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Ultimate X Poker was created by IGT, and utilizes a format that’s very similar to their popular Triple Play Draw Poker machines. The electronic game actually offers nine different forms of video poker, each of which can be played in standard or Ultimate X modes. Ultimate Qublix Poker. 1,167,093 likes 276 talking about this.

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How to Play Ultimate X Video Poker

By Henry Tamburin

In previous articles in Strictly Slots, I wrote about the six-coins-per-line games Super Times Pay and Quick Quads. This month, I’ll describe the mother of multi-coin-per-line games known as Ultimate X.

Ultimate X is available as a multi hand and single hand video poker game. If you wager ten coins per line instead of 5 coins, you will earn a multiplier, not on the current hand, but on the following hand (i.e., betting 10 coins per line puts you in the Ultimate X mode). Essentially, you are doubling your initial bet in the hopes that you will get a greater payout on the following hand.

The easiest way to show you how Ultimate X works is to play a few hands. (The game is Triple Play Bonus Poker.)
Suppose on the first hand you wagered the maximum of 30 coins (i.e., 10 coins per line) to activate the Ultimate X feature and are dealt the following hand:

Notice on the bottom right of the screen, the “Ultimate X Poker” logo shows that it is active (because you wagered the maximum of 30 coins). On the first line, you hold the pair of 4s. The 4s will appear in the same card position on lines #2 and #3, and each line will receive three draw cards. The result of the draw gave you these final hands

You wound up with two pairs on line #1 (pair of 4s and 8s) but you didn’t get a winning hand on lines #2 and #3. Our winning two pair on line #1 paid 10 coins (which is a standard payout for two pairs for a traditional five-coin wager). The 10-coin winning payout appears in the “Win” meter at the bottom left of the screen. Likewise, the 10 coins won increased the “Credit” meter (lower right) by 10 coins. Notice that to the left of line #1 (i.e., bottom hand), you’ll see “Next Hand 3X.” This signifies that the payout for a winning hand on Line #1 on the following hand would be multiplied by 3.

On the next hand, you are dealt:

Notice that “3X” appears to the left of line #1 (to signify whatever the payout is for a winning hand on line #1, it will be multiplied by 3). You hold the single ace, hit the draw button, and wound up with a pair of Queens on line #1 and a pair of Aces on line #3.

The payout for a High Pair is five coins but on line #1, the payout is multiplied by 3 (because we had a winning hand on this line in the previous hand). Therefore, your total payout was 20 coins (5 coins for the pair of Aces on line #3, and 15 coins for the pair of Queens on Line #1). Since you have a winning hand on Lines #1 and #3, the screen shows that you will have a 2x multiplier on any winning hands on lines #1 and #3 on the following hand.

On your third hand, you were dealt two unsuited high cards (J-Q) on Line #1, you held them, and ended up with:

Unfortunately, you didn’t get a winning hand on lines #1 and #3 (with the 2x multiplier from the previous winning hands on these lines) but you got a winning hand on Line #2 that gives you a 3x multiplier on this line for the following hand.

On the next hand, you were dealt two pair:

You hold the Two Pair, say a silent prayer, and after the draw ended up with the following hands:

Unfortunately, you didn’t get a full house or three of a kind on any line on the draw (darn!) so your final result was two pair on all lines. The payout was 10 coins on line #1, 10 coins on line # 3, and 30 coins on line #2 (because of the 3x multiplier from the previous winning hand line #2). Notice also that on the following hand, you will have a 3x multiplier on all three lines.

I hope after playing these sample hands, you get the gist of how the game plays and how fun and lucrative it could be if you get a winning hand on one or more lines followed by another winning hand on the same line(s).

The amount of the multiplier that you receive for any winning hand depends on which game you are playing (e.g., bonus poker, double double bonus, etc.), what the winning hand was (see below), and how many lines you played (e.g., Triple Play, Five Play, or Ten Play.). The multiplier is always 2 xs for winning hands higher than a full house. As an example, the multipliers for the Triple Play Bonus Poker game are:

Notice that if you get a full house or flush on any line, then on the following hand the payout for any winning hand (on the same line) would be multiplied by 12 and 11 respectively. (My biggest winning hand to date playing Ultimate X was when I got four 3s with a 12x multiplier (the payout was a very nice 2400 coins or $600 playing quarters).

Keep in mind that when you activate the Ultimate X feature, you are doubling your bet (betting 10 coins per line instead of 5 coins) in return at a potential shot at a bigger payout on the following hand. Because you are betting a total of 30 coins per hand on a Triple Play Ultimate X game, the volatility is very high. Let me repeat this because it’s important: The volatility is very high. This means that if you are not lucky and don’t get a winning hand followed by another winning hand, your bankroll will head south very quickly. This greater volatility requires a much bigger bankroll to withstand the big bankroll swings that will occur with this game. (Psychologically, you also have to be prepared for the negative swings.)

According to IGT, there are nine game families on the Ultimate X platform, mostly on Three-, Five- and Ten-Play machines, although a single hand version is offered on their bundled-theme Five Star Poker. The highest return Ultimate X game that is offered is 9/6 Double Double Bonus Poker on Ten Play (99.87%, assuming perfect strategy). You can review the returns for other games on the Ultimate X page at www.wizardofodds.com.

If you want to know which casinos in Las Vegas offer Ultimate X, go to the Best Video Poker Page on www.lasvegasadvisor.com. You can also go to www.vpfree2.com and use the search function to find out which casinos in different regions of the U.S. offer Ultimate X, or use the “Find in Casinos” function on www.videopoker.com. If you want to play Ultimate X for free, go to www.videopoker.com. (I highly recommend you do so to get a feel for how the game plays and the size of the bankroll swings.)

Final Tip
When you play Ultimate X, you are paying more on the current hand in the hopes of getting a multiplier on the following hand. Therefore, on your last hand before you quit playing, you should only bet five coins per line (i.e., don’t activate the Ultimate X feature on the last hand because it has no value since you won’t be playing another hand). Also, before you start playing, check the screen on different Ultimate X games to see if a previous player left a multiplier on the game. If you are lucky to find one with a multiplier, jump in and play the hand with only a five coin per line wager. As always, but even more so with Ultimate X because you are betting twice as much per hand, play each hand with perfect basic strategy. Good luck!

Ultimate Texas Hold’em takes the popular player-vs-player poker format – and makes this into a casino table game. This game involves hole cards, a flop, turn and river. Unlike the original game, you are playing against the house, and not the other players.

With 3 chances to bet on every hand, the rules are more complex than for other casino table games. You can bet more on early streets than on later ones in Ultimate Texas Hold’em. The ability to ‘check’ is also part of the game. This keeps players involved until the end of each hand.

This page covers Ultimate Texas Hold’em (UTH) in depth. Below you will find the rules, set out as a single hand of the game. House edge and the popular ‘Trips’ side bet are covered after that. Strategy, legal online UTH games and a detailed FAQ are also included.

UTH rules: How Ultimate Texas Hold’em works

You need to place 2 bets to be dealt into a hand of Ultimate Texas Hold’em. These bets are of equal size. One is the ‘Ante’ and the other is the ‘Blind’. You also get the option to place a 3rd bet, ‘Trips’. This is a side bet. It is covered in the section below.

UTH is played with a single deck of cards, which is shuffled between deals.

Each player and the dealer are each dealt 2 ‘hole cards’ face down. You only get to look at your own cards. Sharing of hands between players is not allowed. 5 community cards are also dealt, these are all face-down at the start of the hand.

There are three possible betting rounds in each hand. Note that you only get to bet once, after which you simply wait for the outcome.

• Pre-Flop: Based on your hole cards you can choose to bet 3x or 4x your ante, or check (bet nothing and wait for the flop).
• On the Flop: Once the flop of 3 community cards is revealed, you get a second chance to bet. You can choose to bet 2x your ante – or check once again.
• After the River: Next the final two community cards are revealed. You now get to choose between betting 1x your ante – or folding your hand (losing both the Blind and Ante).

Next the dealer and players reveal their hands. There is a dealer qualification requirement. The dealer needs 1 pair or better to ‘Open’ (qualify). Your hand and the dealer’s best 5-card poker hand using any combination of the community cards and hole-cards will then be compared.

Here are how the bets are paid:

• Player Wins + Dealer Opens: Blind/Ante/Play all paid
• Player Wins + Dealer Does Not Open: Blind and Play bets paid, Ante is a Push
• Dealer Wins and Opens: All Blind/Ante/Play all lose
• Dealer Wins and Does Not Open: Blind and Play bets lose Ante is a Push

In the event of a tie all bets are considered a push.

Winning Ante and Play bets are paid at 1-to-1. Blind bets are different. They are paid depending on the strength of your poker hand. Note that anything below a straight is a push.

• Royal Flush: 500-to-1
• Straight Flush: 50-to-1
• 4 of a Kind: 10-to-1
• Full House: 3-to-1
• Flush: 3-to-2
• Straight: 1-to-1

Other casino table games

Strategy for Ultimate Texas Hold’em

To play optimally, a strategy card is recommended for this game. The requirements for whether to play, check or (after the river) fold are different as you go through the hand. There are some simple rules of thumb which will help with most of your decisions.

• Before the flop: Bet 4x with any pair, any ace, any suited king, King/5 unsuited or better, Queen/8+ (unsuited) and Queen with a 6 or 7 if suited, Jack + 10 unsuited, Jack with an 8 or 9 if suited. Every other hand is a check.
• On the flop: Bet 2x with any pair that includes one of your own hole cards, except for 2-2. 2 pairs or better or 4 to a flush (4 suited cards) where one of your own cards is at least a 10 of that suit. Otherwise check.
• After the river: Bet 1x with any hand better than a pair that includes one of your own hole cards. You should also bet where the dealer has less than 21 ‘outs’ to beat your hand. This is not always clear, with a judgement of how easily you could be beaten by high cards in the dealers hand a reasonable substitute.

UTH is not a game that works by ‘playing blind’ (betting regardless of your hole cards). With so much information available via the community cards, betting before you see them gives the casino a big house edge.

UTH side bets: Trips and progressive jackpots

Unlike many other casino table games, Ultimate Texas Hold’em already include a bonus payout. The mandatory ‘Blind’ bet pays up to 500-to-1 for a Royal Flush. There is also a popular ‘Trips’ side bet. Prizes for this will vary between casinos. Some, including Caesars Entertainment properties, tie a progressive jackpot to this bet.

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To play you simply need to place a bet on the ‘Trips’ square before the cards are dealt. If the best hand possible using your own hole cards and the community cards is 3 of a kind or better, you will get paid according to this pay table:

• Royal Flush: 50-to-1
• Straight Flush: 40-to-1
• 4 of a Kind: 30-to-1
• Full House: 9-to-1
• Flush: 7-to-1
• Straight: 4-to-1
• 3 of a Kind: 3-to-1

All other hands lose this bet. The Trips side bet is completely separate from the hand against the dealer. You could lose the main hand against the dealer, and still get paid on this side bet.

House edge for Ultimate Texas Hold’em

This game is much harder to play ‘perfectly’ compared to other casino table games. While the headline house edge is around 2.2% for your Ante and Blind bets, that assumes a perfect decision every time.

You also need to consider the variable amounts you are betting. A pre-flop Play bet will be 4 units. While the edge on those bets is 0.5%, you’ll be betting 4x your Ante – adding 2% house edge in terms of a single unit.

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As usual the Trips side bet has a bigger edge for the casino. This is also a more volatile bet, only paying out for those rare 3 of a kind or better hands.

Where to legally play Ultimate Texas Hold’em online?

There are currently 4 states with legal online casinos where you can enjoy playing UTH online. With many other states legalizing sports betting and others considering casino games, it is hoped that this list will expand soon. The current states with regulated online casinos are:

Online casinos in these states offer table games including UTH via mobile phone (and iPhone) casino apps or on desktop computers via their browser-based casino clients. The casinos have geolocation technology which ensures they only allow gaming from inside state lines.

You’ll find software-based table games at all online casinos. As well as Ultimate Texas Hold’em there are blackjack tables, roulette wheels, 3 Card Poker games and many other variations of popular casino games. Most of the games at all online casinos are slots. These combine the popular games from live casinos with slots developed for casino apps.

Live dealer online UTH games

Live dealer rooms are popular at online casinos. These stream real games in real time from studios based at brick and mortar casinos. You can bet using an overlay, dragging and dropping chips as if you were sat at a real table. A big advantage of these games is the social interaction. You can text chat with the dealers and other players while you enjoy a game.

Blackjack and roulette are the most popular games at live dealer online casinos. Casino poker variations including UTH and 3-Card Poker can be found in some rooms.

Keep in mind that the bets are a little bigger in live dealer casinos compared to the software versions. You will need to bet before a timer runs down. If you reach the river without responding in time, then you will automatically fold.

Ultimate Texas Hold’em and casino bonuses

There are many bonuses and free-play incentives at legal online casinos in the regulated states. You can take advantage of these by clearing them playing UTH or other table games. Typical bonus offers include small amounts of free play (no deposit needed), or a matched bonus based on your first deposit.

For table games, you need to check which games can be used for bonus clearance. A common way that casinos encourage players to clear bonuses on slots is to ‘weight’ the table games. This means that not all of the money you bet on UTH would be counted towards clearing the bonus. Weightings will vary between casinos. This means it can be worthwhile checking the terms and conditions of each bonus before you sign-up.

Ultimate Texas Hold’em FAQ

How big a casino bankroll should I have to play UTH?

You’ll be betting more units playing a hand of Ultimate Texas Hold’em compared to other casino poker variations. If you play the optional Trips side-bet, there are 3 units bet at the start of a hand. Betting pre-flop will then require 4 more units.

With 7 units per hand, you’ll need a bigger bankroll than the recommended 20 bets for most casino table games. 50 units ($250 at a $5 table) is enough to ride out the swings of this game. Balancing the requirement for a bigger bankroll, when the hands do go your way, you have the potential to win big.

Key to casino bankroll management is only betting money that you can afford to lose.

Is cheating at Ultimate Texas Hold’em possible?

No. The only way you could get an advantage in this game is by seeing the dealer’s hole-cards before they are revealed after the community cards were dealt. This would require marked cards or collusion with the dealer – and would be fraudulent.

Player collusion will give you an idea of which of your outs are still in the deck (for example if you were drawing to a flush). This is against the rules in casinos and is not possible online. Knowing this information would only reduce the house edge – not eliminate it.

With the single deck of cards shuffled between deals, card-counting is not possible.

Can I play UTG online?

Yes. You can legally enjoy Ultimate Texas Hold’em online in states which have legal/regulated mobile casinos. The current list is PA, NJ, MI and WV. With gambling regulation rapidly expanding, it is hoped that more states will join this list soon.

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What are the pros and cons of online Ultimate Texas Hold’em and live games?

Online UTH games can be enjoyed for smaller stakes than the live equivalent. Software based games have stakes starting at under a dollar. You can enjoy these casinos on the move (via an Android or iPhone Casino app) or a desktop.

Live games include a much bigger social element. You can also find side bets with giant progressive jackpots at some live casinos.

How does UTH compare to Texas Hold’em poker

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The original form of Texas Hold’em poker is a player-vs-player game. This is a game of skill and chance, with a big bluffing element. To win a pot you either show down the best hand – or get your opponent to fold.

UTH is very different from the game invented from poker in Texas. It uses a similar format, but is a casino gambling game with a long-term edge in favor of the house. The shared element is that the best 5 card poker hands are made from your hole cards and the 5 community cards.

Wrapping up: Ultimate Texas Hold’em

UTH is a popular game at both live and online casinos. Strategy is relatively complex compared to other casino table games. This keeps things interesting for players. A big attraction in Ultimate Texas Hold’em is that you can win extra for making the best poker hands.

Keep in mind that you’ll bet up to 4 units extra to raise on many hands. This means a bigger starting bankroll (or smaller bets) is needed compared to other casino poker games.