World Poker Tour strategy and rules

Games Wiki Rulesheets
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I’ve long been meaning to write up a full rule sheet for this game, but might as well start with a brief overview and strategy.

Most people try to stack modes with multiballs, and advance Hold Em hands along the way.
The two ramps advance Hold Em hands, three shots (flop/turn/river) to get to the next hand. One or both ramps may be backhandable. There is also a skill shot option to advance it. Skill shot locks in when the ball gets to the upkicker, so release the shooter one insert before the one you want.
Completing a Hold Em hand lights mode start AKA Poker Corner, which is the scoop to the left of the right ramp. Hitting the R flipper button rotates the selected mode insert near the bottom of the play field. The 6 modes in approximately decreasing value are: TODO
Ace In the Hole multiball is probably the easiest multiball to start and the most popular. Hit the “jail” on the upper play field X times to open the bars. Shoot the ball in there to lock it. Bash that ball Y times to release it and start the multiball. Jackpots are ramps and the jail/captive ball. Collecting enough jackpots opens the jail back up to relock a ball and launches an additional ball. The relocked ball will be released after some number of jackpots but can also serve as a sort of ball save, releasing and continuing the multiball once you drain down to one other ball. To re-light Ace In the Hole, start a mode. X and Y increase each subsequent multiball.
Each multiball gives one add-a-ball at the Cut the Cards (mystery) scoop, right of the left ramp. Re-light Cut the Cards at leftmost shot of upper play field. Only Ace in the Hole allows Hold Em progression while it’s running. All other multiballs block it out. Modes can only be started when no multiball is running. Multiballs can all stack in any order (except maybe some of the mini-wizard ones).

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Change Gears + Any Multiball(s) = WIN (90% of the time that works every time) :wink:

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Except when the mode start kicks the ball into the bumpers -> left outlane.

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That’s why the ultra-pro strat is to light lock 1, lock, light lock 2, lock, light poker corner + lock 3, and then start multiball from the poker corner. It should start the mode too :slight_smile:

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I don’t think you can start every multiball in every multiball. You can play up to 3 multiballs at once but only in certain sequences.

Can’t bring All-In into No-Limit I think (because you can’t advance hand)
Can’t bring the one for completing all poker hands into No-Limit

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This would be the definition of NOT starting Change Gears + Any Multiball(s) :slight_smile:

Rinse/Repeat with Chip and a Chair as your Get out of Jail Free card.

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The shot triplers can really pay off. I watched @raydaypinball’s tutorial and he maxed out the Big Blind value during Steal the Blind at 5 million (you build it by the bumpers). Assuming you know which shot hides the Big Blind, potentially you can have shots worth upwards of 15 million with the triplers, which is a lot on this game.

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Absolutely, the 3x shot is huge. Even without a juicy mode shot, it can be great to use if you’re shooting the river on a good hold 'em hand (especially with boosted pot value) + city completion. Maybe throw a combo (chip trick) into the mix too… those can become unexpectedly valuable on a good ball.

I definitely think this is the most underrated game of the past decade. Tour de force ruleset by @keefer. It really forces you to play the entire field for big scores, and use a combination of slower controlled play and faster flow play. And I love the triple-drop-target-ricochet shots and upper playfield action. Shame about the crappy artwork, but I can overlook that for a game that plays great.

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Having owned WPT for over 4 years, played it for over 30hrs straight for the GWR, and being one of my all time favourite games - I feel I know a fair bit about the strategies and depth of this game.

The way I play each game, or aim to play each game is:

Lock a ball on the upper playfield and be one shot off starting Ace in Hole Multiball
Then concentrate on ramps to complete a hand and light Poker Corner
Then concentrate on loops to raise hand value, and get near to starting All in Multiball.
Start a mode which doesn’t involve the drop targets
Start All in Multiball and then Ace in the Hole Multiball
After Multiball finishes, rinse and repeat.

The reason for ignoring No Limit Multiball is 5-fold, once started you can’t bring in any other multiballs (except Ace in The Hole), you can’t complete poker hands to gain 3x, Advance Hold Em from ramp shots, or progress towards Poker Hand Multiball, hitting the light lock standup can be risky.
The modes which involve the drop targets (Chip & a Chair and Know Your Outs), are best played with No Limit Multiball if you do find yourself about to start it.

Further points:
At ALL TIMES keep your mystery lit at the top eject hole (relit by making the left hole on the upper playfield) in modes will award more time, in multiballs will award Add-a-ball. At other times rewards can be variable.

Only EVER use 3X for the last shot on completing a hand at the ramp, can be worth massive points. The only shot in Multiball with a big enough payoff AND accessible from the lower flippers is the jackpot in No Limit Multiball.

I usually take Advance Hold Em as the skill shot UNLESS that will complete a hand and I have a 3X, if that’s the case I’ll take Mystery, allow the ball to drain from the upper playfield, trigger the 3X and hit the left ramp.

Ace in The Hole Multiball offers the opportunity to get more add a balls (unlimited?). As well as the mystery award, once you relock a ball on the upper playfield having hit the required number of jackpots it adds another ball, once the ball is then released, after timing out, you get the opportunity to relock and another add-a-ball.

During any Multiball, with the minor exception of Ace in The Hole described above, concentrate on what mode you’ve got running rather than the Multiball itself, and/or bringing another Multiball into the mix. If you’ve brought everything in you can, or mode has finished, go for the loops to get side pots.

Progressing through Hold 'Em hands, and thus tournaments, really starts to pay off big later on, especially if you’ve been saving those 3Xs.

Extra Ball is worth 10mil, a sizeable figure compared to average scoring, and can be earned in many different ways on default settings - 2 Tournaments, 10 Side Pots, 10 Hurry Ups, 2 completions of Quick tricks.

Doing well in a mode earns a trophy, which in turn increases the jackpots when you get to Poker Wizard Multiball.

There’s so much more I could add, especially if you’re aiming for Keefer Invitational.

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It won’t give the same award back-to-back, though (except Keefer Invitational, LOL).

I would offer to you that using it to start all-in is at least as good as a ramp shot.

Most people do, but skill flip is 1M+1M to 5M, so I take that, personally. Really depends on the shooter lane VUK feed, though.

It’s just 2 times. Locking a ball the 3rd time (no matter how the ball was ejected, i.e. by draining or by jackpots) starts the Fish Tales-style super jackpot sequence for 10 seconds.

Pretty sure it’s just 5M.

True, though poker wizard rarely comes into play. If it does, the most noteworthy thing the trophies do may be doubling the mode scores for that mode that rest of the game.

Solid strategy guide otherwise.

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It’s ingenious because this is basically the pinball equivelant of “Changing gears” in poker (switching between aggressive and conservative play).

The “Change Gears” mode itself rewards you small points by aggressive play – bashing the targets on the upper playfield – or more score by conservative play – making shots on the man playfield, which score double.

Such a brilliant implementation of the theme. I need to get me a WPT someday…

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Any tips on physical control and recovery? I played mine with tight and rubbered outlanes and was in for a rude awakening playing the one in PAPA C qualifying with open no-rubber outlanes where every bricked shot and many non-inlane feeds meant a good chance of dying.

I’m gradually setting mine up tougher, but it’s kinda not fun to have it too tough until I can handle it well enough to get decent ball times.

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Keep the ball out of the pops.
Practice post-catching.

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