Extra Action Video Poker: A Game with Bonus Hands
Extra action video poker is a video poker variant that offers the player a chance to get bonus hands if he gets at least one ace (or a deuce in deuces wild games) on the draw. The bonus hands have a different pay table and a multiplier feature that can increase the winnings. This game is based on conventional three- and five-play video poker but with an additional bet that enables the extra action feature.
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How Do You Play Extra-Action Video Poker?
To play extra action video poker, the player must first choose the base game and the number of hands (three or five) he wants to play. The base game can be any of the following video poker variants:
- Jacks or Better
- Bonus Poker
- Double Bonus
- Triple Double Bonus
- Double Double Bonus
- Deuces Wild Bonus
- Deuces Wild
- Joker Poker
- Double Joker Poker
The player must then make a max coin bet (five coins) for each hand in the base game. For example, if the player chooses to play three hands of Jacks or Better, he must bet 15 coins in total.
To enable the extra action feature, the player must make an additional bet of 5, 10, or 15 coins. This bet determines the number of bonus hands the player will get if he gets at least one ace (or a deuce in deuces wild games) on the draw. The number of bonus hands is as follows:
- 5 coins: 4 bonus hands
- 10 coins: 8 bonus hands
- 15 coins: 12 bonus hands
After making the bets, the player will be dealt five cards in the base game. He can then choose which cards to hold and which to discard, as in conventional video poker. The held cards will be replicated in all the hands, and new ones from separate decks will replace the discarded cards.
If the player gets at least one ace (or a deuce in deuces wild games) on the draw, he will trigger the extra action feature and get the corresponding number of bonus hands. The bonus hands will have the same cards as the base game, except that only the aces (or deuces) will be held automatically. The player cannot change the held cards in the bonus hands. The remaining cards in the bonus hands will be drawn from separate decks as well.
The player will then be paid according to the pay tables of the base game and the bonus hands. The pay tables of the base game are the same as the conventional video poker variants. The pay tables of the bonus hands are different and depend on whether the game is wild or not. Also,the pay tables of the bonus hands are shown below.
| Extra Draw Hands Pay Table (Nothing Wild) | Hand | Pays |
| Royal flush | Straight flush | 800 |
| Four of a kind | Full House | 200 |
| Flush | straight | 8 |
| Three of a kind | Two pair | 3 |
| Jacks or better | loser | 1 |
| Extra Draw Hands Pay Table (Deuces Wild) | Hand | Pays |
| Four deuces plus ace | Four deuces | 400 |
| Wild royal | Five of a kind | 27 |
| Straight flush | Four of a kind | 6 |
| Full house | Flush | 2 |
| Straight | All other | 1 |
In addition to the pay tables, the bonus hands also have a multiplier feature that can increase the winnings. After the draw in every bonus hand, if there is a win less than a full house (or four of a kind in deuces wild games), the player will have two options:
- Accept a multiplier (for instance, 6x or 7x) on the win and end the current set of bonus hands.
- Decline it to resume the remaining bonus hands, hoping for a bigger win.
Suppose the player gets a full house or better (or four of a kind or better in deuces wild games) in a bonus hand. In that case, the game will automatically apply the multiplier, end the current set of bonus hands, and start a new set of bonus hands with the same number of hands and the same held cards. The player must still make the same bets for the base game and the extra action feature.
The game ends when the player runs out of bonus hands or accepts the multiplier on the last bonus hand.
What Are the Benefits of Playing Extra-Action Video Poker?
Extra action video poker is a game that offers several benefits for video poker fans, such as:
- It adds a new layer of excitement and strategy to the game, as the player has to decide whether to take the multiplier or gamble for a bigger win in the bonus hands.
- It gives the player a chance to win huge payouts, especially if he gets a full house or better (or four of a kind or better in deuces wild games) in consecutive bonus hands with high multipliers.
- The game has a high return to player (RTP) percentage, ranging from 98.98% for Jacks or Better to 99.92% for Deuces Wild Bonus, assuming optimal strategy and a max coin bet in the base game and the extra action feature1.
- It is easy to learn and play, as it follows the same rules and pay tables as the standard video poker games, except for the bonus hands.
Where Can You Play Extra-Action Video Poker?
Extra action video poker is a game that can be found in many land-based and online casinos that offer IGT products. You can also play it for free online at VegasSlotsOnline, where you can choose from nine different video poker games and switch between standard and extra action modes. You can also find more information and tips on how to play and win at extra action video poker at Wizard of Odds. This reputable website provides analysis and strategy for various casino games.