Flush Fever

Introduction

Flush Fever is a video poker game I encountered at Figaro's Pizza restaurant located in Philomath, Oregon, on June 21, 2011. It was featured on an IGT Game King machine labeled as 'Video Lottery' on the top. While the game is operated by the Oregon Lottery, the dealing of cards adheres to strict fairness and randomness, comparable to regulations in Nevada. Regulation 177-200-0070 .

Subsequently, I discovered another version of Flush Fever in Las Vegas, albeit with distinct gameplay mechanics. To differentiate between the two, I will refer to this version as the Oregon variant and the one in Las Vegas simply as the Nevada variant .

Rules

The pay table of the game is structured such that the maximum payout is capped at $600, effectively reducing returns after six coin bets. Players have the option to wager up to eight coins; however, any royal flush achieved while betting the seventh or eighth coin does not grant a reward.

Additionally, specific bonus rules apply to the game.

1. Whenever a player achieves a flush, straight flush, or royal flush, they will win a total of 7 Flush Fever Games.
2. Unlike standard free games, players are required to continue wagering an amount equal to their original bet for each of the Flush Fever Games.
3. The suit that activates the Flush Fever bonus will henceforth be referred to as the Fever Suit.
4. Moreover, in addition to any winnings from the pay table, each card in the final hand during a Fever Game that is of the Fever Suit will yield a sum equivalent to the player's original wager.
5. Fever Games have the potential to award additional Fever Games, allowing a maximum total of 56 bonus games.
6. The $600 win limit established by the Oregon Lottery pertains to every individual game initiated, including any Flush Fever Games.

Analysis

The table below illustrates the expected returns from initial spins. Note that this table does not factor in the value of bonuses acquired, but the likelihood of attaining particular hands indicates that flush, straight flush, and royal flush hands are worth about 12 additional credits due to Fever Spins. The bottom right cell indicates a return rate of 63.70% from non-bonus wins.

The subsequent table provides an overview of anticipated returns from Fever Spins. This does not account for the additional Fever Spins acquired during Fever Spins or winnings from Fever Suits. The bottom right cell shows a return of 46.84% from non-bonus wins.

On average, players can expect to earn approximately 2.075903 Fever Suit cards per Fever Spin. Adding to this figure, the value derived from each Fever Spin would be 0.468364 plus 2.075903, totaling 2.544267.

There are numerous factors involved in evaluating the value of a Flush Fever bonus, and this is my analytical perspective.

• The Flush Fever bonus initiates with a total of 7 free games.
• According to the probability data presented above, the chance of obtaining a flush, which includes both straight flushes and royal flushes, during a Flush Fever game is approximately 0.017700.
• The predicted total number of free games can be calculated as 7 divided by (1 minus 7 times 0.017700), resulting in an expected 7.989970.
• Although the cap of 56 maximum bonus spins is relatively insignificant, it does slightly reduce the anticipated number of Fever Spins by around 0.000639, leading to an adjusted total of 7.989331.
• The chances of hitting a flush, straight flush, or royal flush during an initial spin stand at roughly 0.025231.
• Consequently, the expected Fever Spins per initial spin amount to 0.025231 multiplied by 7.989331, yielding 0.201580.

The following table merges the overall expected returns from both initial spins and Fever Spins, with the bottom right cell showing a combined return of 95.70%.

For those readers with a keen analysis, who are eager to delve deeper than the average of 2.075903 Fever Cards per Fever Spin, the tables that follow will dissect potential outcomes in Fever Spins—assessing poker value against Fever Card counts. The forthcoming table outlines the payouts for each outcome in Fever Hands, categorized by the poker value and the quantity of Fever Cards.

Next up, we present the number of combinations per hand, aligned with the number of cards in the Fever Suit for Fever Hands.

The following table illustrates the probability for each hand, cross-referenced with the card count in the Fever Suit for Fever Hands.

Yet another table reveals the returns from each hand correlated with the number of Fever Suit cards in Fever Hands. The bottom right cell indicates that each Fever Suit hand results in a return equivalent to 2.54 times the bet placed.

8/5 Bonus Poker

The Oregon Lottery generously provides guidance on which cards to retain while playing various video poker games. The recommended cards are those currently held; should players choose to follow this advice, they can simply keep hitting the deal/draw button similar to an approach taken by slot players. Players also have the liberty to ignore this advice if they prefer.

The onscreen help messages suggest that the recommendations may not be optimized for maximum outcome. Nonetheless, I trust that IGT, the manufacturer of the Game King machine, has accurately implemented the advice feature. In Fever Spins, 82% of the returns derive from Fever Cards, implying that the optimal strategy for Fever Spins revolves around maximizing the collection of Fever Cards.

10/7 Double Bonus

• A special thanks to IGT for assisting me with various inquiries concerning the game's rules.
• Appreciation goes out to CrystalMath for recommending that I consider the return based on all bets instead of solely the initial wager.

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