Extreme X Poker

Introduction

Extreme X Poker, developed by IGT, is a unique video poker variant that introduces a multiplier bonus after achieving a full house or better. Throughout the bonus feature, players engage in five 'Fever Games,' where they must decide whether to accept or decline the multiplier based on their winning hands. This decision-making adds an extra layer of strategy to the game.

Rules

1. Extreme X Poker operates similarly to traditional single-line video poker, allowing players to bet between one to five coins.
2. By opting for an additional sixth coin bet, players enable the bonus feature. This sixth coin typically acts as a fee and doesn't directly enhance winning amounts, though, in some cases, it may slightly increase the payouts.
3. When a player wagers six coins and draws a full house or a superior hand, they will receive five Fever Games to maximize their winnings.
4. Following the draw in each Fever Game, if the player ends up with a hand weaker than a full house, they face two choices:
   
   • Either accept a multipliers value (like 6x or 7x) on their current win, concluding that Fever Game session,
   • or reject the multiplier in the hopes of winning more in the following Fever Games.
5. If a player hits a full house or a better hand during a Fever Game, the game automatically activates the multiplier, resets the Fever Games count to five, and commences a new round for the player.
6. Players must continue to place a six-coin bet throughout the Fever Games.

Example

In the example shown above, I successfully drew a full house, triggering the Fever Games feature.

During my first Fever Game, I drew two pairs and encountered a difficult decision: should I use the 7x multiplier on my 10-coin win to enhance it to 70, or should I gamble and try to secure a larger win with my remaining four Fever Games? I opted to forgo the multiplier and keep playing.

The second and third Fever Games resulted in losses, causing me to worry about missing out on using the feature effectively. Fortunately, I drew a high pair on the fourth game. With only one remaining hand, I chose to accept the multiplier, boosting my win from 5 to 35, thus concluding the feature.

Analysis

I will focus my analysis on the 9-5 Jacks or Better variant, in which the Fever Games multiplier stands at an impressive 7x.

To conduct this analysis, I typically begin from the conclusion and progress backward due to the multi-decision nature of the game. Because players must bet six coins based on a five-coin winning structure, I believe organizing the wins in terms of total coins helps clarify the process.

Consequently, the accompanying table illustrates the returns for the 5th Fever Game. The winnings from a full house and superior hands comprise both the multiplied win and a value of 76.56 coins for the upcoming Fever Games. Each Fever Game table presents the net winnings, effectively showing gross wins minus the six-coin bet. In the lower right corner, the anticipated net win for the fifth Fever Game stands at 29.53 coins.

A perceptive reader might question how I discerned the value of the Fever Game feature necessary for this analysis. The premise appears to encourage a circular logic fallacy. The clarification is that I initially relied on estimates and progressively honed my analysis until the estimated bonus matched the actual value.

The subsequent table outlines the return information for the fourth Fever Game, which is predicated on accepting any winnings, as the additional 30 coins gained from the multiplier outweighs the expected gain of 29.53 coins from the fifth Fever Game. The anticipated value for the fourth Fever Game, shown in the lower right corner, is 46.18 coins.

The next table details the return for the third Fever Game, where the strategy involves accepting wins of two pairs or better. The value for the fourth Fever Game is 46.18, mid-range when compared to the incremental wins of 30 and 60 associated with high pairs and two pairs respectively. Here, the lower right cell displays an expected value of 58.75 coins.

Following that, we have the return table for the second Fever Game. This is again based on the strategy of accepting wins of two pairs or better, because the value for the third Fever Game of 58.75 falls between the bonus win amounts of 30 and 60 for high pairs and two pairs respectively. The estimated value in the lower right cell yields 68.29 coins.

Next is the return table for the first Fever Game. This strategy revolves around accepting wins that are three of a kind or better since the value for the second Fever Game of 68.29 lies between the additional wins of 60 and 90 related to two pairs and three of a kind outcomes. The expected value shown in the lower right corner is 76.56 coins.

Given that we have determined the Fever Games feature value to be 76.56 coins, we can examine results from an initial spin. In contrast to other tables, this one displays gross winnings, maintaining consistency with other video poker discussions. The return calculation is the product of winnings, probabilities, and (1/6). The division by six reflects the player's necessity to wager six coins. Consequently, the table indicates the relative return based on a complete bet, showing an overall return of 99.93%.

It's worth mentioning that IGT claims the return for this game is 99.94%, which is a marginal 0.01% higher than my calculation. If my return had only been 0.0013% higher, I would round up to 99.94%. However, while I naturally strive for precision in my combinatorial analysis, I find that a 0.0013% discrepancy is acceptable in this scenario, given the complexities inherent in the recursive analysis.

Strategy

Focusing solely on the 9-5 Jacks or Better variant (which is unlikely to be witnessed in a live casino), the recommend strategy for Fever Games should be as follows:

• During the first Fever Game, accept any three of a kind or better.
• During the second Fever Game, embrace any two pair or better.
• For the third Fever Game, accept two pairs or better again.
• In the fourth Fever Game, it's wise to accept any form of winning.

When determining which cards to hold or discard, the process can become quite intricate. You are welcome to utilize my exceptional tools, video poker strategy maker but it's essential to input the optimal values for each hand. Before doing so, you must navigate through the analytical journey I previously outlined to derive the average values for every state in the game. My structure is designed to calculate probabilities, a critical component for evaluating the worth of each gameplay phase. The strategy creator won't allow profits without losses, so you need to consider the value of turning down an offer, which equates to a 'win for nothing' for all other hands, to effectively deceive the calculator. video poker analyzer I previously drafted an extensive explanation regarding this process, but it proved exceedingly complicated and would necessitate arduous calculations, so I've decided to simplify it and leave it as a challenge for the reader (which I often find frustrating when encountered in math texts). Nonetheless, to compensate for this, I’ve provided direct links to the six strategies pertaining to 9-5 Jacks or Better Extreme X. Your patience is appreciated while the strategy creator compiles these strategies.

I am thankful to who provided the games, pay tables, and returns available in Extreme X Poker. The Wizard of Odds always appreciates their continued collaboration. As ever, these returns assume the player employs the optimal strategies.

• Initial Hands .
• Fever Hand #1 .
• Fever Hand #2 .
• Fever Hand #3 .
• Fever Hand #4 .
• Fever Hand #5 .

Other Games and Pay Tables

IGT Calculating the standard deviation in n-play video poker games.

Written by: Michael Shackleford