Moving Multipliers

Introduction

Moving Multipliers is an innovative variant for video poker, enhancing traditional multi-playing machines. By placing an additional three coins on each line, players activate the Moving Multipliers feature, which can award random multipliers ranging from 2x to 12x.

For those already familiar with Haywire Poker In the Moving Multipliers feature, multipliers retain their values while they shift positions on the screen rather than being reset.

Rules

1. This Moving Multipliers feature can be integrated into standard 3-, 5-, and 10-play video poker machines, assuming that the reader has some experience with multi-play poker formats.
2. When players wager the maximum of eight coins per hand, they trigger this feature. The wager remains five coins per line, with the additional three coins serving as a charge for activating the feature.
3. Once the feature is activated, players have an 11.49% chance of earning a multiplier on their bottom hand.
4. The possible multiplier values are 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, or 12, each arriving with equal likelihood.
5. Any multiplier awarded to the bottom hand will transfer to another hand during the next play.
6. As multipliers shift between hands, their values remain unchanged.
7. Once a multiplier has cycled through all hands displayed on the screen, it will disappear.
8. During the transition of this moving multiplier, fresh multipliers might also emerge on the bottom hand, allowing for multiple multipliers to be present at once. This means different hands could have their own distinct multipliers during a single play.

Example

In the illustration above, the bottom hand received a 10x multiplier. I acknowledge that a high pair is preferable to three cards towards a royal.

In the subsequent play, the multiplier transfers to the middle hand.

In the following round, the multiplier shifts to the top hand.

Analysis

When a multiplier is in play, its average value tends to be about 6.25. The precise probability of acquiring a multiplier greater than 1 is 114,942,529 out of 1,000,000,000. Though the rule screens display a probability of 11.49%, a more accurate calculation reveals it's about 11.494252952381%. The overall average multiplier, which accounts for the 88.51% of instances where a multiplier isn't present, is calculated as 0.11494253 multiplied by 6.25 plus (1 minus 0.11494253) multiplied by 1, resulting in 1.603225. Considering that the payout is based on only 5/8 of the total wager, the overall return improvement compared to traditional video poker is (5/8) multiplied by 1.603225, equating to 1.002155173. Thus, to glean the return for Moving Multipliers, one can simply multiply the typical return by 1.002155173. As a rough estimate, adding 0.21% might suffice.

The table below illustrates the returns from both the standard game and with the added Moving Multipliers feature across games and pay tables where this feature is applicable.

Strategy

The playing strategy remains consistent with that of the base game and its associated pay table.

A savvy player should remain vigilant for multipliers that may be inactive or left behind. If someone vacates a machine while leaving active multipliers or stops paying the additional three coins, these multipliers are indicated in grey. Spotting these is an ideal opportunity to join the game.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to VideoPoker.com Thanks are due to the platform for allowing me to share screenshots from their demo version, as well as for providing insights into the games and pay tables that feature this game, along with the specific probabilities of the multipliers.

External Links

Join the discussion about Moving Multipliers in my online forum at Wizard of Vegas .

Written by: Michael Shackleford