Barnyard Poker

Introduction

 

Barnyard Poker is a video poker variant by IGT/Action Gaming. I first saw it in July 2015 at the Suncoast casino in Las Vegas. The thrust of the game is that the player banks multipliers for every pair or better on the deal. These banked multipliers are awarded on a random basis.

Rules

 

Barnyard Poker is based on conventional triple-play video poker. If the player bets 1 to 5 credits per line, then the game will play like conventional triple-play video poker. If the player doubles his bet to 10 credits per line, then he will enable the Barnyard Poker feature. The 30 total credits shall be divided between 15 credits for three bets of 5 credits each and another 15 credits to enable the feature. The rules under Barnyard Poker are as follows:

1. The game has two Multiplier Banks.
2. After making a bet, the first thing to happen is the game will randomly decide whether to award one of the two Multiplier Banks. This means that the game will distribute the banked multipliers to the three hands. The game can award at most one bank per game.
3. The probability of awarding one of the Multiplier Banks depends on its size. However, based on my math, the probability of any given Multiplier Bank being awarded is about 19.5% per bet and varies by game and pay table.
4. If the game does award a multiplier, then that multiplier bank will be divided between the three hands. If the multiplier is not evenly divisible by three, then the bottom hand(s) will get an extra multiplier.
5. The banked multipliers will not add to the usual 1x multiplier per hand, but replace the 1x multipliers. Thus, it is pertinent to the return of the game how often the multipliers are awarded — the less often the better.
6. After a multiplier is awarded, that bank shall be replaced with a new multiplier of either 3 to 15. The probability of the bank reseeding at 3 is 80% and at 15 is 20% (see note below).
7. If the player is dealt a pair or higher, then one of the multiplier banks will be incremented by 2, 3, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, or 15. The average multiplier increment per hand played is 2.54 and the average multiplier increment per award is 5.09.
8. The Multiplier Banks may not exceed 36. If an increment would otherwise cause a Multiplier Bank to exceed 36, then it will be incremented to 36, and the remainder added to the other bank. If adding to the other bank would cause the other bank to exceed 36, then the additional amount will be awarded to the next multiplier bank.

 

Note: I have an unconfirmed report that at the Barona casino in San Diego the new multipliers can be 3x, 10x, 12x, or 15x.

Example

   

When this screenshot was taken I had just completed a hand. My Multiplier Banks were 15x and 14x.

 

After the next bet I got three aces on the deal. This increased the left Multiplier Bank from 15x to 27x.

 

After the next bet the left multiplier of 27x was awarded in the form of three 9x multipliers. The left Multiplier Bank was reset to 3x. I choose to keep three to a straight flush.

 

The middle hand improved to a flush which, under the Jacks or Better game I was playing, pays 5 per credit bet. With base bet of 5 credits per hand and the multiplier of 9x, the total win was 5×5×9=225 credits.

Images used with permission from VideoPoker.com.

Return Tables

 

The following tables show the returns, both with and without the multiplier feature, for various games and pay tables. As you can see, the return with the feature can vary, even with the same game and pay table. This is done by adjusting the frequency that multipliers are awarded, which is not stated in the rules nor quantifiable. If you don't like playing a game where you don't know the complete rules or odds, then let me just say you're not alone. I fought a Freedom of Information case in the interests of not playing casino games blindly -- and lost -- but at least I tried.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

My thanks to IGT for the return tables above.

Strategy

 

The strategy is the same as for conventional video poker for any given game and pay table.

Never leave a game with large multipliers in the barn. Instead, seek out games where the last player left large multipliers in the barn for you.

Written by: Michael Shackleford