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Super Look Ahead Poker
Introduction
Any legitimate professional gambler, or cheat, can tell you if you know the next card to be dealt, it gives the player a powerful advantage. This is exactly what you're told in Super Look Ahead Poker. After the deal, the game tells you the next card to be dealt. You can either accept it or burn it. Unfortunately, IGT is not so foolish that they give this information for free. It costs three more coins on top of the usual five, which also pays to bump up the pay table a bit. Below are the complete rules.
Rules
- The game is based on standard single-play video poker rules, except as noted.
- The player may play normally, betting one to five coins, or may bet eight coins to invoke the Look Ahead feature.
- The wager must be made before the deal.
- If the Look Ahead feature is active, then after the deal, the game will reveal the next card to be dealt.
- The player may then touch that card to designate that he wants it to be the next card.
- The player will also indicate which cards he wishes to hold, as usual.
- If the player chooses to keep the next card, then it will be the first card given to the player on the draw.
- If the player chooses to decline the next card, then it will be burned and may not be given to the player on the deal.
- In addition to the extra three coins paying for the Look Ahead feature, it also bumps up the pay table on some of the hands.
Example
After betting eight coins, here is the hand I was given on the deal. The little nine of spades on the left is the next card in the deck, which I can accept or reject.
I choose to hold the two aces and the nine of hearts. I also choose to accept the nine of spades as the next card, which will give me at least a two pair on the draw, and maybe a full house.
As promised, the game replaced the first discard, the four of clubs with the nine of spades. Unfortunately, the next card didn't give me a full house, so I was paid for a two pair.
A reader questioned my decision to hold the two pair, suggesting that maybe holding the aces only would be better. I did the calculations and the expected value of holding the two pair is 13.04 coins, while the aces alone is 7.81.
Using my video poker hand analyzer will not give the correct numbers because after the Look Ahead card, you're drawing into a 46-card deck, not 47.
Games and Pay Tables
After I already completed my analysis of six pay tables found at the Rampart Casino in Las Vegas, IGT kindly provided me a list of all games and pay tables that Super Look Ahead Poker is available in. Thankfully, my results agreed.
The returns indicated in the following tables are based on a full eight-coin bet.
Bonus Poker
| BONUS POKER | 99.47% | 98.25% | 96.17% | 94.76% |
| ROYAL FLUSH | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 |
| STRAIGHT FLUSH | 75 | 100 | 70 | 50 |
| FOUR ACES | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| FOUR 2's, 3's, 4's | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 |
| FOUR 5's THROUGH K's | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| FULL HOUSE | 10 | 9 | 8 | 11 |
| FLUSH | 6 | 6 | 6 | 9 |
| STRAIGHT | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| THREE OF A KIND | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| TWO PAIR | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| JACKS OR BETTER | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Bonus Poker Deluxe
| BONUS POKER DELUXE | 99.80% | 98.68% | 97.78% | 96.52% | 95.64% |
| ROYAL FLUSH | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 |
| STRAIGHT FLUSH | 110 | 110 | 150 | 75 | 120 |
| FOUR OF A KIND | 95 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 |
| FULL HOUSE | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 |
| FLUSH | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| STRAIGHT | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| THREE OF A KIND | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| TWO PAIR | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| JACKS OR BETTER | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Deuces Wild
| DEUCES WILD | 99.15% | 97.77% | 97.40% | 97.18% | 96.38% | 95.30% |
| ROYAL FLUSH NO DEUCES | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 |
| FOUR DEUCES | 200 | 200 | 210 | 200 | 200 | 270 |
| ROYAL FLUSH WITH DEUCE | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| FIVE OF A KIND | 20 | 15 | 15 | 23 | 14 | 20 |
| STRAIGHT FLUSH | 10 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 9 | 11 |
| FOUR OF A KIND | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| FULL HOUSE | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| FLUSH | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| STRAIGHT | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| THREE OF A KIND | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Deuces Wild Bonus Poker
| DEUCES WILD BONUS POKER | 99.92% | 99.28% | 97.71% | 96.44% | 95.71% |
| ROYAL FLUSH NO DEUCES | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 |
| FOUR DEUCES + ONE ACE | 400 | 400 | 400 | 400 | 400 |
| FOUR DEUCES | 230 | 260 | 260 | 270 | 290 |
| ROYAL FLUSH WITH DEUCE | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| FIVE ACES | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| FIVE 3's, 4's, 5's | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
| FIVE 6's THROUGH K's | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| STRAIGHT FLUSH | 10 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 11 |
| FOUR OF A KIND | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| FULL HOUSE | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| FLUSH | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| STRAIGHT | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| THREE OF A KIND | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Double Bonus
| DOUBLE BONUS POKER | 99.40% | 98.02% | 96.56% | 94.34% |
| ROYAL FLUSH | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 |
| STRAIGHT FLUSH | 100 | 120 | 140 | 100 |
| FOUR ACES | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 |
| FOUR 2's, 3's, 4's | 120 | 120 | 120 | 120 |
| FOUR 5's THROUGH K's | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 |
| FULL HOUSE | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| FLUSH | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| STRAIGHT | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| THREE OF A KIND | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| TWO PAIR | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| JACKS OR BETTER | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Double Double Bonus
| DOUBLE DOUBLE BONUS POKER | 99.42% | 98.32% | 97.21% | 96.18% | 95.07% |
| ROYAL FLUSH | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 |
| STRAIGHT FLUSH | 100 | 130 | 150 | 170 | 110 |
| FOUR A's + ANY 2, 3 OR 4 | 400 | 400 | 400 | 400 | 400 |
| FOUR 2's,3's,4's + ANY A,2,3,4 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 |
| FOUR ACES | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 |
| FOUR 2's, 3's, 4's | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| FOUR 5's THROUGH K's | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 |
| FULL HOUSE | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| FLUSH | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| STRAIGHT | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| THREE OF A KIND | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| TWO PAIR | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| JACKS OR BETTER | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Jacks or Better
| JACKS OR BETTER | 99.84% | 98.68% | 97.41% | 96.36% | 95.31% |
| ROYAL FLUSH | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 |
| STRAIGHT FLUSH | 160 | 100 | 120 | 150 | 120 |
| FOUR OF A KIND | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 35 |
| FULL HOUSE | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 |
| FLUSH | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| STRAIGHT | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| THREE OF A KIND | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| TWO PAIR | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| JACKS OR BETTER | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Triple Double Bonus
| TRIPLE DOUBLE BONUS POKER | 99.95% | 98.70% | 97.56% | 96.46% | 95.56% |
| ROYAL FLUSH | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 |
| STRAIGHT FLUSH | 80 | 70 | 100 | 70 | 50 |
| FOUR A's + ANY 2, 3 OR 4 | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 |
| FOUR 2's,3's,4's + ANY A,2,3,4 | 400 | 400 | 400 | 400 | 400 |
| FOUR ACES | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 |
| FOUR 2's, 3's, 4's | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| FOUR 5's THROUGH K's | 55 | 60 | 60 | 65 | 70 |
| FULL HOUSE | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 |
| FLUSH | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| STRAIGHT | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| THREE OF A KIND | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| TWO PAIR | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| JACKS OR BETTER | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Rampart Games
The following table shows the games and pay tables available at the Rampart casino in Las Vegas. These are mostly the ones I observed at the $1 denomination at the Rampart casino. The table shows the win per coin, based on five coins bet, as well as the eight coins bet in Look Ahead mode. The wins in Look Ahead mode are multiplied by five. The other three coins are a fee for the feature and are never returned.
Known Pay Tables
| Base Game | Five Coins Bet | Eight Coins Bet |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus Deuces | 1-1-3-3-4-10-20-40-80-25-200-400-800 | 1-1-3-3-5-11-20-40-80-30-260-400-800 |
| Bonus Poker | 1-2-3-4-5-6-25-40-80-50-800 | 1-2-3-5-6-8-30-60-100-120-800 |
| Bonus Poker Deluxe | 1-1-3-4-5-8-80-50-800 | 1-1-3-5-5-10-90-150-800 |
| Deuces Wild | 1-2-3-4-4-9-12-20-200-800 | 1-2-3-4-5-10-15-30-210-800 |
| Double Bonus | 1-1-3-5-6-9-50-80-160-50-800 | 1-1-3-5-6-10-60-120-200-120-800 |
| Double Double Bonus | 1-1-3-4-5-8-50-80-160-160-400-50-800 | 1-1-3-4-5-9-70-100-200-200-400-150-800 |
| Jacks or Better | 1-2-3-4-5-7-25-50-800 | 1-2-3-5-6-9-30-150-800 |
| Jacks or Better | 1-2-3-4-5-8-25-50-800 | 1-2-3-5-6-10-30-120-800 |
Analysis
It takes my computer three days to run through all the combinations for any given pay table, on a single core, so forgive me for the small number of pay tables analyzed for this game. As always, these tables assume optimal player strategy.
In these tables, the return is the product of the win, probability, and 5/8. The reason for multiplying by 5/8 is that the player must bet eight coins, but the win is only five times as much as the "pay" indicates.
This first pay table was seen on a $1 machine at the Rampart casino in Las Vegas. The lower right cell shows a return of 97.21%. It is paired with the standard "8-5" pay table for one to five coins bet, which returns 96.79%. So, the return is 0.42% higher for making the maximum eight coin bet, for this game at least.
9-5-4 Double Double Bonus
| Hand | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 800 | 87,974,754,408 | 0.000053 | 0.026271 | |
| Straight flush | 150 | 511,450,150,320 | 0.000305 | 0.028636 | |
| Four aces + 2-4 | 400 | 191,693,040,912 | 0.000114 | 0.028621 | |
| Four 2-4 + A-4 | 200 | 435,357,510,696 | 0.000260 | 0.032501 | |
| Four aces + 5-K | 200 | 453,386,164,320 | 0.000271 | 0.033847 | |
| Four 2-4 | 100 | 927,656,831,448 | 0.000554 | 0.034627 | |
| Four 5-K | 70 | 4,130,590,654,512 | 0.002467 | 0.107928 | |
| Full house | 9 | 39,822,764,850,144 | 0.023783 | 0.133782 | |
| Flush | 5 | 43,666,000,676,280 | 0.026079 | 0.081496 | |
| Straight | 4 | 44,756,833,216,392 | 0.026730 | 0.066826 | |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 150,797,450,143,008 | 0.090061 | 0.168864 | |
| Two pair | 1 | 298,078,596,633,312 | 0.178022 | 0.111264 | |
| Jacks or better | 1 | 314,575,758,077,112 | 0.187875 | 0.117422 | |
| Nothing | 0 | 775,955,850,741,936 | 0.463426 | 0.000000 | |
| Total | 1,674,391,363,444,800 | 1.000000 | 0.972084 |
This second pay table was seen on a $1 machine at the Rampart casino in Las Vegas. The lower right cell shows a return of 97.40%. It is paired with the standard "20-12-9-4" pay table for one to five coins bet, which returns 97.06%. So, the return is 0.34% higher for making the maximum eight coin bet, for this game at least.
30-15-10-5-4-3-2 Deuces Wild
| Hand | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural royal flush | 800 | 83,918,830,752 | 0.000050 | 0.025060 | |
| Four deuces | 210 | 461,394,275,328 | 0.000276 | 0.036167 | |
| Wild royal flush | 30 | 6,199,475,041,824 | 0.003703 | 0.069422 | |
| Five of a kind | 15 | 9,469,688,280,192 | 0.005656 | 0.053021 | |
| Straight flush | 10 | 13,584,349,973,400 | 0.008113 | 0.050706 | |
| Four of a kind | 5 | 140,427,624,551,424 | 0.083868 | 0.262087 | |
| Full house | 4 | 91,740,005,743,392 | 0.054790 | 0.136975 | |
| Flush | 3 | 68,060,026,344,744 | 0.040648 | 0.076214 | |
| Straight | 2 | 135,383,947,846,632 | 0.080856 | 0.101070 | |
| Three of a kind | 1 | 437,313,146,108,112 | 0.261177 | 0.163236 | |
| Nothing | 0 | 771,667,786,449,000 | 0.460865 | 0.000000 | |
| Total | 1,674,391,363,444,800 | 1.000000 | 0.973958 |
This third pay table was seen on a $1 machine at the Rampart casino in Las Vegas. The lower right cell shows a return of 97.41%. It is paired with the standard "8-5" pay table for one to five coins bet, which returns 97.30%. So, the return is 0.11% higher for making the maximum eight coin bet, for this game at least.
120-30-10-6 Jacks or Better
| Hand | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 800 | 87,215,339,304 | 0.000052 | 0.026044 | |
| Straight flush | 120 | 479,009,969,424 | 0.000286 | 0.021456 | |
| Four of a kind | 30 | 5,907,654,412,128 | 0.003528 | 0.066154 | |
| Full house | 10 | 42,952,393,437,984 | 0.025653 | 0.160328 | |
| Flush | 6 | 43,142,933,475,144 | 0.025766 | 0.096624 | |
| Straight | 5 | 53,810,214,093,000 | 0.032137 | 0.100429 | |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 142,049,396,498,112 | 0.084836 | 0.159068 | |
| Two pair | 2 | 316,361,572,029,504 | 0.188941 | 0.236177 | |
| Jacks or better | 1 | 288,962,118,973,584 | 0.172577 | 0.107861 | |
| Nothing | 0 | 780,638,855,216,616 | 0.466222 | 0.000000 | |
| Total | 1,674,391,363,444,800 | 1.000000 | 0.974141 |
This fourth pay table is for a Bonus Poker game seen on a $1 machine at the Rampart casino in Las Vegas. The lower right cell shows a return of 96.98%. It is paired with the standard "6-5" pay table for one to five coins bet, which returns 96.87%. So, the return is 0.11% higher for making the maximum eight coin bet, for this game at least.
120-100-60-30-8-6-5 Bonus Poker
| Hand | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 800 | 87,161,846,904 | 0.000052 | 0.026028 | |
| Straight flush | 120 | 476,464,571,136 | 0.000285 | 0.021342 | |
| Four aces | 100 | 485,617,017,312 | 0.000290 | 0.018127 | |
| Four 2-4 | 60 | 1,358,845,897,248 | 0.000812 | 0.030433 | |
| Four 5-K | 30 | 4,084,216,353,504 | 0.002439 | 0.045735 | |
| Four 5-K | 8 | 43,027,630,882,848 | 0.025697 | 0.128487 | |
| Flush | 6 | 43,115,409,755,352 | 0.025750 | 0.096562 | |
| Straight | 5 | 52,517,457,440,136 | 0.031365 | 0.098016 | |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 142,912,752,207,264 | 0.085352 | 0.160035 | |
| Two pair | 2 | 317,563,998,665,184 | 0.189659 | 0.237074 | |
| Jacks or better | 1 | 289,321,314,676,128 | 0.172792 | 0.107995 | |
| Nothing | 0 | 779,440,494,131,784 | 0.465507 | 0.000000 | |
| Total | 1,674,391,363,444,800 | 1.000000 | 0.969835 |
This fourth pay table is for a Bonus Poker Deluxe game seen on a $1 machine at the Rampart casino in Las Vegas. The lower right cell shows a return of 97.78%. It is paired with the standard "6-5" pay table for one to five coins bet, which returns 95.36%. So, the return is 2.42% higher for making the maximum eight coin bet, for this game at least.
120-100-60-30-8-6-5 Bonus Poker
| Hand | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 800 | 86,187,628,008 | 0.000051 | 0.025737 | |
| Straight flush | 150 | 487,101,302,928 | 0.000291 | 0.027273 | |
| Four of a kind | 90 | 5,964,527,372,832 | 0.003562 | 0.200374 | |
| Full house | 10 | 43,148,140,961,760 | 0.025769 | 0.161059 | |
| Flush | 5 | 42,998,298,155,208 | 0.025680 | 0.080250 | |
| Straight | 5 | 50,806,022,851,656 | 0.030343 | 0.094822 | |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 144,253,932,209,280 | 0.086153 | 0.161537 | |
| Two pair | 1 | 319,221,563,756,544 | 0.190649 | 0.119156 | |
| Jacks or better | 1 | 288,125,881,337,448 | 0.172078 | 0.107549 | |
| Nothing | 0 | 779,299,707,869,136 | 0.465423 | 0.000000 | |
| Total | 1,674,391,363,444,800 | 1.000000 | 0.977756 |
This fifth pay table is for a Double Bonus Poker game seen on a $1 machine at the Rampart casino in Las Vegas. The lower right cell shows a return of 98.02%. It is paired with the standard "9-6-5" pay table for one to five coins bet, which returns 97.81%. So, the return is 0.21% higher for making the maximum eight coin bet, for this game at least.
120-200-120-60-10-6-5 Double Bonus Poker
| Hand | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 800 | 87,903,486,864 | 0.000052 | 0.026249 | |
| Straight flush | 120 | 477,063,459,576 | 0.000285 | 0.021369 | |
| Four aces | 200 | 634,588,268,832 | 0.000379 | 0.047375 | |
| Four 2-4 | 120 | 1,360,769,140,080 | 0.000813 | 0.060952 | |
| Four 5-K | 60 | 4,074,588,838,656 | 0.002433 | 0.091255 | |
| Four 5-K | 10 | 39,551,726,324,304 | 0.023622 | 0.147635 | |
| Flush | 6 | 43,230,099,657,240 | 0.025818 | 0.096819 | |
| Straight | 5 | 53,380,897,565,688 | 0.031881 | 0.099627 | |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 147,488,441,293,440 | 0.088085 | 0.165159 | |
| Two pair | 1 | 292,704,495,261,408 | 0.174812 | 0.109258 | |
| Jacks or better | 1 | 306,800,841,320,568 | 0.183231 | 0.114520 | |
| Nothing | 0 | 784,599,948,828,144 | 0.468588 | 0.000000 | |
| Total | 1,674,391,363,444,800 | 1.000000 | 0.980218 |
This sixth pay table is for a Bonus Deuces Wild game seen on a $1 machine at the Rampart casino in Las Vegas. The lower right cell shows a return of 97.71%. It is paired with the standard "9-6-5" pay table for one to five coins bet, which returns 97.36%. So, the return is 0.35% higher for making the maximum eight coin bet, for this game at least.
260-30-80-40-20-11-5 Bonus Deuces Wild
| Hand | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural royal flush | 800 | 86,762,530,944 | 0.000052 | 0.025909 | |
| Four deuces plus ace | 400 | 79,406,139,840 | 0.000047 | 0.011856 | |
| Four deuces | 260 | 334,897,167,648 | 0.000200 | 0.032502 | |
| Wild royal flush | 30 | 6,704,794,633,056 | 0.004004 | 0.075081 | |
| Five aces | 80 | 1,085,585,492,160 | 0.000648 | 0.032417 | |
| Five 3-5 | 40 | 2,731,647,700,512 | 0.001631 | 0.040786 | |
| Five 6-K | 20 | 6,901,784,407,584 | 0.004122 | 0.051525 | |
| Straight flush | 11 | 12,742,735,506,936 | 0.007610 | 0.052321 | |
| Four of a kind | 5 | 150,279,034,967,232 | 0.089751 | 0.280473 | |
| Full house | 3 | 72,815,935,161,312 | 0.043488 | 0.081540 | |
| Flush | 3 | 70,269,531,218,856 | 0.041967 | 0.078689 | |
| Straight | 1 | 62,500,654,811,304 | 0.037327 | 0.023330 | |
| Three of a kind | 1 | 510,726,200,146,128 | 0.305022 | 0.190639 | |
| Nothing | 0 | 777,132,393,561,288 | 0.464128 | 0.000000 | |
| Total | 1,674,391,363,444,800 | 1.000000 | 0.977066 |
The following table summarizes the return of the return tables above.
Summary
| Game | Pay Table | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus Deuces | 1-1-3-3-5-11-20-40-80-30-260-400-800 | 97.71% |
| Bonus Poker | 1-2-3-5-6-8-30-60-100-120-800 | 96.98% |
| Bonus Poker Deluxe | 1-1-3-5-5-10-90-150-800 | 97.78% |
| Deuces Wild | 1-2-3-4-5-10-15-30-210-800 | 97.40% |
| Double Bonus | 1-1-3-5-6-10-60-120-200-120-800 | 98.02% |
| Double Double Bonus | 1-1-3-4-5-9-70-100-200-200-400-150-800 | 97.21% |
| Jacks or Better | 1-2-3-5-6-10-30-120-800 | 97.41% |
Strategy
Sorry, you're on your own with that.
Comparison to Look Ahead Poker
There is a similar game called Look Ahead Poker. The only differences are:
- In Super Look Ahead Poker the player may decline the Look Ahead card. In Look Ahead Poker, he is forced to accept it.
- In Super Look Ahead Poker the player must pay three extra coins for the Look Ahead feature, as opposed to two in Look Ahead Poker.