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Video Poker Why do you play VP?

Discussion in 'Video Poker' started by mrem3200, Jan 1, 2015.

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  1. mrem3200

    mrem3200 VIP Whale

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    So I started my gambling playing BJ and only BJ for years. Then I finally tried Craps a few years ago and love it so now I alternate between BJ and Craps. I don't understand the fascination with VP, this is not a knock at all against the game or the people that play it. I just don't understand it/know why people like it better than other games. I am (albeit very slowly) looking to branch out my gambling $ to other games. So I guess what I am curious about is why people play VP vs. other games (specifically BJ and Craps). Why it is better/worse than playing the other games. What do you enjoy about it more, etc. etc. Thanks, just looking for help and not trying to be critical of anyone.

    Rick
     
  2. Wezvidz

    Wezvidz High-Roller

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    A) Sometimes I'm in a mood to chill and not be social. I can drink (heavily if at Bartops and am so inclined) and the constant low level stimulation is appealing. Plus that giddy feeling while holding 3 aces or 4 to a royal before hitting draw is like the top of a roller coaster.

    B) watching sports and sweating bets, it's a perfect combo. The drinks keep flowing and it gives me something to do during commercials.

    Once you've perfected all the games, games like Super Times Pay are crack. When that multiplier rolls out and locks in at 10x, there's that slow pause before the cards are dealt that your heartbeat stops.
     
  3. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    First, it's fun! They say gambling is an addiction and video poker is like crack.
    The practical reasons for me are simple. I can sit next to my wife and gamble all day long with her at the bar.
    At the bar, I never have to wait for a drink.
     
  4. jimboguy

    jimboguy MIA

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    I agree with Wezvidz.

    The drink service is great when playing VP at the bar. And, if you visit the same VP bars, you get to know some great bartenders.
    VP bars are often a great place to watch sports.
    Low House Edge: Since you are a fan of both blackjack and craps (two games with low house edge), then you'll understand that many VP games - with good pay tables - have a low house edge too.
    When I am on a gambling trip (Vegas or elsewhere), I am typically traveling solo. A VP bar top is a comfortable place to gamble and drink alone without actually being alone.
     
  5. sindustry

    sindustry VIP Whale

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    [​IMG]

    This would make me want to play! This is from a friend of a friend. I am still trying to figure out how that payout was so high. Progressive?
     
  6. smartone

    smartone VIP Whale

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    I'm almost exclusively a bar-top VP player... the same game out on the floor doesn't "do it" for me, though I'm well aware that generally the best pay-tables are found out on the floor. As stated above, the cocktail service at the bar has a lot to do with it, as does the sports on TV. I also enjoy that, unlike slots, there's some "skill" to the game. I enjoy blackjack too, but when playing VP, it's just me... no asshole sitting at the same table telling me I "took his card" or whatever! I can play fast and furious, or slow it down and chat with the bartender and other close patrons if I choose to and if they engage as well.
     
  7. thecarve

    thecarve Misanthrope

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    1. I'm not always in a "social" mood. Sometimes I get tired of answering the usual, "where ya from...what do you do for a living?" questions over and over and I just want to zone out in my own little world for a while...while still getting my fix.
    2. High variance with relatively low house advantage. I have the possibility of hitting it big on a relatively small bet without putting myself at a big disadvantage vs. the house.
    3. The aforementioned bar tops - I can watch the game, get almost instant drink service and still get my gamble on.


    I will say that I didn't immediately take to VP. It took a while until I found games I liked. So, just because you don't like JoB doesn't mean you won't like DW or Boner Deluxe or whatever.
     
  8. captainron62

    captainron62 VIP Whale

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    I like VP because I enjoy the Casino atmosphere, I enjoy the good beverages that are easily accessible and typically the bartenders are cool. Another bonus is my GF doesn't table game, but she too enjoys just sitting at a bartop and plunking around on the machine a bit. I hit my first Royal a couple summers ago, it was a rush!
     
  9. Electroguy563

    Electroguy563 Vegas Joker

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    I play VP in between sessions of craps, which is my game of choice. Sometimes I need to take a break from craps or the tables are too crowded so I play VP because, as was mentioned earlier, the game with the right pay tables and correct play gives a low house edge.

    VP requires strategy and skill to be able to have a chance to win big and that appeals to me instead of just mindlessly pushing buttons like slots ( no disrespect to slot players. I like to play slots too.)
     
  10. TIMSPEED

    TIMSPEED Money’s on the way, with CashNetUSA

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    Sin,
    Did that just get hit at Cesar's in Vegas?
    A friend was in the high limit and saw the guy hit it (its a 12x royal on ULT-X, btw), and he said the guy was MAD at the people congratulating him...
    What gives??
     
  11. sindustry

    sindustry VIP Whale

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    Must have been...he was at a CET in Vegas.
     
  12. aaisack

    aaisack VIP Whale

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    Video poker is an addictive game. It's also a game that the disciplined player can beat long term without generating the kind of heat that one would get at the tables.
     
  13. tex55

    tex55 High-Roller

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    I like to take a break from the craps tables; standing for hours can get tiring. You can play a quarter machine for an hour, and lose less than one bet at a craps tables. Focus on 1 or 2 games, and practice on the web, learning the rules on what to hold.
     
  14. Julie888

    Julie888 VIP Whale

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    The thrill of watching each hand appear and making a decision about it.

    A decent win can be had for a minimal bet.

    I can also lose lots buts I still feel I was part of the result.

    Nothing like the thrill of a Royal.

    No snarky remarks for taking the wrong card. I've never played BJ again after one table.
     
  15. Julie888

    Julie888 VIP Whale

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    Though never on that level as the $96K winner, I can semi understand his wanting to be left alone. I think part of the reason someone plays VP is because they like being by themselves.
     
  16. captainron62

    captainron62 VIP Whale

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    Also, I should include this. On a $20 dollar initial bet I drank 28 fat tire drafts at Luxor over the span of 5 days. I eventually went bust the last night. I was just shy of Pearl after two trips and drank a ton of COMP beer, my end of year win/loss shows a loss of $46.00, thats right 46 bucks! This included 6 COMP nights as well, all on some bartop VP.
     
  17. tringlomane

    tringlomane STP Addicted Beer Snob

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    Yeah like Tim said, he completely lucked out on ultimate x. First, draw a full house from either holding high cards or nothing (quite rare to start). And then complete a 3 to a royal on that full house line instead of the other two lines.

    I really hope Tim's friend is exaggerating about his reaction to people congratulating him. If he somehow gambles enough where he could be that far in the hole for the trip before that, he still should STFU and show common courtesy. The odds of a 12X royal in ultimate x is over 4 million to 1 overall. And his particular scenario is even more rare than that.



    Eh. It can happen if someone peers over. I bite my lip a lot, but occasionally I have suggested to people to go for a royal draw vs. a dealt flush or straight. And if they ask for help of course. Like BJ, there is generally one correct decision for every play.



    And for this general thread. I love VP for similar reasons others have hit on in this thread. Competitive house edge of you pay attention to pay tables. Jackpot possibilities. The best drink service you can hope for at the bars.
     
  18. imwired

    imwired High-Roller

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    I used to play blackjack. Then I went thru a streak when I was feeling poor and I played nickel VP. At some point I started playing quarters at the bar and that was it. As they say, the crack cocaine of gambling. Drinks are convenient, getting a Royal is a rush, just like everyone said. But I'm so attuned to playing at the bar that even at times when I'm not drinking alcohol I play at the bar anyway.
     
  19. Snidely

    Snidely VIP Whale

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    I play VP almost exclusively but I don't find the other players at the bar to be anti-social any more than other games. Most people are happy when they win and like to be congratulated.
     
  20. imwired

    imwired High-Roller

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    yes, I'm happy when I win and don't mind being congratulated. but generally - unless I'm in a sociable mood or someone just appeals to me - I don't need to chat with strangers at the bar. I'm there to play. I think at at table there is more need to communicate.
     
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