Texas Holdem high (Microgaming)

[Juho]

MG has introduced their version of Casino Holdem. The game is called Texas Holdem high and the rules are a mixture of Casino Holdem and Texas Holdem bonus. Perhaps Aka23 could calculate the house edge and correct strategy for this game?

[aka23]

I looks like an interesting game that is quite distinct from both Texas Hold'em Bonus and Casino Hold'em. Optimal strategy for 1 hand will be quite simple as it only depends on the player's 2 cards. However, I expect that you can significantly decrease house edge by playing 5 hands at once and adjusting strategy based on all the visible cards on the table, instead of treating each hand separately. A calc would be useful for this part. Maybe there is an existing Hold'em Poker calc that can substitute. I will look into the game in more detail.

[VPGenius]

I just put an analysis and strategy guide for the game on my site: Hold'em High Poker

I also agree that it should be possible to reduce the house edge by playing 5 hands and adjusting the strategy based on the exposed cards. The analysis and strategy guide I created apply when one hand is being played.

For the record, I think the same possibility exists for Microgaming's Multi-Hand 3 Card Poker, because that game also uses one deck but allows 5 hands to be played simultaneously.

[pantsdown]

Any Idea how greatly the edge could be impacted by playing 5 cards?

Theoritcally in Pai Gow I beleive that with 5 hands or more you can actually gain a player edge (of course nowhere you can play 5 handed pai gow) would be sweet if thats possible here.

[aka23]

Originally Posted by VPGenius

I just put an analysis and strategy guide for the game on my site: Hold'em High Poker

I also agree that it should be possible to reduce the house edge by playing 5 hands and adjusting the strategy based on the exposed cards. The analysis and strategy guide I created apply when one hand is being played.

For the record, I think the same possibility exists for Microgaming's Multi-Hand 3 Card Poker, because that game also uses one deck but allows 5 hands to be played simultaneously.

Wow, that is a really detailed and impressive analysis!

Based on the effect of collusion in other poker-type games, I'd guess that adjusting play based on the known cards would significantly decrease expected loss per wager, but not enough to match low house edge games like BJ or JoB.

[VPGenius]

Originally Posted by aka23

Wow, that is a really detailed and impressive analysis!

Based on the effect of collusion in other poker-type games, I'd guess that adjusting play based on the known cards would significantly decrease expected loss per wager, but not enough to match low house edge games like BJ or JoB.

Thanks! I worked on it most of the day yesterday. I haven't actually played the game yet, so I had to rely on the help files to figure out the rules.

[Sammy]

I would like to say an extra thanks to VPGenius.
Your site helped me quite a lot and still helps me when playing VP (my brain is to small to remember the right strategy all the time)

[VPGenius]

Originally Posted by Sammy

I would like to say an extra thanks to VPGenius.
Your site helped me quite a lot and still helps me when playing VP

Thank you!

Originally Posted by Sammy

(my brain is to small to remember the right strategy all the time)

Same here. I dare say I created the site for my own benefit!

Back to this game... I just created a simulator which plays 5 hands and determines the perfect strategy for each hand based on the exposed cards. It runs pretty slooooow, because it requires 850,668 iterations for each of the 5 hands = 4,253,340 calculations per game. Each game is taking about 3 seconds to process. As of now, only 250 games (1,250 hands) have been run. It will take a long time before anything meaningful comes out of it.

[Juho]

Originally Posted by VPGenius

Back to this game... I just created a simulator which plays 5 hands and determines the perfect strategy for each hand based on the exposed cards. It runs pretty slooooow, because it requires 850,668 iterations for each of the 5 hands = 4,253,340 calculations per game. Each game is taking about 3 seconds to process. As of now, only 250 games (1,250 hands) have been run. It will take a long time before anything meaningful comes out of it.

Keep up the good work! Right now the 97.7% return of the game isn't tempting but if multi-handing allows you to gain just 1-2 extra percent then this game would be suitable for bonus wagering. I assume it is counted as table poker in bonus weightings, which means it has higher weighting than blackjack.

[VPGenius]

I just played the game using a birthday bonus, and I actually kind of like it (despite the low return).

I will say this: it's easy to get mad at the game! Check out these three hands, all relatively close to each other:

This one was just a close call:
RoyalScare1.jpg

This one, well, at least I won something:
RoyalScare2.jpg

But this one really takes the cake:
RoyalScare3.jpg