush: 4000.00
    • Royal flush: 4000.00
  5. As is common with prize wheels, the outcomes are not evenly distributed. I inquired about this from IGT, the manufacturer of the game, but they only confirmed that each slice earned by players holds equal weight. The jackpot slices, however, carry a lesser weight.
  6. Overall, IGT suggests that the average bonus winnings from the wheel hover just below 900 credits.
  7. Players who wish to stop playing before completing the wheel can choose to cash out, receiving a surrender value while resetting the wheel to its original state. The effectiveness of these surrender values is currently unknown to me.
  8. The subsequent chart outlines the typical earnings for hands ranging from three of a kind to flush. Notably, the lower right cell indicates that these hands have an average slice value of 753.45.

Analysis

Another chart breaks down the average winnings for obtaining a full house or higher. The lower right cell shows that for these stronger hands, the average slice value is 1143.19.

Three of a Kind to Flush Slice Values

Hand Average Win Combinations Probability Expected Win
Flush 1468.13 5,108 0.072743 106.80
Straight 952.5 10,200 0.145258 138.36
Three of a kind 650 54,912 0.781999 508.30
Total   70,220 1.000000 753.45

Remember, if a player achieves a full house or better, they automatically complete the filling of the wheel. We can classify the lower wins, such as flushes, as 'Small Slices,' while full houses and higher can be termed 'Large Slices.' Without delving into the calculations, it’s worth taking at face value that the average number of large slices on a filled wheel is about 1.125245, while small slices average around 4.874755. Following this logic, assuming no jackpots are won, a player's average bonus win would be 826.55 credits.

Full House or Higher Values

Hand Average Win Combinations Probability Expected Win
Royal flush 4000 4 0.000907 3.63
Straight flush 4000 36 0.008167 32.67
Four of a kind 2188.46 624 0.141561 309.80
Full house 938.46 3,744 0.849365 797.09
Total   4,408 1.000000 1143.19

Average Number of Slices Earned on a Completed Wheel

That said, there remains a chance to win one of the jackpot slices, though IGT did not provide further details. They did confirm that overall average wheel winnings are typically below 900 credits.

Slice Size Average Number Average Win Expected Win
Large 1.125245 1143.192668 214.395357
Small 4.874755 753.453547 612.150207
Total 6.000000   826.545564

The concluding table presents the return rates for several popular video poker games without the wheel feature, including returns for 3-play and 5-play with the feature activated. This data is based on an average wheel outcome of exactly 900 credits, highlighting that returns generally increase when the feature is employed, peaking in the 3-play variant.

I engaged with a game offering a 96.38% return at the Suncoast until reaching the wheel. After accruing slices, I meticulously documented the values and potential surrender options available. The outcomes were as follows, with all values expressed in credits.

Average Return

Game Pay Table No Wheel Return 3-Play Return 5-Play Return
Bonus Poker 8/5 0.991660 0.993159 0.992659
Bonus Poker 7/5 0.980147 0.984524 0.983065
Bonus Poker 6/5 0.968687 0.975929 0.973515
Bonus Deluxe 9/6 0.996417 0.996727 0.996624
Bonus Deluxe 9/5 0.985495 0.988535 0.987522
Bonus Deluxe 8/6 0.984928 0.988110 0.987049
Bonus Deluxe 8/5 0.974009 0.979921 0.977950
Double Bonus 9/7/5 0.991065 0.992713 0.992163
Double Bonus 9/6/5 0.978062 0.982961 0.981328
Double Bonus 9/7/4 0.977414 0.982474 0.980788
Double Bonus 9/6/4 0.963754 0.972229 0.969404
Double Double Bonus 9/6 0.989808 0.991770 0.991116
Double Double Bonus 8/6 0.978949 0.983626 0.982067
Double Double Bonus 9/5 0.978729 0.983461 0.981884
Double Double Bonus 8/5 0.967861 0.975310 0.972827
Triple Double Bonus 9/7 0.995778 0.996248 0.996091
Triple Double Bonus 9/6 0.981540 0.985569 0.984226
Triple Double Bonus 9/5 0.970204 0.977067 0.974779
Deuces Wild 25/16/10/4/4/3 0.997283 0.997376 0.997345
Deuces Wild 25/15/9/4/4/3 0.989131 0.991262 0.990552
Deuces Wild 20/12/10/4/4/3 0.975791 0.981258 0.979436
Deuces Wild 25/16/13/4/3/2 0.967651 0.975152 0.972651
Bonus Deuces Wild 9/4/4/3 0.994502 0.995290 0.995027
Bonus Deuces Wild 8/4/4/3 0.990625 0.992383 0.991797
Bonus Deuces Wild 13/4/3/3 0.988025 0.990433 0.989630
Bonus Deuces Wild 12/4/3/3 0.982835 0.986540 0.985305

Surrender Option

I played the 25¢ 9-6 Double Bonus The second slice yielded 575 credits, with a surrender option of 148.

  • First slice was 700. Surrender option was 81.
  • The fourth slice yielded 525 credits, with a surrender value of 297.
  • Third slice was 750. Surrender option was 236.
  • My intention in recording these figures was to gauge how favorable the surrender options were. This consideration raises the question of what benchmarks to use for comparison. Initially, I presumed players would continue until accessing the wheel or opting for surrender, aiming to minimize their expected overall losses. This perspective categorizes them as 'Player 1.'
  • Fifth slice was 1,200. Surrender option was 437.

The following table details the anticipated bonus at each stage, the associated costs incurred to reach that bonus (including both the additional bet and house edge from the other three hands), their equity (difference between expected bonus and costs), along with the surrender offers for Player 1. All figures are in coins. The calculations are examined under the assumption of a jackpot amounting to 10,627 coins, with equal probability assigned to hitting either the 4,000-coin jackpot or the bigger one at 1 in 168.1.

Player 1 would be wise to accept the initial two surrender offers while rejecting the last three.

Surrender Analysis — Player 1

Total Sliced Filled Total Earned Slices Expected Bonus Expected Cost to Reach Bonus Equity Surrender Offer
1 700 875.29 857.81 17.47 81
2 1275 829.05 706.48 122.57 148
3 2025 814.61 545.65 268.96 236
4 2550 766.27 374.72 391.55 297
5 3750 832.46 188.63 643.82 437

In discussing the surrender option, I initially limited my focus to Player 1. However, Bob Dancer's article prompted a reevaluation of the surrender strategy.

If the Build a Wheel feature has a player return exceeding 100%, potentially obtainable via slot club points, then Player 1 should never opt for surrender. That said, this scenario is not frequently observed. For casual gamblers seeking entertainment despite unfavorable odds, a more fitting way to assess surrender options is by considering extensive hand play. Let’s refer to this type as Player 2. A Further Look at Build A Wheel Poker For Player 2, calculating wheel equity doesn't factor in the house edge until their next turn since they would continue playing regardless. This alters the perception of the surrender offers.

Under this perspective, Player 2 should decline all surrender offers, which fluctuate between 80% and 66% of equity.

In summary, whether you play with an edge or purely for enjoyment, surrendering is generally not advisable.

Surrender Analysis — Player 2

Total Sliced Filled Total Earned Slices Expected Bonus Expected Cost to Reach Bonus Equity Surrender Offer
1 700 875.29 773.69 101.60 81
2 1275 829.05 637.19 191.86 148
3 2025 814.61 492.14 322.48 236
4 2550 766.27 337.97 428.30 297
5 3750 832.46 174.13 658.33 437

Standard strategies for video poker should be adhered to.

Opt for the 3-play variant with the added feature activated.

Advice

  • To limit potential losses for each spin, it is advised not to surrender.
  • Standard deviation metrics for n-play video poker results.
  • Return rates for nearly any video poker paytable.

My Video Poker Offerings

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  • Analyze By the count of cards held in Full-Pay Deuces Wild variant.

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Strategies

Full-Pay Jacks or Better:

Full-Pay Deuces Wild:

Quick Quads:

Other Strategies: