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Multi-Hand Ultimate 4 of a Kind Bonus

Introduction

The Multi-Hand Ultimate 4 of a Kind Bonus is a video poker game designed by IGT, resembling standard video poker. However, by wagering a sixth coin, players can activate a special bonus feature that awards benefits for achieving a four of a kind when drawing cards.

This content is specifically about the multi-hand version of the game. The rules differ slightly for the single-hand variant, which can be explored in my section on Single-Line Ultimate 4 of a Kind Bonus .

Rules

For bets ranging from 1 to 5 coins, gameplay mirrors that of traditional video poker. When a player places a sixth coin bet, they become eligible for a bonus game should they draw any natural four of a kind.

In the bonus round, players can select between 1 and 3 cards from a deck of 53. A quartet of aces allows for 3 selections, while four 2s through 4s gives 2 selections, and four 5s through kings results in one selection. If players achieve multiple four of a kinds, they total the selections earned from each.

Unlike the rules for the single-line version In this game, a four of a kind obtained during the initial deal does not provide an additional selection, and choosing the joker does not conclude the bonus round.

The winnings for each card drawn vary according to the game, as detailed below.

Bonus Wins

Game Joker Ace 2-4 5-K
Bonus Poker 4000 400 260 200
Bonus Poker Deluxe 4000 400 245 205
Deuces Wild 4000 500 360 200
Double Bonus 4000 400 260 200
Double Double Bonus 4000 400 235 200
Jacks or Better 4000 400 280 200
Triple Double Bonus 4000 400 290 200

Bonus Analysis

The subsequent table displays the average bonus winnings in coins based on the game and the type of four of a kind in the initial hand.

Bonus Probabilities — No Joker

Game Ace 2-4 5-King
Bonus Poker 901.13 600.75 300.38
Bonus Poker Deluxe 901.13 600.75 300.38
Deuces Wild 991.70 661.13 330.57
Double Bonus 901.13 600.75 300.38
Double Double Bonus 884.15 589.43 294.72
Jacks or Better 914.72 609.81 304.91
Triple Double Bonus 921.51 614.34 307.17

Jacks or Better

The next table presents the return rates for 8-5 Jacks or Better. The 'Base Pay' column indicates the typical payout per coin bet, calculated on the basis of five coins played. The 'Bonus' column denotes the bonus payout, divided by 5 to align with the Base Pay column. The return rate results from the overall payout multiplied by the probability, adjusted by 5/6. The multiplication by 5/6 arises from the requirement for the player to wager a sixth coin to qualify for the bonus. The bottom right cell shows a return of 97.95%.

"8/5\" Jacks or Better

Hand Base Pay Bonus Total Combinations Probability Return
Royal flush 800 0 666.67 41,501,670 0.000025 0.016656
Straight flush 50 0 41.67 164,933,769 0.000099 0.004137
Four aces 25 914.72 173.29 358,839,558 0.000216 0.037434
Four 2-4 25 609.81 122.47 913,668,988 0.000550 0.067362
Four 5-K 25 304.91 71.65 2,727,887,707 0.001642 0.117666
Full house 8 0 6.67 18,587,380,617 0.011190 0.074599
Flush 5 0 4.17 16,641,004,026 0.010018 0.041742
Straight 4 0 3.33 18,138,475,909 0.010920 0.036398
Three of a kind 3 0 2.50 126,031,537,634 0.075872 0.189681
Two pair 2 0 1.67 216,915,536,844 0.130585 0.217642
Jacks or better 1 0 0.83 351,243,165,093 0.211452 0.176210
Loser 0 0 0.00 909,338,611,285 0.547431 0.000000
Total       1,661,102,543,100 1.000000 0.979528

The return for ordinary '8/5' Jacks or Better This figure stands at 97.30%. Therefore, players are encouraged to place the full bet of six coins.

Bonus Poker

The next table outlines the return rates for 8-5 Bonus Poker. The 'Base Pay' column indicates the standard payout per coin wagered, based on a total of five coins. The 'Bonus' column lists the bonus payout, divided by 5 for consistency with the Base Pay column. The overall return is calculated by the total winnings, multiplied by their probability, and adjusted by 5/6, as the player must stake a sixth coin to qualify for the bonus. In the lower right cell, a return of 97.95% is shown.

'8/5' Bonus Poker

Hand Base Pay Bonus Total Combinations Probability Return
Royal flush 800 0 666.67 41,543,294 0.000025 0.016673
Straight flush 50 0 41.67 162,641,697 0.000098 0.004080
Four aces 80 901.13 216.86 361,123,933 0.000217 0.047144
Four 2-4 40 600.75 133.46 913,773,994 0.000550 0.073416
Four 5-K 25 300.38 70.90 2,727,340,188 0.001642 0.116403
Full house 8 0 6.67 18,594,591,975 0.011194 0.074628
Flush 5 0 4.17 16,565,402,329 0.009973 0.041552
Straight 4 0 3.33 18,055,319,757 0.010869 0.036232
Three of a kind 3 0 2.50 126,104,650,190 0.075916 0.189791
Two pair 2 0 1.67 217,013,311,620 0.130644 0.217740
Jacks or better 1 0 0.83 351,069,179,052 0.211347 0.176123
Loser 0 0 0.00 909,493,665,071 0.547524 0.000000
Total       1,661,102,543,100 1.000000 0.993781

The return for ordinary '8-5' Bonus Poker The return here is 99.17%. Hence, players should always opt for the maximum wager of six coins.

Strategy

Players are advised to consistently bet the full six coins. For tips on which cards to discard or keep, you can refer to my video poker strategy analyzer using the expected payout between the base and the bonus, as illustrated in the return tables previously mentioned, for each hand.

Table of Returns

IGT, the developer of the game, generously provided me with comprehensive details on all games, including pay tables and return rates available in this game. As is often the case, these returns assume the application of optimal strategies. The following table summarizes this data.

Summary of Games

Game Pay Table Return
Bonus Poker 8/5/4/3/2 99.38%
Bonus Poker 7/5/4/3/2 98.45%
Bonus Poker 6/5/4/3/2 97.57%
Bonus Poker 10/8/4/3/1 96.13%
Bonus Poker Deluxe 9/6 99.93%
Bonus Poker Deluxe 9/5 99.05%
Bonus Poker Deluxe 8/5 98.35%
Bonus Poker Deluxe 7/5 97.66%
Deuces Wild 25/15/9/4/4/3 99.21%
Deuces Wild 20/12/10/4/4/3 98.04%
Deuces Wild 25/16/13/4/3/2 97.90%
Deuces Wild 20/10/8/4/4/3 96.77%
Double Bonus 9/7/5 99.46%
Double Bonus 9/6/5 98.47%
Double Bonus 9/6/4 97.38%
Double Bonus 9/5/4 96.49%
Double Double Bonus 9/6 99.27%
Double Double Bonus 9/5 98.40%
Double Double Bonus 8/5 97.53%
Double Double Bonus 7/5 96.82%
Double Double Bonus 6/5 96.11%
Jacks or Better 8/5 97.95%
Jacks or Better 7/5 97.02%
Triple Double Bonus 9/7 99.75%
Triple Double Bonus 9/6 98.68%
Triple Double Bonus 9/5 97.82%
Triple Double Bonus 8/5 96.94%

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Strategies

Full-Pay Jacks or Better:

Full-Pay Deuces Wild:

Quick Quads:

Other Strategies: