Flip & Pay Poker

I always seem to find something new whenever I visit the Orleans and today was no exception. One new game I found was Flip & Pay Poker. I think I saw this at G2E, but this was the first time on a casino floor.

The gist of it is pretty simple. If you double your bet on a multi-play machine you enable the Flip & Pay feature. With that feature enabled, a dealt card may be replaced by a neighboring card of the same suit if it would result in a higher paying hand (except a high pair) and of greater expected value. Here is an example:

In the hand below I was dealt the 5 of hearts, 5 of clubs, and the 4 of diamonds. The 4 of diamonds automatically flipped up one rank to the 5 of diamonds, because it improved my hand to a three of a kind. Click any image for a larger version.



I obviously kept the three fives. One of the three hands improved to a four of a kind.



A card that gets flipped upon is returned to the deck. A card can't flip to a card the player already has.

If this isn't clear, here are the rule screens:







Here are some links to the pay table at the 25c denom at the Orleans:

Bonus poker,
Bonus Poker Deluxe,
Jacks or better,
Double double bonus poker,
Triple double bonus poker

The big question here is that "may" in the rules. What is the probability a card will flip if it qualifies for a flip? Also, what what happens if two or more cards qualify for a flip?

I'm already working my usual sources to get the flip probabilities.

By the way, this appears to not be an Action Gaming game, thus you can't play it on VideoPoker.com.

The question for the poll is would you play Flip & Pay, assuming the same return as regular video poker?

Quote: Wizard

By the way, this appears to not be an Action Gaming game, thus you can't play it on VideoPoker.com.

Actually, it was on vp.com but they pulled it because the pays were showing incorrectly. See the forum at vp.com for a discussion where someone pointed the error out. They pulled it and it has not yet returned.

ETA: http://www.actiongaming.com/

Has Action Gaming been purchased by VP.com?

Quote: rsactuary

Actually, it was on vp.com but they pulled it because the pays were showing incorrectly. See the forum at vp.com for a discussion where someone pointed the error out. They pulled it and it has not yet returned.

ETA: http://www.actiongaming.com/

Has Action Gaming been purchased by VP.com?

Interesting, thanks. I never really understood the relationship between IGT, Action Gaming, and VideoPoker.com. Maybe Paco can explain it.

Quote: rsactuary

Has Action Gaming been purchased by VP.com?

Action Gaming and videopoker.com are two different names for the "same" organization. Both are owned by Ernie Moody with Mike Fields is the Executive Vice President. Both names are found on the building they inhabit near McCarran.

Quote: BobDancer

Action Gaming and videopoker.com are two different names for the "same" organization. Both are owned by Ernie Moody with Mike Fields is the Executive Vice President. Both names are found on the building they inhabit near McCarran.

Thanks Bob!

Thanks Bob!

So where, then, does Leading Edge Design fit into this? VP.com recently added Multi-Strike games to their library, which appear to be an LED concept.

http://www.ledgaming.com/

All right, I'm done with my analysis and page on the game. Please have a look at my new page on Flip & Pay Poker.

As usual, I welcome all questions, comments, and especially corrections. Thank you.

Is Rule 2 why the instructions say a card "may" flip? As opposed to it will flip with a probability of x%?

In your summary table at the bottom, the header says "Zero Magic Cards". Probably need to change that.

Correction required?: The summary table refers to "Zero Magic Cards".

Quote: rsactuary

Is Rule 2 why the instructions say a card "may" flip? As opposed to it will flip with a probability of x%?

I changed the word "can" to "will." I was hesitant to say "will" before, because if there is another flip that will result in a greater EV hand, the lower EV flip will not happen. I figure rule 3 covers that exception to the general flipping rule.

Quote:

In your summary table at the bottom, the header says "Zero Magic Cards". Probably need to change that.

Thanks. Copy and paste error from Magic Card.

It is interesting that the last paragraph of the rules says , "Replacement cards are drawn from a separate 52-card deck for each hand, excluding the five initially dealt cards." Given that they do specify that the non-chosen card is returned to the deck, this sentence makes it seem like only the non-flipped card is excluded.