By Bob Dancer

            The game has a 4-line format and the bet with the greatest return is always max coins, which is typically 20. You bet on all four lines before you play and start with the bottom line only. What makes this game unique is that you must win (i.e., at least get your money back) on the bottom line before you are allowed to play the second. That is, lose the first line and lose your entire 20-coin bet. But win the first line, and you go to the second line—with any wins on the second line doubled. Win that line and you move on to the third, with those results multiplied by four. And following the same pattern, win the third line and get to play the fourth line multiplied by eight. Your score is the sum of what you earned on each of the lines played.

            To make betting four lines (20 coins) higher returning than three (15 coins), which in turn returns more than betting two lines (10 coins), which, no surprise, is better than betting only one line (5 coins), you receive enough random "Free Rides" to make this happen. A Free Ride automatically moves you to the next higher level, whether your result on the current level would have qualified you or not. The frequency of the Free Rides varies by game, which level you are on, and occasionally by pay schedule, but is always enough to make betting more a good idea. As an example, on the first line of 9/6 Jacks or Better, you receive Free Rides about one time in 13.

The game is found in twelve different game versions with a total of 60 different pay schedules. In the table at the bottom of this article are the 33 with optimal yields greater than 98%. You'll see the lesser versions too, especially for nickels, but if you want a decent chance at winning, stick to the looser pay schedules.

Even though you'll recognize the games and pay schedules, the strategy for this game is quite a bit different than "regular" video poker. The reason for this is that there's a premium for getting to the next level. You gladly exchange a chance for a slightly higher average return for a greater likelihood of scoring at least your money back, which entitles you to play the next higher level at double the current stakes.

For example, in 9/6 Jacks, most standard plays work in this game. But if you make the following strategy changes, you'll do much better.

Level 1: 86.3% of all hands should be played identically as perfect 9/6 Jacks or Better. Never hold a suited ten with a high card or any 3-card straight flush. Prefer two high cards, suited or not, to a low pair and a single high card to an open-ended straight or to a 4-card flush with no high cards. The only straight you ever hold is KQJT. 

Level 2: 88.1% of all hands should be played identically as perfect 9/6 Jacks or Better. Never hold a suited ten with a high card or any 3-card straight flush. Hold any two high cards in preference to a low pair. Hold a single high card in preference to any 4-card straight.

Level 3: 94.7% of all hands should be played identically as perfect 9/6 Jacks or Better. Never hold a suited ten with a high card. Hold a single high card in preference to a 4-card straight with no high cards. The only holdable 3-card straight flush has no high cards and no gaps, and only  then if there is no high card in the hand. 

  Level 4: 100% of all hands should be played identically as perfect 9/6 Jacks or Better—including when you get a Free Ride.

While these rules won't get you all the way to perfection, they will allow people who know 9/6 Jacks perfectly to play this pay schedule of Multi Strike at over 99.77%, rather than the perfect 99.79%. Later I'll explain how you can use WinPoker to determine how to play any hand at any level, for any of the pay schedules offered.

Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7

For now, let's play a few games and see how it goes. We start by betting our twenty coins and are dealt A K Q 5 5 as shown in Figure 1. In 9/6 Jacks, the normal play is to hold the fives. But here, we hold K-Q. Our revised strategy tells us to hold two high cards over a low pair, and as in regular Jacks or Better, K-Q is a better play than A-K-Q. Let's say we draw the 3 4 6, as shown in Figure 2. We didn't connect on anything so the hand is over—and our twenty coins are gone. You will find you lose twenty coins all at once about half the time, and several times you'll experience several of these losses back to back. But the wins are often quite a bit higher than twenty coins and the money comes back. It's a bumpier (albeit more fun, to my mind) ride than normal, so you should play for stakes that are affordable for you. Let's try another hand. As the first hand is being dealt, in Figure 3, we see the Free Ride symbol in the first position before we play. This is accompanied by a distinctive sound bite that helps to let us know that this hand is different from usual. The symbol disappears and we see the hand in Figure 4—namely 4 5 6 K Q. With the Free Ride we use the standard 4 5 6. Had we not been given the Free Ride we would have played the suited K-Q. Let's assume we draw a pair of tens and don't score anything. But nonetheless, we move on to Level 2. At the start of Level 2, we again see and hear the Free Ride symbol and are dealt 6 6 5 Ad 6. It seems strange to be dealt Free Rides twice in a row, but it happens. It also seems a waste to get a Free Ride when we don't need one. Our trip 6s would have gotten us to Level 3 anyway, but the Free Ride symbol appears randomly, whether needed or not. We hold the sixes, of course, and draw a useless 7 8. Max coin 3-of-a-kinds are normally paid 15, but since our score on Level 2 is doubled, we collect 30, as shown in Figure 5. In Level 3, we are dealt K J 8 8 5 as shown in Figure 6. In Level 1 and Level 2 we would hold the suited KJ, but in Level 3 we hold the eights. As we go higher up the levels, the changes from standard strategy get less and less. Let's say we draw a pair of nines and end up with two pair. Our normal score of 10 for two pair is multiplied by 4, giving us 40. Since we won 30 on Level 2, we've already collected 70 and still have one level to go. Not too shabby! In Level 4 we are dealt A A 3 4 5. This is a classic hand in video poker where holding the hearts is considerably better than holding the aces (although on the lowest three levels of this game holding the aces would be better.) Giving up the guaranteed win in this case is tougher than average for some people because wins are multiplied by 8. If you cannot make the correct play, perhaps you are playing for stakes that are too high for you psychologically. Let's give us a nicer-than-average 2, ending up with a straight. When the multiplier is applied we obtain 160 on the last hand for a total of 230 coins because we already had 70 (Figure 7).

As you can see, the game is interesting but more complicated than usual. You need to know four separate strategies for each game. And while I gave you a good-enough-for-most-players strategy for 9/6 Jacks or Better (assuming you know the normal strategy for the game), there are eleven additional games available, with several possible pay schedules. How can we figure out the correct strategy and how can we practice these strategies on the computer?

To practice normal 9/6 Jacks on a computer, on a 1-coin basis we enter a pay schedule of 800-50-25-9-6-4-3-2-1, which is the default. To practice Level 1 strategy, add six to each of these numbers. That is, practice with a pay schedule of 806-56-31-15-12-10-9-8-7. To practice Level 2 strategy, add 4 the starting numbers. To practice Level 3 strategy, add 2 to the starting numbers. These numbers are an approximation and they differ slightly by game and pay schedule, but they are very close. For example, the precise numbers to be added for 9/6 Jacks are 5.94, 3.96, and 1.99 rather than the 6, 4, and 2 I gave you.

The mathematically inclined can figure out why 6, 4, and 2 are the numbers to be added, by assuming that each level has winners 50% of the time, which is a small exaggeration. Once you have this assumption, figure out how much it is worth to play one hand at the top level and work backwards. But whether you can figure it out or not, remembering the 6, 4, and 2 "secret" will allow you to practice essentially-optimal strategy.

This game will over-hold in the casinos' favor because most players are not going to learn 4 different strategies for one game. The game is enough fun that players will play it anyway. This will allow the casinos to put looser versions of this game on the floor than normal and still make their desired profit margin. For players willing to work at it, this presents a wonderful opportunity.

One of the particularly enjoyable features of this game is the sound effects. This game sounds different from all games, but I played it for three hours getting ready for this article and the sounds are pleasing. As you progress from level to level, the sounds move up a musical key or two which enhances the excitement. The brief musical interlude heard as you obtain a straight-or-higher on any level is nice.

To experience a realistic version of this game for free, I suggest you visit www.ledgaming.com. It doesn't correct you when you make a misplay (like WinPoker will), but it gives you accurate sights and sounds and allows you to get a nice feel for the game.