Ultimate X Poker App
Perfect basic strategy is a must for this high volatility game
- Super Times Pay Video Poker Harrah's
- Ultimate X Poker App
- Ultimate X Poker App Downloads
- Free Ultimate X Poker
By Henry Tamburin
Ultimate X Poker is a pay once application. For only $1.99 you get the full game and all updates that come down the pike for free. There are no bothersome ads or crazy endless in-app purchases. Ultimate X Poker gameplay overview by VideoPoker.com.
Let me repeat this because it’s important: The volatility is very high. This means that if you are not lucky and don’t get a winning hand followed by another winning hand, your bankroll will head south very quickly. This greater volatility requires a much bigger bankroll to withstand the big bankroll swings that will occur with this game.
In previous articles in Strictly Slots, I wrote about the six-coins-per-line games Super Times Pay and Quick Quads. This month, I’ll describe the mother of multi-coin-per-line games known as Ultimate X.
Ultimate X is available as a multi-hand and single-hand video poker game. If you wager 10 coins per line instead of five coins, you will earn a multiplier, not on the current hand, but on the following hand (i.e., betting 10 coins per line puts you in the Ultimate X mode). Essentially, you are doubling your initial bet in the hopes that you will get a greater payout on the following hand.
The easiest way to show you how Ultimate X works is to play a few hands. (The game is Triple Play Bonus Poker.)
Suppose on the first hand you wagered the maximum of 30 coins (i.e., 10 coins per line) to activate the Ultimate X feature and are dealt the following hand:
Notice on the bottom right of the screen, the “Ultimate X Poker” logo shows that it is active (because you wagered the maximum of 30 coins). On the first line, you hold the pair of 4s. The 4s will appear in the same card position on lines #2 and #3, and each line will receive three draw cards. The result of the draw gave you these final hands.
You wound up with two pairs on line #1 (pair of 4s and 8s) but you didn’t get a winning hand on lines #2 and #3. Our winning two pair on line #1 paid 10 coins (which is a standard payout for two pairs for a traditional five-coin wager). The 10-coin winning payout appears in the “Win” meter at the bottom left of the screen. Likewise, the 10 coins won increased the “Credit” meter (lower right) by 10 coins. Notice that to the left of line #1 (i.e., bottom hand), you’ll see “Next Hand 3X.” This signifies that the payout for a winning hand on Line #1 on the following hand would be multiplied by 3.
On the next hand, you are dealt:
Notice that “3X” appears to the left of line #1 (to signify whatever the payout is for a winning hand on line #1, it will be multiplied by 3). You hold the single ace, hit the draw button, and wound up with a pair of queens on line #1 and a pair of aces on line #3.
The payout for a high pair is five coins but on line #1, the payout is multiplied by 3 (because we had a winning hand on this line in the previous hand). Therefore, your total payout was 20 coins (five coins for the pair of aces on line #3, and 15 coins for the pair of queens on line #1). Since you have a winning hand on lines #1 and #3, the screen shows that you will have a 2x multiplier on any winning hands on lines #1 and #3 on the following hand.
On your third hand, you were dealt two unsuited high cards (J-Q) on line #1, you held them, and ended up with:
Unfortunately, you didn’t get a winning hand on lines #1 and #3 (with the 2x multiplier from the previous winning hands on these lines) but you got a winning hand on line #2 that gives you a 3x multiplier on this line for the following hand.
On the next hand, you were dealt two pair:
You hold the two pair, say a silent prayer, and after the draw ended up with the following hands:
Unfortunately, you didn’t get a full house or three of a kind on any line on the draw (darn!) so your final result was two pair on all lines. The payout was 10 coins on line #1, 10 coins on line # 3, and 30 coins on line #2 (because of the 3x multiplier from the previous winning hand line #2). Notice also that on the following hand, you will have a 3x multiplier on all three lines.
I hope after playing these sample hands, you get the gist of how the game plays and how fun and lucrative it could be if you get a winning hand on one or more lines followed by another winning hand on the same line(s).
The amount of the multiplier that you receive for any winning hand depends on which game you are playing (e.g., bonus poker, double double bonus, etc.), what the winning hand was (see below), and how many lines you played (e.g., Triple Play, Five Play, or Ten Play.). The multiplier is always 2x for winning hands higher than a full house. As an example, the multipliers for the Triple Play Bonus Poker game are:
Notice that if you get a full house or flush on any line, then on the following hand the payout for any winning hand (on the same line) would be multiplied by 12 and 11 respectively. (My biggest winning hand to date playing Ultimate X was when I got four 3s with a 12x multiplier (the payout was a very nice 2400 coins or $600 playing quarters).
Keep in mind that when you activate the Ultimate X feature, you are doubling your bet (betting 10 coins per line instead of 5 coins) in return at a potential shot at a bigger payout on the following hand. Because you are betting a total of 30 coins per hand on a Triple Play Ultimate X game, the volatility is very high. Let me repeat this because it’s important: The volatility is very high. This means that if you are not lucky and don’t get a winning hand followed by another winning hand, your bankroll will head south very quickly. This greater volatility requires a much bigger bankroll to withstand the big bankroll swings that will occur with this game. (Psychologically, you also have to be prepared for the negative swings.)
According to IGT, there are nine game families on the Ultimate X platform, mostly on Three-, Five- and Ten-Play machines, although a single hand version is offered on their bundled-theme Five Star Poker. The highest return Ultimate X game that is offered is 9/6 Double Double Bonus Poker on Ten Play (99.87%, assuming perfect strategy). You can review the returns for other games on the Ultimate X page at www.wizardofodds.com.
If you want to know which casinos in Las Vegas offer Ultimate X, go to the Best Video Poker Page on www.lasvegasadvisor.com. You can also go to www.vpfree2.com and use the search function to find out which casinos in different regions of the U.S. offer Ultimate X, or use the “Find in Casinos” function on www.videopoker.com. If you want to play Ultimate X for free, go to www.videopoker.com. (I highly recommend you do so to get a feel for how the game plays and the size of the bankroll swings.)
Tip of the Month
When you play Ultimate X, you are paying more on the current hand in the hopes of getting a multiplier on the following hand. Therefore, on your last hand before you quit playing, you should only bet five coins per line (i.e., don’t activate the Ultimate X feature on the last hand because it has no value since you won’t be playing another hand). Also, before you start playing, check the screen on different Ultimate X games to see if a previous player left a multiplier on the game. If you are lucky to find one with a multiplier, jump in and play the hand with only a five coin per line wager. As always, but even more so with Ultimate X because you are betting twice as much per hand, play each hand with perfect basic strategy. Good luck!
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Henry Tamburin is a blackjack and video poker expert. He is the host of the smartgaming.com website and the editor of the Blackjack Insider newsletter (for a free three-month subscription, visit www.bjinsider.com/freetrial). For a free copy of his Casino Gambling Catalog, which contains books, strategy cards, and software for casino players, call toll free 1-888-353-3234, or visit the web store at smartgaming.com.
What is the Playing Sequence?
The playing sequence for Ultimate X Poker is almost the same as more traditional video poker games. The main difference is you choose if you want to wager 10 coins instead of five to have the chance to win a multiplier on your next hand.
- Find the Ultimate X Poker machine you want to play. Remember you can find one play, three play, and 10 play machines.
- Put money in the machine.
- Choose to bet five or 10 coins per hand. A 10 coin bet gives you the chance to trigger a multiplier for the next hand.
- Hit the deal button to receive a five card hand.
- Select the cards you want to hold. The same cards are held in each hand if you’re playing a three times or 10 times play machine.
- Hit the deal button. Your final hand or hands are displayed and winnings added to your balance.
Ultimate X Poker Pay Tables
Ultimate X Poker is available on many different video poker games. The common pay tables are listed below along with the house edge using proper strategy.
If you compare these pay tables with the best ones available on games without the Ultimate X feature you can see that most games are better without it. You can quickly compare pay tables by looking at the individual pages we dedicate to each game on this site.
Super Times Pay Video Poker Harrah's
Jacks or Better – The Ultimate X Poker Jacks or Better pay table, 8 / 6, pays eight for a full house and six for a flush. This creates a house edge of 1.43%. The common standalone 9 / 6 Jacks or Better games has a house edge of .46%.
Deuces Wild – When you play the NSUD version of Deuces Wild with a pay table of 25 / 16 / 10 / 4 / 4 / 3 you have a house edge of .27%. The Ultimate X version has a pay table of 20 / 12 / 10 / 4 / 4 / 3 and has a house edge of 2.13%.
Ultimate X Poker App
Joker Poker or Joker’s Wild – The Ultimate X version has a pay table of 50 / 17 / 7 / 5 / 3 with a house edge of 1.77%. The 7 / 5 version that has a lowest paying hand of a pair of kings has a house edge of 1.07%.
Ultimate X Poker App Downloads
Bonus Poker– The Ultimate X version of Bonus Poker has a 7 / 5 pay table with a house edge of 1.91%. A regular game with an 8 / 5 pay table has a house edge of .84%.
Bonus Poker Deluxe – The Ultimate X version of Bonus Poker Deluxe uses the 8 / 6 pay table with a house edge of 1.18%. If you play a standalone version using the 9 / 6 pay table the house edge is .36%.
Double Bonus Poker– The Ultimate X version of Double Bonus Poker has a 9 / 6 / 5 pay table with a house edge of 1.89%. You can find standalone machines using a 9 / 7 / 5 pay table with a house edge of .89%.
Free Ultimate X Poker
Double Double Bonus Poker – The Ultimate X version of Double Double Bonus Poker uses the 9 / 5 pay table with a house edge of 2.07%. A standalone machine using the 9 / 6 pay table has a house edge of 1.02%.