Max Out Poker is a variant of video poker that I encountered at Caesars Palace in May 2005. This game fundamentally resembles multi-hand video poker but places greater significance on one particular hand and offers a more favorable pay table for the other hands.
Rules
Players engage in video poker as they typically would, wagering between 1 to 5 coins. When betting 6 to 8 coins, they gain access to additional hands, which also feature a slightly improved pay table. These extra hands begin with the same cards retained from the initial deal, similar to multi-hand video poker.
Return Tables
I refer to the main hand on which the player wagers 1 to 5 coins as the 'big hand' since it involves a larger bet and the cards are displayed more prominently. The 'small hands' consist of the three extra hands for bets of 6 to 8 coins. When betting the maximum of 8 coins, the overall payout formula becomes 5 times the return from the big hand plus 3 times the return from the small hands. Using this comprehensive payout, standard video poker analysis tools can evaluate the potential returns. The return listed in the following tables is calculated as the probability multiplied by the total payout divided by 8.
Max Out Poker - Jacks or Better
Hand
Big Hand Pays
Small Hands Pay
Total Pay
Combinations
Probability
Return
Royal flush
800
2000
10000
611374332
0.000031
0.038339
Straight Flush
50
125
625
2444009004
0.000123
0.009579
Four of a Kind
25
50
275
47011821396
0.002358
0.081072
Full House
7
17
86
228636474084
0.01147
0.123304
Flush
5
5
40
234089906424
0.011744
0.058719
Straight
4
4
32
261308756424
0.013109
0.052437
Three of a kind
3
3
24
1473532107036
0.073923
0.22177
Two pair
2
2
16
2550902134572
0.127972
0.255945
Pair
1
0
5
3952432723788
0.198284
0.123927
Nonpaying hand
0
0
0
11182261210140
0.560986
0
Total
19933230517200
1
0.965091
Max Out Poker - Bonus Poker
Hand
Big Hand Pays
Small Hands Pay
Total Pay
Combinations
Probability
Return
Royal flush
800
2000
10000
612614556
0.000031
0.038417
Straight Flush
50
80
490
2330134980
0.000117
0.00716
Four aces
80
200
1000
4080196212
0.000205
0.025587
Four 2-4
40
80
440
10517771964
0.000528
0.029021
Four 5-K
25
50
275
32463756612
0.001629
0.055984
Full House
6
14
72
228869295732
0.011482
0.103336
Flush
5
5
40
232461161544
0.011662
0.05831
Straight
4
4
32
253157020176
0.0127
0.050801
Three of a kind
3
3
24
1476410703984
0.074068
0.222203
Two pair
2
2
16
2556244301544
0.12824
0.256481
Pair
1
0
5
3973776511968
0.199354
0.124596
Nonpaying hand
0
0
0
11162307047928
0.559985
0
Total
19933230517200
1
0.971896
Max Out Poker - Double Bonus
Hand
Big Hand Pays
Small Hands Pay
Total Pay
Combinations
Probability
Return
Royal flush
800
2000
10000
579476316
0.000029
0.036339
Straight Flush
50
100
550
2423293812
0.000122
0.008358
Four aces
160
400
2000
4581136236
0.00023
0.057456
Four 2-4
80
160
880
10505799216
0.000527
0.057975
Four 5-K
50
100
550
32171730540
0.001614
0.110961
Full House
9
18
99
213613674264
0.010716
0.132616
Flush
5
7
46
266880758892
0.013389
0.076985
Straight
4
4
32
291861165312
0.014642
0.058568
Three of a kind
3
3
24
1473709023900
0.073932
0.221797
Two pair
1
0
5
2398633864020
0.120333
0.075208
Pair
1
0
5
3856127968296
0.193452
0.120908
Nonpaying hand
0
0
0
11382142626396
0.571013
0
Total
19933230517200
1
0.957171
Max Out Poker - Deuces Wild
Hand
Big Hand Pays
Small Hands Pay
Total Pay
Combinations
Probability
Return
Natural royal flush
800
2000
10000
512436444
0.000026
0.032135
Four deuces
200
1000
4000
4099162824
0.000206
0.102822
Wild royal flush
25
40
245
40448685744
0.002029
0.062145
Five of a kind
15
25
150
61008605976
0.003061
0.057387
Straight flush
10
15
95
92346494184
0.004633
0.055014
Four of a kind
4
5
35
1236366703008
0.062025
0.271361
Full House
3
3
24
518039618256
0.025989
0.077966
Flush
2
2
16
402919969476
0.020213
0.040427
Straight
2
1
13
1046143182396
0.052482
0.085284
Three of a kind
1
0
5
5345827634160
0.268187
0.167617
Nonpaying hand
0
0
0
11185518024732
0.561149
0
Total
19933230517200
1
0.952158
Max Out Poker - Bonus Poker Deluxe
Hand
Big Hand Pays
Small Hands Pay
Total Pay
Combinations
Probability
Return
Royal flush
800
2000
10000
608875428
0.000031
0.038182
Straight Flush
50
125
625
2427099432
0.000122
0.009513
Four of a Kind
80
200
1000
49503227292
0.002483
0.310432
Full House
6
6
48
162617338764
0.008158
0.048949
Flush
5
5
40
238372136280
0.011959
0.059793
Straight
4
4
32
305200890852
0.015311
0.061245
Three of a kind
3
3
24
1544382513720
0.077478
0.232433
Two pair
1
0
5
2137041798480
0.10721
0.067006
Pair
1
0
5
4167412796952
0.209069
0.130668
Nonpaying hand
0
0
0
11325663840000
0.56818
0
Total
19933230517200
1
0.95822
Strategy
Concerning strategy, I simply advise players to always bet the maximum of 8 coins. The return when wagering 8 coins was found to be approximately 0.4% higher than that for 5 coins on the machines in Caesars Palace. Standard strategy software like Video Poker Strategy Master produced by Tom Ski can assist in formulating a strategy based on 5 times the value of the big hand plus 3 times the value of the small hand for every payout indicated in the pay table.
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