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Quick Quads Makes 4-of-a-Kind Easier to Hit

6 February 2008

Any regular video poker player knows that hitting 4-of-a-kind at least one time during any given playing session is essential to staying in the game without having to dip into your bankroll to purchase more credits on the machine.

Those illusive "quads" make the difference between a profitable session and a losing one. But catching them can often prove a frustrating quest. When you get 3-of-a-kind on the draw, the anticipation builds. You know the card you need is among the 47 still "shuffling" in the computer program's virtual deck, and you've got two chances to draw it.

The odds are against you, of course, but when you do see the card pop up to complete your "quad" and the credit meter on your machine begin to run up, it's one of the thrills of playing the game. Catch the fourth card plus a "kicker" to win a bonus payoff and it's even better.

A new video poker game format from IGT called Quick Quads was created to eliminate some of the frustration. Quick Quads is part of the new product line from the world's leading slot machine and video poker manufacturer and will be available in casinos across the country later this year.

The game's unique feature begins after a play is made and the five-card deal is displayed on the screen. If the hand shows 3-of-a-kind, the values of the two non-matching cards are added together. If the sum is equal to the rank of the 3-of-a-kind, the player is awarded the pay for 4-of-a-kind.

Players have two opportunities to be rewarded with a Quick Quad return: First, on the deal and again on the draw, after you discard the two non-matching cards. Aces (counted as one) through nine are used in tabulating the values of the non-matching cards. Tens and face cards don't count. Only 3-of-a-kind in 2's through 10's can be made into a "quad" using the bonus feature.

With Quick Quads, instead of needing that one card among 47, a combination of many cards can complete your 4-of-a-kind. But there is a price to pay for the perk in the form of a sixth coin "buy-a-pay" feature. You have to bet six coins instead of five on every hand to qualify.

It can get expensive playing Quick Quads in IGT's popular Triple Play, Five Play and Ten Play video poker formats. However, the extra cost does not take anything away from the standard pay table. If the player doesn't make 4-of-a-kind with the feature, the 3-of-a-kind is paid as if there were no feature.

Additionally, playing a sixth coin means getting paid full value for a 4-of-a-kind, plus, in some cases depending on the game, you receive a bonus.

If you're playing Quick Quads in Double-Double Bonus Poker, you receive a 200 credit bonus (1,000 credits instead of 800 credits) for catching four aces or 4-of-a-kind in 2's, 3's, or 4's with the kicker.

CASINO NEWS: IGT's revolutionary "Guaranteed Play" video poker, a feature in which a player buys a set number of hands instead of credits, had its roll-out phase exclusively at Station Casino owned properties in Nevada.

"As a test it's going pretty well," said John Daley, IGT's Director of Video Poker. "What we found is that we're not getting the standard video poker play on those machines because we think we branded it too hard towards Guaranteed Play.

"We're also getting feedback about not being able to change games or change denominations in the middle of play. This is an early version, so we'll be making some changes and doing a few other things."

The next version of Guaranteed Play is due shortly. It'll also be released in the near future as a component of video slots and video blackjack.

John G. Brokopp

John G. Brokopp's gaming column appears in Chicago Sun Times (Chicago, Illinois), The Times (Northwest Indiana), The Quad City Times (Davenport, Iowa), The Courier News (Elgin, Illinois), The Gazette (Southwest Suburban Chicago) and Senior Wire (Denver, CO). He's also a regular contributor to The Colorado Gambler, Midwest Gaming & Travel, Casino Player and Strictly Slots. John possesses 28 years of experience as a professional handicapper, publicist, freelance writer, and casino gaming correspondent. He is also the author of two very popular books, The Insider’s Guide to Internet Gambling and Thrifty Gambling.

Books by John G. Brokopp:

> More Books By John G. Brokopp

John G. Brokopp
John G. Brokopp's gaming column appears in Chicago Sun Times (Chicago, Illinois), The Times (Northwest Indiana), The Quad City Times (Davenport, Iowa), The Courier News (Elgin, Illinois), The Gazette (Southwest Suburban Chicago) and Senior Wire (Denver, CO). He's also a regular contributor to The Colorado Gambler, Midwest Gaming & Travel, Casino Player and Strictly Slots. John possesses 28 years of experience as a professional handicapper, publicist, freelance writer, and casino gaming correspondent. He is also the author of two very popular books, The Insider’s Guide to Internet Gambling and Thrifty Gambling.

Books by John G. Brokopp:

> More Books By John G. Brokopp