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Flex Change Poker
Introduction
Flex Change Poker is a video poker variant I noticed at the Wynn Las Vegas on November 5, 2015. The concept is that the player tries to build two winning poker hands. As the cards are dealt, the player can switch them between the two hands to improve his chances.
Rules
- A single 52-card deck is used.
- The player will make two equal bets on two video poker hands. The max bet per hand is five credits so a full bet would be ten credits.
- The game will deal two cards to each of the two hands.
- The player may switch the second card dealt to each hand.
- The game will deal a third card to each hand.
- The player may switch the third card dealt to each hand.
- The game will score and pay the player according to the poker-value of the two three-card hands.
- The game will deal two more cards.
- The game will automatically place these cards in one of the following four ways to maximize the combined win.
- Fourth card dealt to top hand and fifth card dealt to bottom hand to form two four-card hands.
- Fourth card dealt to bottom hand and fifth card dealt to top hand to form two four-card hands.
- Both cards dealt to top hand.
- Both cards dealt to bottom hand.
- The game will score the final two hands according to whether it has four or five cards.
If my wording didn't make sense, here are the rule screens from the actual game.
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Example
The image above shows my original cards. I had the option to reverse the 5 of hearts and 3 of spades.
I invoked my option to switch, to improve my chances of a flush and straight flush on the bottom hand and a straight on both hands.
The third cards were dealt to each hand. Again I had the option to switch them.
I chose to switch again, giving me a pair on the top hand and a flush on the bottom. The three-card flush was paid five credits.
The final two cards were fives. The game placed them on the bottom hand to give me a three of a kind, which paid 25 credits.
Analysis
The following three tables show the possible pay table for Double Bonus, Double Double Bonus, and Kings or Better. The screenshots were taken from the Wynn Las Vegas, which were all set to the third loosest setting of four choices.
The following table shows the available pay tables for Double Bonus. The bottom row shows the total return assuming optimal player strategy.
Double Bonus
| Cards | Hand | Pay Table 1 | Pay Table 2 | Pay Table 3 | Pay Table 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | ROYAL FLUSH | 33 | 33 | 33 | 30 |
| 3 | STRAIGHT FLUSH | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 |
| 3 | THREE OF A KIND | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 3 | STRAIGHT | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | FLUSH | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | ROYAL FLUSH | 160 | 160 | 160 | 160 |
| 4 | FOUR ACES | 160 | 160 | 160 | 160 |
| 4 | FOUR 2's, 3's, 4's | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| 4 | FOUR 5's THROUGH K's | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| 4 | STRAIGHT FLUSH | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| 4 | THREE OF A KIND | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 4 | STRAIGHT | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 4 | FLUSH | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | TWO PAIR | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | KINGS OR BETTER | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | ROYAL FLUSH | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 |
| 5 | STRAIGHT FLUSH | 250 | 250 | 200 | 200 |
| 5 | FOUR ACES | 160 | 160 | 160 | 160 |
| 5 | FOUR 2's, 3's, 4's | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| 5 | FOUR 5's THROUGH K's | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| 5 | FULL HOUSE | 12 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| 5 | FLUSH | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| 5 | STRAIGHT | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 5 | THREE OF A KIND | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 5 | TWO PAIR | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 5 | KINGS OR BETTER | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | Return | 19.99% | 20.03% | 19.30% | 19.10% |
| 4 | Return | 32.71% | 32.74% | 33.48% | 33.74% |
| 5 | Return | 46.89% | 45.84% | 44.89% | 43.91% |
| Total | Return | 99.59% | 98.61% | 97.67% | 96.75% |
The following table shows the available pay tables for Double Double Bonus. The bottom row shows the total return assuming optimal player strategy.
Double Double Bonus
| Cards | Pay Table 1 | Pay Table 2 | Pay Table 3 | Pay Table 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | ROYAL FLUSH | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| 3 | STRAIGHT FLUSH | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 |
| 3 | THREE OF A KIND | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 3 | STRAIGHT | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | FLUSH | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | ROYAL FLUSH | 160 | 160 | 160 | 160 |
| 4 | FOUR ACES | 160 | 160 | 160 | 160 |
| 4 | FOUR 2's, 3's, 4's | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| 4 | FOUR 5's THROUGH K's | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| 4 | STRAIGHT FLUSH | 30 | 30 | 30 | 25 |
| 4 | THREE OF A KIND | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 4 | STRAIGHT | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 4 | FLUSH | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | TWO PAIR | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | KINGS OR BETTER | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | ROYAL FLUSH | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 |
| 5 | FOUR A's + ANY 2, 3 OR 4 | 400 | 400 | 400 | 400 |
| 5 | STRAIGHT FLUSH | 250 | 250 | 250 | 200 |
| 5 | FOUR 2's,3's,4's + ANY A,2,3,4 | 160 | 160 | 160 | 160 |
| 5 | FOUR ACES | 160 | 160 | 160 | 160 |
| 5 | FOUR 2's, 3's, 4's | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| 5 | FOUR 5's THROUGH K's | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| 5 | FULL HOUSE | 12 | 10 | 9 | 8 |
| 5 | FLUSH | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| 5 | STRAIGHT | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 5 | THREE OF A KIND | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 3 | Return | 19.74% | 19.77% | 19.07% | 19.06% |
| 4 | Return | 32.84% | 32.83% | 33.54% | 33.05% |
| 5 | Return | 46.94% | 45.94% | 44.99% | 44.49% |
| Total | Return | 99.51% | 98.54% | 97.61% | 96.60% |
The following table shows the available pay tables for Kings or Better. The bottom row shows the total return assuming optimal player strategy.
Kings or Better
| Cards | Pay Table 1 | Pay Table 2 | Pay Table 3 | Pay Table 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | ROYAL FLUSH | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| 3 | STRAIGHT FLUSH | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 3 | THREE OF A KIND | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 3 | STRAIGHT | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | FLUSH | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | ROYAL FLUSH | 150 | 150 | 150 | 150 |
| 4 | FOUR OF A KIND | 60 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| 4 | STRAIGHT FLUSH | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| 4 | THREE OF A KIND | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 4 | STRAIGHT | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 4 | FLUSH | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | TWO PAIR | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | KINGS OR BETTER | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | ROYAL FLUSH | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 |
| 5 | STRAIGHT FLUSH | 250 | 250 | 200 | 200 |
| 5 | FOUR OF A KIND | 60 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| 5 | FULL HOUSE | 12 | 12 | 11 | 9 |
| 5 | FLUSH | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| 5 | STRAIGHT | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| 5 | THREE OF A KIND | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 5 | TWO PAIR | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 5 | KINGS OR BETTER | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | ANY OTHER WIN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Return | 19.82% | 19.86% | 19.85% | 19.89% |
| 4 | Return | 32.44% | 32.13% | 32.27% | 32.26% |
| 5 | Return | 47.27% | 46.50% | 45.28% | 44.28% |
| Total | Return | 99.53% | 98.49% | 97.39% | 96.43% |
Strategy
Sorry, you're on your own with that for now.
Acknowledgement
I would like to thank IGT for supplying the pay tables and returns in the tables above.
