I usually avoid Ultimate X like the plague since it eats money fast and I never seem to win anything. Yesterday I decided to try it again after losing on STP, and went on a nice run. May have to try Ult X more often!
I enjoy the Ultimate X game that I play online, but can't find a machine in Vegas with a decent play table. May I ask where you played?
Damn! Nice hits! I discovered Ultimate X on my last stay at NY NY. 2 hand pays playing triple play quarters on DDB.
Interesting thing about this game is you have to adjust your approach versus straight double double VP. For instance, straights and flushes are much more important to get the multipliers as are full houses. Normally, I will hold two aces if paired up, but in this game, I draw for the FH. Also will hold three to a flush or straight rather than a non AKQJ pair. This is truly a game where you rely on a short run or a big hit and just try to hold your own to get to that big payout. Looks like you are playing $50 a throw so hats off on that plus the big wins.
South Point has "full pay" Bonus (7/5), Bonus Deluxe (8/6), "Airport" Deuces Wild (25/15/9/4/4/3), and the best Ultimate X version in Vegas 9/6 DDB (~99.7-99.8% after Ultimate X) for 3/5/10 play quarters. The other 3 games are roughly 99.3% with the impossible optimal strategy. Using a multiplier-independent strategy only costs 0.1% or less though (see link below). Hard Rock also has 9/6 DDB for quarters. Palms has 7/5 Bonus and "Airport" Deuces available for 50c, $1 Harrah's and Flamingo has 7/5 Bonus for dollars. Yeah always hold 2 pair, a guaranteed 3X next hand is much more valuable than a guaranteed 2X. 3 to a regular flush is a lot weaker than a pair but always better than garbage. Garbage is actually better than 3 to a straight unless it's KQJ or QJT. "full pay" multiplier-independent strategies (except for deuces) can be found here: http://wizardofodds.com/games/video-poker/tables/ultimate-x/ And nice hits Mike!!
I also hold two pair including aces, but if i have a big multiplier (8X to 12X) I will only hold the aces going for the 4 aces hoping to hit a big payout. is that a bad play?
When the average multiplier for the current hand gets higher, then "standard VP strategy" becomes more important to maximize more value for the current hand. When the average multiplier is lower, a more generous strategy for making full houses, flushes, straights, and lower is warranted. On some of the strategies the Wizard's site, the person that created the strategies (JB) does list some multiplier exceptions for various games. Unfortunately he didn't do this for Double Double Bonus (likely the most popular game). But in the Double Bonus game, he says to break two pair with Aces when the average multiplier for the current hand is 3.4 or more. Considering 4 Aces pay more on average in DDB, I would think you would want to break two pair of Aces if the average multiplier for the current hand is above 3 or so, maybe even lower. So if you're doing it only on big multipliers on board, then it's more likely the correct play. One 8X on a 3-hand game gives a minimum average multiplier of (8+1+1)/3 = 3.333. But if you were never, ever to change your strategy based on multipliers, then holding 2 pair with Aces is would be best than always breaking them because the average multiplier is only slightly above 2.0 since the game is 10 credits instead of 5.
I think it would all depend on how I was doing up to that point. If I was getting my butt kicked and was trying to claw my way back to even, I would probably take the safe bet and keep the 2 pair hoping for a few FH. However, if I was already even or up, go for the 4oak.
Thanks for the answers i just think that sometimes I like to go for broke and go for the big hits and just go broke