Ultimate X is a multi-hand video poker game from IGT in which every winning hand earns a multiplier for the same hand on the next deal. To switch the feature on you bet double, 10 coins per hand instead of 5. Played properly it can return more than the same game without multipliers, but only if you always make the full bet and never walk away with multipliers still showing.
How Ultimate X Works
Ultimate X comes in three-play, five-play and ten-play versions, and IGT also makes a single-line version. Like any multi-hand game, you are dealt one hand, choose your holds, and those cards are copied into every hand before each one draws on its own.
The twist is the multiplier. When you bet the extra five coins per hand, each hand that finishes with a paying result earns a multiplier, shown next to that hand. On the next deal, whatever that hand pays is multiplied by that number. Then a new multiplier is set from the new result. So a ten-play game can carry ten different multipliers at once, and a hand that did not pay carries no multiplier into the next deal. You earn the multiplier now and collect it on the next hand.
Ultimate X Multipliers
Multipliers depend on the base game (Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker, Double Bonus, Double Double Bonus and others) and on how many hands you play, not on the pay table. They are not in order of hand rank. In these four games a full house earns the biggest multiplier, 12x, and a flush earns 10x or 11x, while big-paying hands such as four of a kind earn only 2x to 4x. Three of a kind earns 4x, two pair 3x and a pair of jacks or better 2x. Each machine shows its full multiplier table on the help screens, and it is worth checking before you play.
Ultimate X Pay Tables
Because the multipliers add value, Ultimate X machines carry pay tables below the full-pay versions of the same games. IGT’s pay tables include 8/6 down to 6/5 Jacks or Better, 7/5 and 6/5 Bonus Poker, several Double Bonus tables such as 9/6/5 and 9/6/4, and 9/6 down to 7/5 Double Double Bonus. The first number is what a full house pays per coin and the second is what a flush pays. With perfect play, 8/6 Jacks or Better returns about 99.4% on ten-play, while 6/5 returns about 95.7%, so the pay table matters a great deal.
Compare the pay table to what you would find on a regular machine in the same casino, and use our guides to video poker games and the best video poker in Las Vegas to see what a good pay table looks like.
How to Get the Most From Ultimate X
- Always bet 10 coins per hand. With five coins per hand you are playing ordinary multi-hand video poker on a short pay table, which is worse than a regular machine.
- Adjust your strategy. Because a full house or flush sets up a big multiplier for the next deal, the best holds are not always the same as in the regular version of the game.
- Do not leave multipliers behind. When you are ready to stop, keep playing until no multipliers are showing, or the next player collects the value you paid for. Players who look for machines left with multipliers on them are said to be “vulturing” them.
- Bankroll for the double bet. Ten coins per hand on a ten-play game is 100 coins a deal. Choose a denomination you can afford at that size.
Where to Find Ultimate X
Ultimate X is an IGT game, so look for it on IGT video poker machines. Pay tables vary from casino to casino and even machine to machine, so check before you sit down.
Ultimate X FAQ
How much does Ultimate X cost to play?
Ten coins per hand to activate the multipliers, so 30 coins on three-play, 50 on five-play and 100 on ten-play.
When does the multiplier apply?
On the next hand. The multiplier you earn on a hand is applied to the payout for that same hand position on the following deal.
Is Ultimate X a good game?
It can be, if you always make the full bet, choose the best pay table available and never walk away with multipliers showing. Otherwise a regular machine with a better pay table is usually the better choice.
For other games, read our guides to Deuces Wild and Triple Double Bonus.
Please gamble responsibly. If you need help, call or text the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET.