Video Poker Video Poker strategy for bad paytables?

Does anyone know where I can find basic strategy for playing video poker with less than great paytables?

I'm fully aware of the wizard of odds, and their very helpful strategies found here

http://wizardofodds.com/games/video-poker/

But, I'd like to know if these strategies differ for the less than optimal paytables. For instance, my local casino has 7/5 JoB, or 8/5 in higher denoms. Then they have 7/5 DDB, 6/5 BP, 8/5 BPD, etc.

I'm sure the strategy doesn't differ much, but there are some more difficult hands that I believe probably have a different strategy when a straight or flush pays less than they do at the full pay games. Some would ask why I am playing the less than optimal games. To be honest, VP that pays 95% is still better than a slot machine paying anywhere from 86% to 91%.

If you buy a poker tutor like Dancer's, you can change the pay tables and define your local games. It will even check your play and tell you when you are wrong and what is the best play.

In addition, Tomski has software that will generate stategy sheets that you can carry into the casino. Here too you can determine the pay table.

I have bought from this fellow for many years now. He actually wrote Dancer's tutor. They give great service.

http://www.zamzone.com/

What I like about Tomski's Strategy maker is that I can print out a basic strategy or an advanced strategy and even determine the colors to code the plays. I can choose a font and so I can print them big enough for my old eyes to see. I can take printed sheets with me on a trip, have my old brain lose them, and just print off new ones the next trip. I can bring a few copies and share them with friends playing with me.

Thanks Dewey!

I have had a copy of WinPoker for years, but did not know the same group produced a strategy calculator too! That is exactly what I'm looking for.

wrxrob said:

Thanks Dewey!

I have had a copy of WinPoker for years, but did not know the same group produced a strategy calculator too! That is exactly what I'm looking for.

Click to expand...

Not that Dewey is wrong with his suggestions, but there is a free option at the Wizard of Odds.

http://wizardofodds.com/games/video-poker/strategy/calculator/

It will give you basic strategies for almost every game and can be adjusted by paytable.

There is one decent "bug" in it though that hasn't been fixed. On games like 9/6 DDB, or 9/6 Boner Deluxe it will list 4 to a flush above 3 to a Royal.

Example:
http://wizardofodds.com/games/video...6-d-9-d-50-d-80-d-160-d-160-d-400-d-50-d-800/

But if you click the "more" button on 4 to a Flush, you'll see that the only 4 flushes that also contain 3 to a Royal are those that contain suited Ace and Ten. If you have something like AQT7, you should hold 4 to a flush in the 9/6 game. If you have something like KQT7 suited, you should hold KQT suited only. The way the basic strategy is written, it's technically correct, but misleading, especially if you don't hit the "more" button. 3 to a Royal is better than 4 to a flush in these games, except when the royal draw has AT in it.

Now when the flush is only 5 to 1, this problem immediately fixes itself. 3 to a Royal is ALWAYS better than 4 to a flush. So for shorter paytables, this should work fine. Outside of the issue described above, I have thought the program is quite good. I regularly use it.

And your casino offers 8/5 Boner Deluxe for cheaper than 8/5 JoB? You do know that 8/5 BPD is 0.1% better than 8/5 JoB right? :evillaugh

And generally speaking, the strategies don't change a lot when the tables get weaker. The example I long windedly explained above is one of them. Another is, when the flush lowers from 6 to 5 for 1, often KT suited is inferior to a King, unless there is NO flush "penalty". This means you should only hold KT suited when you aren't throwing away another card of that suit. Otherwise hold the king. Basic strategy will just tell you to hold KT suited usually, but almost half of the time, it's slightly, slightly wrong.

Another ~common "short pay" strategy change: Break "Aces Full" for 6/5 Bonus. See Day 1 of my Vegas Trip report to see it fail.

wrxrob said:

Does anyone know where I can find basic strategy for playing video poker with less than great paytables?

I'm fully aware of the wizard of odds, and their very helpful strategies found here

http://wizardofodds.com/games/video-poker/

But, I'd like to know if these strategies differ for the less than optimal paytables. For instance, my local casino has 7/5 JoB, or 8/5 in higher denoms. Then they have 7/5 DDB, 6/5 BP, 8/5 BPD, etc.

I'm sure the strategy doesn't differ much, but there are some more difficult hands that I believe probably have a different strategy when a straight or flush pays less than they do at the full pay games. Some would ask why I am playing the less than optimal games. To be honest, VP that pays 95% is still better than a slot machine paying anywhere from 86% to 91%.

Click to expand...

You want VP Strategy Master that you can get at http://www.zamzone.com . It does exactly what you are asking. Enter the game and the paytable, and it prints out the specific strategy based on that table.