Video Poker Forum

Some 5-reel slot machines have embedded 3-reel mini games, usually on the center 3 reels.

Would you play a Spin Poker game with a similar bonus but applied to the left, center and right 3-reel groups which would add 15 3-card mini paylines in addition to the 9 5-card paylines?

I'm only a player so I don't know the math, i.e.: how much should the bonus bet cost, 3-card pay tables, etc., but it's just one of those things that come to mind as you play the game.

There are already 3-card 4-deck video poker machines so those pay tables wouldn't apply because Spin Poker is a single deck game.

Your thoughts, world?

Here's how a typical game might end. The 3-card mini pays are in addition to the pays on the 9 regular pay lines.

The mini pay lines are 1, 2 and 3 horizontal from top to bottom, and 4 and 5 descending and ascending diagonally.

On this game the left group has won 3 of a Kind, Jacks or Better, Jacks or Better, 3 of a Kind and Jacks or Better.

The middle group won Jacks or Better on all 5 mini pay lines.

The right group has no wins on pay line 1 and 2, a mini Royal Flush on line 3, a flush on line 4 and no win on line 5.

Now you feel like playing?

Came up with a better name:

JoeE wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 5:57 am

There are already 3-card 4-deck video poker machines

Are there really? Can you give an example or two?

I'm struggling to recall any vp game using multiple decks, and I can only think of one game with 3-card payouts: Big Split.

I meant the 3-card poker games with a virtual dealer and multiple players. Poor choice of words. The ravages of age.

JoeE wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 22, 2020 12:29 pm

I meant the 3-card poker games with a virtual dealer and multiple players.

Sorry, I didn't think about electronic table games.

I like your idea, but its success would depend on the implementation details. You'd need to find a pay schedule structure that would be popular, and because the concept is new you can't easily compare to existing games for guidance. Max bet would be a big number of coins, so any denom above nickels would be expensive for players. Casinos instinctively set all their nickel games for low paybacks, which could prevent players from accepting the game.

I'm also interested in the idea of video poker using multiple decks, but I guess that's a topic for another thread.

Alternatively, just the middle reels could be the 3-card reels, thus the player scored 5 mini Jacks or Better. The basic pay table:

3-Card Royal Flush
3-Card Straight Flush
Three of a Kind
3-Card Flush
3-Card Straight
Jacks or Better

And from there we can really go crazy with bonus hands:

Three Aces
Three 2s, 3s, 4s
Three 5 Thru King
etc.

The possibilities boggle the mind!

I think there are only 3 lines , the middle dictating what cards are held , then the other cards are replaced with the held cards, then the others which already were there are flipped over thus give you a 15 card display.

Playing Spin Poker on the iPad reveals that 3-card winning hands happen often enough to make the bonus enticing. Using the middle reels for 3-Card Mini, here's how the game might look during the 3-Card Mini payout sequence:

The 5 pay lines are indicated by the first 5 colors of a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green and blue. On this hand, the player won 5 Mini Jacks or Better.

The 3-Card Mini bonus adds even more strategy. A 3-Card Mini Straight Flush or Mini Royal Flush with Jacks or Better on reels 1 and 5 is definitely a 5-card hold.

The ultimate win on the deal: 5-card Royal Flush with a 3-Card Mini Royal Flush in the middle. Boggles the mind.

Here's an example of the 3-Card Mini rescuing a losing draw:

Our unlucky player made the right hold but was thwarted by reel number 5. Not to worry, dude! The 3-Card Mini gave you 5 Mini-Flushes!