Wheel Poker Quick Quads

[John&Elaine]

We have played Wheel Poker Quick Quads for several years using the standard Wizard of Odds Quick Quads Strategy sheet, mainly because we can't find a specific Wheel Poker variant. While playing the monthly tournament it struck me that the wheel must have an effect on strategy. I was dealt a full house, 3-9s & 2-6s. Standard QQ Triple Double Bonus says to take the full house unless there are 3 aces, twos, threes, or fours. Makes sense with high payout. I held the three nines and one six, got a QQ and 250 on the wheel, although this is contrary to the strategy. Is there a wheel poker strategy guide ( I couldn't find it) and did I do the correct hold? Thanks in advance.

[onemoretry]

I have always felt that you should add the average value of a wheel spin into the value of a quad in order to develop a strategy for this game.

However, I've never made the effort to do it.

[WhitneyReed]

I think the problem is that the wheel isn't random, so without knowing the setting of the machine and the odds of hitting each particular slot on the wheel. I don't know if they can be looser or tighter from machine to machine or casino to casino.

If you play the game in person it's really obvious; the wheel stops chunkily like a reel slot reel, not freely like a chuck-a-luck wheel.

[John&Elaine]

Wizard of Odds does have a chart with probabilities of each value on the wheel. Not surprisingly, odds are long on hitting 2000 compared to 50, the high and low values on the wheel. We played it recently in Vegas and the wheel is very clunky. Any thoughts, Professor Dancer?

[Onenickelmiracl]

In the contest, aces with a kicker and 2-4 quads are primarily going to be the real meat. I was only allowed to play 76 hands and that cost me placing. Yeah you pretty much have to know the value of the wheel to alter with certainty. Breaking a full house and holding a kicker, sounds like a good play to me. I would think the wheel is worth more than 150, which quads and kickers adds to more than 400, as makes it worth breaking 234s in quick quads.

[Onenickelmiracl]

Aces with kickers,and aces, 234s dealt I meant as the meat, the key factor.

[Vman96]

I have always felt that you should add the average value of a wheel spin into the value of a quad in order to develop a strategy for this game.

However, I've never made the effort to do it.

Yes, and according to the Wizard of Odds it's 157.46 coins, aka 31.49 betting units when divided by 5 (needed for the Wizards strategy calculator).

Then use the Wizards calculator for quick quads.

This is the 9/6 strategy. The calculator says the game returns 1.1501 if the game was a 6 coin game but you have to multiply by 6/7 for the 7th coin wheel poker bet, so it's 0.9858 with 7 coins bet.

9/6 TDB wheel poker with quick quads strategy

As for the actual question, 9996 is the proper hold here since quad 9s or quick quad 9s will be worth 407.46 coins on average

[John&Elaine]

Thanks for the insightful analysis. Made sense intuitively but I could not quantify it.

[Lucius]

Update for today's contest:

wizardofodds.com/games/video-poker/strategy/a-13-b-120-c-1-d-0-d-1-d-1-d-2-d-4-d-6-d-9-d-83.49-d-111.49-d-231.49-d-431.49-d-831.49-d-50-d-800/

The difference is a slight change to '4 5s thru Ks' (pays 52 + 31.49), but it does change a few holds.