Multi-Strike Video Poker
Multi-Strike Poker has been spreading throughout dozens of casinos in the US. The reason is pretty simple; the game is so much fun it turns into an enjoyable obsession. Multi Strike Poker is a variation of the standard draw video poker game. It was developed by IGT (International Game Technology), a major game producer and distributer worldwide.
Multi Strike turns a standard video poker game such as Jacks or Better into a four line game with multipliers. The player bets on four 5-card hands but plays only one at the time. If the player gets a paying hand or receives a Free Ride Card then he can advance to the next hand, until reaching the final fourth hand. As you go up the hand ladder, any win is multiplied by 2, 4 or up to 8 times. That means that if you get a pair on the first hand you will receive a 1:1 payout; but on the final fourth hand a single pair pays 8:1.
The Multi-Strike Poker 4-hand theme is applied to a wide selection of video poker classics:
- 9/6 Jacks or Better
- Joker Poker
- Deuces Wild
- Bonus Poker
- Bonus Poker Deluxe
- Double Bonus Poker
- Double Double Bonus Poker
- Super Aces Bonus
- Deuces Wild Bonus
- Super Double Bonus
- Double Bonus Deuces Wild
- Triple Double Bonus
- White Hot Aces
- Super Double Double Bonus Poker
Multi-Strike Poker can be played on IGT’s Game King Machine. Normally these machines are configured to include all the games mentioned above.
Where to Play Multi-Strike Poker
This game has become so popular land casinos have been adding it at an
exponential rate in the US. It is also available in Canada. Here’s only a
sample list of casinos and venues that have Multi-Strike in their game list:
- Wild Horse Casino in Camp Verde, Arizona
- Paradise Casino in Yuma, Arizona
- Southland Park in West Memphis, Arkansas
- Fantasy Springs in Indio, California
- Harrah’s Rincón Casino in Valley Center, California
- Pala Casino, Resort & Spa in Papa, California
- Fortune Valley in Central City, Colorado
- Gold Rush Hotel & Casino in Cripple Creek, Colorado
- Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut
- Celebrity Cruises in Miami, Florida
- Palm Beach Casino Line in Riviera Beach, Florida
- Argosy Alton in Alton, Illinois
- Grand Victoria in Elgin, Illinois
- Harrah’s Joliet in Joliet, Illinois
- Casino Aztar in Evansville, Indiana
- Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City, Indiana
- Wild Rose Casino & Resort in Emmetsburg, Iowa
- Hollywood Casino in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Harrah’s New Orleans Casino in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Boomtown Casino & Hotel in Bossier City, Louisiana
- Greektown Casino in Detroit, Michigan
- Four Winds Casino & Resort in New Buffalo, Michigan
- Grand Casino Mille Lacs in Onamia, Minnesota
- Treasure Bay Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi
- Rainbow Casino in Vicksburg, Mississippi
- Harrah’s Maryland Heights in Maryland Heights, Missouri
- Ameristar Casino in Kansas City, Missouri
- Fiesta Henderson Hotel & Casino in Henderson, Nevada
- Bally’s in Las Vegas, Nevada
- Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada
- Mirage in Las Vegas, Nevada
- Venetian Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada
- Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Trump Marina in Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Showboat Casino & Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls, New York
- Philadelphia Park Casino in Ben Salem, Pennsylvania
- Majestic Pines Casino in Black River Falls, Wisconsin
- Windsor Casino in Windsor, Canada
- McPhillips Street Station in Winnipeg, Canada
How to Play Multi-Strike Poker
Select your favorite video poker game out of the 14 games mentioned above. Each game differs from the next because of its paytable and, in some cases, because of wild cards. Most of the games belong to the “bonus poker” family which is characterized by having bonus payouts for different types of four-of-a-kinds. The Deuces Wild and Joker Poker games contain wild cards (2’s or Jokers) that can be substituted with any other card’s rank and/or suit to create the strongest possible poker hand.
Once you select your favorite game, enter money into the machine and select how many credits to be PER hand. We strongly suggest you play 5 credits per hand (x 4 hands, equals 20 credits per round). Playing 20 credits on a quarter machine equals $5 per each round played. The reason we suggest to play 5 credits is because the Royal Flush on all games has a bonus payout for the Max 5 Coin Bet.
Having placed your bets, press the Deal button to begin the game. The first hand is at the bottom of the machine’s window. 5 cards will be dealt from a shuffled deck and you can decide which cards to hold (if any) and draw a second time to get new cards for the discarded cards. If a winning hand is completed on the first hand then you move on to the second hand. The second hand receives 5 new cards from a separate deck and the same rules apply here as in the first hand. Any wins on this hand will be multiplied by 2x. You will advance to the third hand if you have a winning hand on the second hand. On the third hand all wins are multiplied by 4. To reach the final fourth hand a winning hand must be completed on the third hand. On the final hand wins are multiplied by 8.
There is a bonus feature to the game that allows you to advance to the next hand even if you don’t have a winning hand. A Free Ride Card which appears during the deal guarantees you will advance no matter the outcome of your current hand. The Free Ride Card appears and then disappears so you can continue to play your current hand. It is estimated that the Free Ride card appears:
- 8.25% of the first hands dealt
- 7.80% of the second hands dealt
- 7.80% of the third hands deal
Let’s look at how each multiplier affects the normal pay table. For sake of brevity we have only posted the pay table of Jacks or Better.
Multi-Strike Jacks or Better |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Poker Hands | Coin 1 | 2nd hand (2x) | 3rd hand (4x) | 4th hand (8x) |
Royal Flush | 250 | 500 | 1000 | 2000 |
Straight Flush | 50 | 100 | 200 | 400 |
4 of a Kind | 25 | 50 | 100 | 200 |
Full House | 9 | 18 | 36 | 72 |
Flush | 6 | 12 | 24 | 48 |
Straight | 4 | 8 | 16 | 32 |
3 of a Kind | 3 | 6 | 12 | 24 |
Two Pair | 2 | 4 | 8 | 16 |
Jacks or Better | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
There is a special 4,000 coin payout for the Royal Flush on a 5-coin bet. Playing the Max Bets on the final fourth hand can deliver a 32,000 coin jackpot for the Royal Flush.
Tips and Strategy for Multi-Strike Poker
The Multi-Strike Poker games can have the normal optimal strategy applied to them. Read our other articles on each particular poker game for the best strategy to apply when you play.
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