Multi Strike Guide
Multi Strike poker (like Quick Quads poker or Spin Poker) is a variation on existing video poker games. Multi Strike is a four line game, and each line is worth double the line before it. The real twist though is that you have to win the previous line ( or receive a "free ride") to advance to the next line. Here is a Multi Strike Jacks or Better game at VideoPoker.com:
In the example above I was playing four hands, but only advanced to the second.
How to Play Multi Strike Poker
To get started playing Multi Strike you need to first choose how many hands you are going to play (one-four) and then choose how many coins you are going to bet per hand (one-five coins). We always recommend betting five coins per hand for the Royal Flush bonus. For the purpose of this article we're going to assume everyone is playing four hands.
First Line
After you've chosen how many coins to bet per hand/line, you will press deal and receive your first hand. You can then click the cards to hold them, and click Draw to receive your new cards. You'll advance to the second line if your final hand qualifies for a payout or if you were dealt a "free ride" card.
Keep in mind that your payouts rack up in the "total win" box as you advance from line to line, and you're paid the full amount when you either win on the fourth line or fail to advance.
Second Line
If you advanced to the second line you'll be dealt another hand. Once again you can choose which cards to hold and which cards to draw. If your hand is a winner, or if you are dealt a free ride, you'll advance to the third line. Keep in mind that all winning hands on the second line actually pay double what they normally would.
Third Line
If you advanced to the third line you'll be dealt another hand. Once again you can choose which cards to hold and which cards to draw. If your hand is a winner, or if you are dealt a free ride, you'll advance to the fourth line. Keep in mind that all winning hands on the third line actually pay quadruple what they normally would.
Fourth Line
If you advanced to the fourth line you'll be dealt another hand. Once again you can choose which cards to hold and which to draw. All winning hands pay 8x what they normally would. After the hand ends regardless if you win or lose, you'll receive all of the credits that have racked up in the "Total Win" box along with winnings you received on the fourth line.
"Free Rides"
I've already mentioned "free rides" a few times so I'll explain that now. When you receive your initial deal sometimes there will be a small pop up that says "free ride". All this means is that you automatically advance to the next line even if your hand doesn't qualify. You can receive free rides in any of the first three lines, but not the fourth.
(Example of a Free Ride card on the third level)
Free Ride Probabilities
Free Ride cards have fixed probabilities of appearing on each line. On the first line, the probability of a free card is about 8.25%. On the second line, it's about 7.8%. On the third line, it's about 7.8% again. Obviously you cannot get a Free Ride on the fourth line because there are no more lines to advance to.
Payouts in Multi Strike Games
As I'm sure you've already realized, there are opportunities for enormous payouts in multi strike games. If you hit a Royal Flush on the fourth line you're looking at a 32,000 coin win, which could be well over $100,000 depending on what stakes you're playing.
One thing to keep in mind though is that multi strike games are not enormously profitable, even if they seem so. It's true that the game offers some huge payouts, but keep in mind that you're most likely betting a total of 20 coins per round (five coins per hand x four hands).
So, if you're playing a dollar machine you're feeding in $20 a hand. Because of this, the odds on a Multi Strike machine are slightly lower than on a normal machine.
Multi Strike Strategy
Another thing to take a look at is the correct strategy for multi strike games. Since it pays handsomely to advance to the fourth line, your strategy on the first three lines should be more conservative, with more of your focus going towards making a paying hand as opposed to trying to hit the big score. Be more apt to hold pairs over long shot draws so you have the chance to advance to the next line.
Where to Play Multi Strike
Unfortunately, at the moment none of the online casinos offer Multi Strike games for real money. If you want to play Multi Strike you'll have to head to a live casino.
