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Video Poker Video Poker To Win

Discussion in 'Video Poker' started by Ben Jammin, Jun 12, 2012.

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  1. Ben Jammin

    Ben Jammin MIA

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    Whether you're a long term player or a short term player, we all have one thing in common. We Want To Win! But How?

    There are two basic approaches to playing Video Poker. The long term strategy, playing only full pay machines with as close to basic strategy perfect play as is possible, knowing that most sessions will be losers due to the infrequency of large jackpots and the variance, playing for hours and days on end.

    Or, we can play short term to the higher probability of hitting our higher jackpots, by deviating from basic strategy and playing hands that have a slightly better chance of hitting the Royal Flush, Straight Flush, and other bonus hands such as Four Aces with a deuce kicker (Double Double Bonus Poker) or other bonus hands (see game pay tables and jackpots listed right on the machine).

    Now the math guys will have a Kaniptian Fit when you talk about deviating from basic strategy, however there are those that that subscribe to the "Play to the Royal" school of thought. So, how and why do you do it?



    Simple. Why? If you are a part time player on vacation to Las Vegas for only a few days, there is a very slim chance that you may experience the full swing of the variance curve. Knowing that a Royal Flush comes only in one of 45,250 plays (that's right over 45 thousand) the likelihood of your hitting one is slim at best. Sure, you might get lucky, many do but most will lose.

    One way you might improve your chances is to discard hands that will guarantee a small return for those that may produce a much higher payback. Like throwing away an outside straight draw with low cards in favor of three like cards in suit and so on. Once I threw away two deuces when I had a full house of aces and twos and drew another ace and a deuce, and hit the small progressive on a Double Double Bonus game, Four Aces and another Deuce! Would you throw away one of a a high pair in favor of three to a Royal? Or discard one in a flush for another in suit (hearts in this case) that would make you a straight flush? I did it, and won. There were still a lot of hearts in the deck, I had a 17% chance of hitting that flush with another heart.

    You just have to think on the fly based on which cards are left in the deck at any given time. Each Video poker hand is dealt from a full deck of 52, not like the home poker game where you've seen half the cards come out before the shuffle.

    Given there are four of every kind of card and 13 cards of every suit it doesn't take a rocket scientist to do a quick bit of calculation in your head.

    Don't want to give up a sure thing? No Risk, No Reward.

    I mean, what's the risk? You're more than likely to lose a session anyway and if you don't have the time and bankroll to play as an advantage player then I say by all means Play for those High Jackpots, and when you do win and find that you are significantly up then cash out a profit and do as the sheepherder said, get the flock out of there.


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    Last edited: Jun 12, 2012
  2. WrongWayWade

    WrongWayWade VIP Whale

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    What's the risk? Making all these bad plays consistently nearly guarantees you will win less and lose more on your 'short term' trip to Vegas.

    Video Poker isn't a game of 'see if I can get a Royal Flush (4OAK)'. The game is 'try to win money, maybe a lot.' It's not hard at all to walk away a winner from a session without hitting 4OAK or a Royal.

    You have tons of legitimate hands where you will go for the Royal when you have the right cards to do so; throwing away paying hands just makes you grind down your bankroll faster so you won't have the money to play more hands and be sitting there when the Royal does come up.

    BTW, assuming you are playing JOB throwing away an Aces full house to try for 4OAK is horribly bad, cutting the expectation down more than 50%! If you are playing DDBonus is is the CORRECT basic strategy play. Knowing which game you are playing is pretty important.

    (The word you were searching for is: conniption, not Kaniptian.)
     
  3. imwired

    imwired High-Roller

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    If I have 4 of a Royal, I'l throw away a flush or but in general, I don't like to throw away winning hands
     
  4. WrongWayWade

    WrongWayWade VIP Whale

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    But that IS correct basic strategy by a mile.

    JACKS OR BETTER
    18.4255 4 Royal
    6.0000 Pat Flush

    DOUBLE DOUBLE BONUS
    18.4255 4 Royal
    6.0000 Pat Flush
     
  5. thecarve

    thecarve Misanthrope

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    To hell with basic strategy. I only keep the lucky cards and discard the rest. :thumbsup:
     
  6. Ike

    Ike Low-Roller

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    Do you rub the screen before hitting draw too?
     
  7. imwired

    imwired High-Roller

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    this is off topic but that reminds me - I once saw a group of people (maybe 6) standing around and applauding and cheering and touching the sceen on some slot game......I was amazed at the excitement

     
  8. Buddha

    Buddha VIP Whale

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    THAT is exactly the point I have preached repeatedly to some people over the years ... and also why I hate to play a VP game with even money for 2-pair. You need those small wins, and all the paying hands you can get, in order to keep you in the game until a legitimate chance at the big hands come along.
     
  9. Royal Flusher

    Royal Flusher Savvy Gambler

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    I am torn between being annoyed and posting some good reasons why you should hone your strategy, and keeping my mouth shut so that the casinos make more money on people playing short term with terrible strategy so as to finance the full pay machines I play all day long in Vegas.

    The only time I make longshot short term plays is when I'm in a VP tournament.
     
  10. bluerider

    bluerider Low-Roller

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    If the machine was a progressive and the jackpot was 1.5x or more than it's starting point, one would think the strategy would change, no?
     
  11. jvferg72

    jvferg72 Low-Roller

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    I made the decision not to educate people unless they ask for this very reason.
     
  12. Auggie

    Auggie Dovahkiin

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    Maybe kind of funny, but speaking of touching the screen: almost all of the new WMS slots have this little sparkle now so that if you touch the screen it will sparkle under your touch and spread glitter over the reels
     
  13. Auggie

    Auggie Dovahkiin

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    For Double Double Bonus that is actually the correct play.

    Otherwise, I think the advice is overall pretty bad... but then it is your money to play with however you want to play it.
     
  14. oghuman

    oghuman VIP Whale

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    Yes, for DDB I always go for 4 Aces when holding three. BTW, you know you can draw another pair which I've done. I do not play this way when playing JOB because you're throwing away 30 to win 80.
     
  15. nostresshere

    nostresshere Mr. Anti Debit Card

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    No, you are doing it all wrong.

    You have to wave your hand across the screen. You odds will improve approximately 3.789% if you chant the words "Royal, Royal" while doing the wave. See the Wizard of Odz article.
     
  16. WrongWayWade

    WrongWayWade VIP Whale

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    Depending on the size of the progressive, yes. Borderline plays like 1 high-pair vs. 3 disconnected to a Royal will shift towards holding for a Royal.

    If you get VP Strategy Master or Bob Dancer's WinPoker you can run these scenarios and figure out the exact right plays based on the size of the Royal progressive.
     
  17. Ben Jammin

    Ben Jammin MIA

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    You guys have it all wrong. You have to rub the screen in a circle with the palm of your hand, then slowly pull your hand back. This pulls the kinetic static electricity away from the machine. Then you wait at least 15 seconds between plays, so the random number generator thinks you are a different person, or a beginner, so it lets you win.

    It also doesn't hurt to have a little jade Buddha placed above the screen, and chanting also helps. A prayer or two can't hurt.

    I always consult my astrologer before taking a trip to Las Vegas, to see if my stars are aligned for winning. If they are I gamble hard and heavy, and risky take chances. Then I win more for sure.

    You just have to believe it, not because it's:poke: true, but it does make it more fun!
    :poke:
     
  18. oghuman

    oghuman VIP Whale

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    So you're the Asian guy who sat down next to me and did this ritual after ever hand while I'm try to concentrate on my play?
     
  19. squidward

    squidward Probationary Member

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    You are ALL Wrong! It has nothing to do with "touching", "rubbing", or "chanting?"

    It's about the lucky underpants! Gosh!
     
  20. Ben Jammin

    Ben Jammin MIA

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    Depends?
     
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