Magic Deal

Introduction

Magic Deal is a variation of video poker that enhances standard three-play, five-play, and ten-play machines. Players have the choice to play these games as usual or pay a fee equivalent to the maximum allowed bet of five coins per line to activate the Magic Deal option. When this feature is triggered, players may receive one to three Magic Deal cards during the deal, which act similarly to wild cards.

Rules

1. With the activation of Magic Deal, players can engage in traditional three-, five-, or ten-play video poker. Additionally, by paying a fee that matches the total betting amount when not using the feature, players can still trigger the Magic Deal.
2. When the Magic Deal feature is engaged, players have a chance of drawing one, two, or three Magic Cards based on the probabilities outlined in the accompanying table. These cards are automatically held and no additional Magic Cards will be available during the draw.
3. Magic Cards operate much like wild cards; however, unlike traditional wild cards, they must represent a specific card that the player does not already have in the draw. The game automatically calculates which card would yield the best outcome. If there is a tie with several cards having the same potential for victory, the game randomly selects one.
4. If a player discards a card after the deal, a Magic Card can still take on its value during the draw.
5. The probabilities associated with acquiring Magic Cards have been meticulously determined to ensure a greater value when using the feature compared to not using it, assuming the player employs optimal strategies. It's known that these probabilities are generally higher in bottom-heavy games like Jacks or Better, while being lower in top-heavy games such as Double Double Bonus.

Example

The following example illustrates gameplay using 3-play Jacks or Better. During the deal, I was given two Magic Cards along with three less desirable cards.

I disposed of all three underperforming cards. The image below depicts that I received an ace, 2, and 5 on the top hand. The best application of the two Magic Cards was to use a 3 and 4 to create a straight. In the middle hand, I obtained two aces and a 6. The optimal use of the magic cards yielded two additional aces, resulting in a four of a kind. For the bottom hand, I was dealt a king, 5, and 2, where my best outcome was a three of a kind. The game could have provided a pair of kings, fives, or twos, but it randomly decided on kings.

I utilized the '8-6' pay table, though it didn't significantly affect this outcome. The payout for the straight was 4 credits for each coin wagered on the top hand, the four of a kind awarded 25 credits per coin bet in the middle hand, and the three of a kind rewarded 3 credits per coin wagered in the bottom hand. With a total of five coins bet on each line, my total win amounted to 5 × (4 + 25 + 3) = 160 credits. Since I wagered 5 × 3 × 2 = 30 credits, my net profit was 130 credits.

List of Games and Chances for Magic Cards

The table below outlines the games compatible with the Magic Deal feature, detailing their pay tables, the probabilities of obtaining 1, 2, or 3 Magic Cards, as well as the returns with and without this feature. This information applies equally to 3-, 5-, and 10-play formats and was generously shared by VideoPoker.com , the creator of the game.

Magic Deal

Last updated: Jan 26, 2024 On this page To clarify, here are the probabilities associated with the Magic Cards:

• Magic Deal
• Introduction
• Rules
• Example

I structured my analysis by dividing it into four sections, corresponding to each possible quantity of Magic Cards. I then calculated the dot product of the probabilities for each number of Magic Cards and their average winnings to derive the overall average win.

Initially, here is the return table reflecting scenarios with no Magic Cards, consistent with the conventional 9-6 Double Double Bonus.

Next, here is the return table for a single Magic Card. The bottom right cell indicates that the average win with one Magic Card equals 6.345418 times the amount wagered per hand, excluding the additional fee for activating the Magic Card feature.

Following that, here is the return table for two Magic Cards. The bottom right cell reveals that the average win with two Magic Cards stands at 38.776304 times the amount bet per hand, not including the extra fee for engaging the Magic Card feature.

Finally, here is the return table for three Magic Cards. The bottom right cell shows an average win with three Magic Cards of 171.409598 times the amount wagered per hand, without considering the additional fee to invoke the feature.

The subsequent table presents the likelihood of each Magic Card count, the corresponding average winnings, and their contribution to the return. This contribution is defined as the product of the second and third columns multiplied by 0.5, reflecting that winnings are calculated based on only half of the total amount wagered. The bottom right cell confirms an overall return of 99.398%.

The next table summarizes the game from a different perspective, focusing on the final hand rather than the number of Magic Cards. Combinations are only displayed to 15 decimal places due to Excel's limitations. As seen in the previous table, the return column is derived from the product of the win, probability, and 0.5, with the lower right cell corroborating a return of 99.398%.

Highlighted below are some statistics derived from the tables above:

• Probability
• Return
• Royal flush

To keep this discussion concise, I have provided just the final return table for the most generous pay table of various other available games. Once again, combinations are shown to 15 decimal places due to Excel's restrictions.

Two pair

• Jacks or better -- Join the conversation on my forum at Wizard of Vegas.
• Junk -- Join the conversation on my forum at Wizard of Vegas.
• Total -- From a post by alpax in the VideoPoker.com forum. This strategy appears sound to me.

Standard deviation = 8.43. Hit frequency = 49.55%.