vpFREE2 Forums

Multistrike NSUD strategy---in English? A few questions

#1

Re the Dancer article mentioned several times that contained a
simplified version of the 9/6 JOB Multistrike rules: Is there a
similar summary of the NSUD (or Ugly Ducks) Multistrike rules
available in English (as opposed to a computer-generated EV table from
which the strategy can be DERIVED)?

Also, does the "add 6, add 4, add 2" rule to generate strategy tables
work for ANY Multistrike game?

Also: Is the frequency of appearance of the "Free Ride" card related
to the inherent EV of the game, i.e. it appears more often in 9/7 DB
than in 10/7 DB, and so forth?

This game is like regular VP on acid, and it's HARD to play correctly,
plus the volatility is off the scale. This is the only quarter game
I've ever played where it's not only possible, but downright easy, to
lose $500 in an hour. So I really, really need to play it PERFECTLY.

#2

rockofjello333 wrote:

Also, does the "add 6, add 4, add 2" rule to generate strategy tables
work for ANY Multistrike game?

Basically, "Yes!" The slight varitions in games/free-play account for _miniscule_ variations from 6/4/2.

Also: Is the frequency of appearance of the "Free Ride" card related
to the inherent EV of the game, i.e. it appears more often in 9/7 DB
than in 10/7 DB, and so forth?

Free-Ride appears with the frequency that is indicated in the pay-tables for that particular game/pay-table, or at least on a screen that is accessible from the paytables. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the "inherent EV of the game", such as JoB-9/6, as far as that goes. It seems to me that the 'FreeRide' percentage is an arbitrary figure/value that is conveniently used by the game-designer to 'balance' the game.

Cheers.

Bill Velek -- still mostly lurking at this point.

#3

Bill Velek wrote:

It seems to me that the 'FreeRide' percentage is an arbitrary
figure/value that is conveniently used by the game-designer to
'balance' the game.

Bill,

The Free Ride is used to target an advance rate from one Level to the
next to 50%. Without this feature, the ER of the game would fall
considerably short of the basic paytable ER.

If I understand correctly, the FR frequencies are tweaked a little to
meet certain regulatory requirements -- namely that the optimal game
return not exceed 100% and that the optimal return increases as the
number of levels played is upped.

For Jacks or Better, the expected advance rates assuming optimal
strategy are .5097, .5048, .4956.

- Harry

#4

Harry Porter wrote:

For Jacks or Better, the expected advance rates assuming optimal
strategy are .5097, .5048, .4956.

That should read "for 9/6 Jacks ..." - H.

#5

Harry Porter wrote:

Bill Velek wrote:
> It seems to me that the 'FreeRide' percentage is an arbitrary
> figure/value that is conveniently used by the game-designer to
> 'balance' the game.

Bill,

The Free Ride is used to target an advance rate from one Level to the
next to 50%. Without this feature, the ER of the game would fall
considerably short of the basic paytable ER.

If I understand correctly, the FR frequencies are tweaked a little to
meet certain regulatory requirements -- namely that the optimal game
return not exceed 100% and that the optimal return increases as the
number of levels played is upped.

For Jacks or Better, the expected advance rates assuming optimal
strategy are .5097, .5048, .4956.

Harry, that is _precisely_ what I meant when I said "'balance' the game." I didn't see the need to be more specific.

Cheers.

Bill Velek