If you have already mastered the right strategy for playing video poker, you might be looking for a new way to elevate your casino experience. In order to bring more thrill to your gaming, you can try multi-hand video poker. As the name of the game suggests, players have the chance to bet on more than just one hand. This automatically makes the gambling more exciting and saves you a lot of time.
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It is extremely easy to play multi-hand video poker as it utilizes the same rules as its single-hand counterpart. Sometimes this type of video poker games can also be referred to as multiline video poker. They offer players to make bets on 3, 5, 10, 25, 50 or even 100 hands at once. Multi-hand video poker is definitely more suitable for certain types of players. It surely incorporates some attractive features but can also be rather costly for video poker fans with smaller budgets.
If you, however, are interested in this game, you should continue reading in order to learn what are the differences and similarities between single-hand and multi-hand video poker. We will also help you decide whether this is a variation worth playing and how you can optimize your winning chances.
What is Multi-Hand Video Poker
There is nothing complicated in playing multiline video poker. In fact, the game starts with the typical hand of 5 random cards from a 52-card deck. Depending on the variant you have chosen, you can usually opt for making bets on 3, 5, 10, 25, 50 or 100 hands. Let us assume, you have chosen to play with 5 hands. This would mean that the size of your bet will be staked five times and each of the five hands will have its own deck to draw from. The five cards to form your hand will be the same for all 5 hands and whichever card you decide to discard will also be replaced in the other hands.
It can be said that everything about each of the hands you bet on is the same, except for the cards after the second draw. This means that you have the chance to form a winning hand on some of the additional hands even if you have not landed the combination you were hoping for on the initial hand. Since you are playing multiple lines at the same time, you can achieve the same average payout in a shorter time than playing the same game with a single hand.
You should be careful, however, since even if you are playing on a $0.25 video poker game, this bet will actually be applied to all of the hands you decide to play with. This means that you can lose your money a lot faster, especially if you have not prepared a hefty budget beforehand. Although you are betting a large sum on multiline video poker games, this will not decrease the house edge. This is why you should be careful about how many hands you are willing to bet your money on.
Let us take a multiline 9/6 Jacks or Better for an example. If your initial draw has dealt you a pair of Jacks and you decide to keep them and draw three new additional cards. If you have decided to play with 5 hands, then this action will be repeated for all of the hands you make your bet on. Imagine if you are dealt a winning hand on your initial draw. This will bring you a payout for all of the 5 hands you are playing with or you can even opt for forming hands with higher payouts.
Should You Stick to Single-Hand Video Poker?
Before you jump into conclusions, there are several things you should consider about both the single-hand and multi-hand variants of video poker. There is really no specific answer to whether players benefit more from playing with a single hand or multiple hands. The truth is that both of the variations have some advantages and disadvantages and players have different preferences about the number of hands to bet on.
Just like every other type of video poker games, with multiline variants, it is also important to check the paytable. Of course, when choosing the game to play for real money, players are advised to select a full-pay variation. These, however, are difficult to find when playing with multiple hands. It is possible to find full-pay variants if you are betting on 3 or 5 hands, however, as the number increases, the payouts for winning hands tend to drop down. This means that, in most cases, single-hand video poker games offer a better payout than the multi-hand ones.
It is a common misbelief that playing with more hands will improve your winning chances on video poker. If you are playing with the same payouts, there will be no change in the winning odds no matter how many hands you are playing with.
If we are talking about variance, single-line video poker games have higher variance when players are receiving higher payouts for certain winning hands. For example, Jacks or Better with full payouts offers 9 credits for a single one when forming a Full House and a payout of 6 to 1 for a Flush, has a variance of 19.5 since it has only one high-paying hand which is the Royal Flush. On the other hand, a game like Bonus Poker has a higher variance (20.9) since the payouts for four aces or four 2s, 3s or 4s are much higher than the typical ones.
Single-Hand Video Poker Additional TipsWhenever you are playing a multi-hand variant of video poker, you can increase the variance with every line you decide to bet on. With this type of video poker, it does not matter if you increase the size of your stake but adding more hands definitely affect the variance. And since the outcome on every line depends on the five cards you are initially dealt, you can enjoy great payouts if your first draw is a winning one. However, if your first 5 cards form a losing hand, this will apply to all of the lines you have decided to bet on.
When choosing between a single-hand and multi-hand video poker variants, you should definitely consider the potential profit and the size of the risk you will have to take. Players tend to bet the same amount on both single-line and multi-line video poker, however, they should be aware that the outcome will not be the same. To help you understand why this is like that, we will take a look at single-play 1$ machine and ¢25 four-play machine. On the single hand variation, you make the maximum bet of 5 credits and stake $5 on just one hand. When you are playing the multi-line game, you also make a total bet of $5, however, the bet on every line is smaller in size. This means that even if one of the four hands turns out to be a winning one, you will enjoy a smaller return due to the fact you have staked a smaller amount. The only scenario when you will not enjoy a tinier payout on the multi-line machine is if you are dealt a winning hand on the initial draw but that is quite a rare possibility.
If you have decided to switch to multiline video poker games but you are still betting to the same amounts, you should know that even though weaker hands will give you reasonable payouts, the win for a Royal Flush will be significantly lower on a multi-hand variation of video poker.
As you can see, there is no clear answer to which variant of video poker is better. Depending on your preferences and your bankroll, you may prefer the faster tempo of multi-hand video poker or you may be more keen on playing with just a single hand.
What Strategy Should Be Used on Multi-Hand Video Poker?
You may be wondering whether the strategy you have used on a single-hand video poker will have to change once you switch to a multi-play variant. It may seem strange, but you will not have to change your strategy of playing even if you are betting on more lines. There are a few reasons why sticking to the same system of playing will bring you the same results whether you are playing with one, 50 or 100 hands.
If you think about the way multi-hand video poker is played, you will quickly realize that you are simply playing the same hand 100 times at once. This is not very different than drawing the same hand 100 times on a single-hand video poker.
When you are playing with multiple lines, you are actually having the same odds as you would when you are betting on the single-hand variant of the same game. You might form Royal Flush more often when playing with multiple lines but that is not because your odds are increased but because you are making a bet on several hands at once. This is why the strategy that you apply to your initial hand will also apply to the other hands and you do not have to change the strategy you are using.
Although the strategy for single-line and multi-line video poker is the same, you should make sure that the payouts are the same. Otherwise, you may end up using the ultimate strategy for a full-pay game on a variant that offers lower payouts and this will affect the end result.
Since each hand in multi-line video poker has its own deck, there is no need to utilize a different strategy for such game. This is why you are good to go if you have mastered a certain strategy and you simply want to play with multiple hands at once.
Positive and Negative Sides of Playing Multi-Hand Video Poker
There are various perks and disadvantages to playing video poker with multiple hands. The end decision is entirely based on the player’s preferences and it cannot be said for certain whether this version is better than the singleline one.
One of the good qualities of playing with multiple hands is that the game is more interesting and has a more thrilling dynamic, compared to the single play versions of video poker. The other great thing is that you will be able to cut down the time you spend playing video poker. Since you are playing multiple lines at once, on a multi-hand variation of video poker, you are able to reach the number of hands you are determined to play faster
The downfall of playing at a fast pace is that you might make more mistakes when playing with multiple hands. In addition to that, you risk losing your money much faster which is not fun. It is obvious that if players get a high-paying hand on the initial draw, they will receive a generous payout, especially when playing with 100 lines. This being said, they will first have to make bet on all of the 100 lines which can be quite devastating for those who have not prepared a massive bankroll.
Obviously, a good starting hands is a great winning opportunity for those who play with multiple lines. However, if your initial 5 cards do not form a strong hand or promise no payout at all, you are risking losing a huge amount of money.
Positive and Negative Sides Additional TipsThe great thing about playing multiline video poker is that you will not need a new strategy if you have switched to a variation with the same paytable as the single-hand one. No matter the number of hands you bet on, your winning odds will not change and you will be able to use the same strategy you have mastered on the single-hand option.
You can come across various multi-hand video poker machines that will have a very low denomination for the coins. This would mean that you will not have to change significantly the amount you are used to wagering on single-play video poker versions. This being said, betting $1 on a single hand and staking the same amount on several hands will definitely affect the return you can expect when hitting a winning combination. It is pretty clear, that if you have a Royal Flush, the payout on a single-hand variant will be significantly higher than the reward you will enjoy on a multiline video poker variation.
In the end, multi-hand video poker is better for players who have set a generous budget for their gambling and want to save some time while doing so. Whether you are playing with a single hand or you have chosen to bet on 100 lines, your winning odds and the strategy you should use remain the same. If you, however, prefer to slow down the tempo and avoid losing a huge amount of money in a fast way, then you should probably stick to single-hand video poker games.
Conclusion
Miltih-hand video poker is a great source of entertainment for those who are ready to take higher risks. If you are wondering whether you should stick to the single-play version or try to bet on multiple lines, there are some things you should take into consideration.
Simply placing bets on more hands will not improve your betting chances and there is even the possibility for the payouts to be lower on variations with more than 5 lines. Multi-hand video poker is great for enjoying smaller wins on lower-paying hands. However, it will be a much better reward sweeping the Royal Flush payout on a single-hand game.
As you can see, multi-hand variations of video poker are great for a certain type of casino players. While it is worth trying such options, you should always be careful with the budget limit you are willing to gamble away. In addition to that, you should always check the paytables and use the correct video poker strategy when betting on multiple hands.