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Video Poker VP players, are you fast or slow?

Discussion in 'Video Poker' started by JJaes, Sep 22, 2015.

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  1. Jejas

    Jejas VIP Whale

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    I know I am not a slow player, but I never consider I am among the fastest,
    Over the yeas I saw a few players (less than a handful ) faster than myself.
    I have received lots of comments in casinos by fellow VP players and bystanders saying
    "Oh, man, you are super fast!". There was even a time a guy stopped playing himself so that he could
    call his friends over to watch me playing.
    I think I am in the class of 1000 hands per hour.
    Well, I only play the game I am familiar with, such as BP, DDB, TBD, DB, NSUD.
    I don't like to play Ultimate X or Quick Quads,, the strategies are too complicated.
    And the first thing I do after sit down at a machine is always tuning the speed to maximum.

    If you see a guy playing $1-$5 VP machines like crazy and never order a drink,
    it probably be me.
    What about you guys? Any interesting stories?
     
  2. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    Nope! Set the machine to the slowest speed and when at the bar I chat with the bartender and cocktail waitresses in between hands. When I'm invited to a VP tourney, I usually run out of time before all my allotted credits are used up.
     
  3. wanker751

    wanker751 Dutch Rudder Enthusiast

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    I play on the slowest setting if machine allows me to, but I play fast... even with company around me.
     
  4. Nevyn

    Nevyn VIP Whale

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    Ok, not much of a VP player, but 1000 hands an hour?

    That is a hand every 3.6 seconds. Outside of tourneys I don't understand why anyone would want to play that fast. Even if you are an advantage player playing fair games to hit promotions and looking for big coin in, how close to optimal strategy can you really get if you play 5 different games at that speed? How many times would you mishit/mis-nonhit one of the holds?
     
  5. Buddha

    Buddha VIP Whale

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    There's an old saying that goes with playing Video Poker .... "Speed Kills".
    Too much speed causes mistakes (of one type or another) by the player, which will certainly cut back their theoretical payback.
    I'm an "average speed" player, usually playing multi-line, like Triple Play, and in my daily sessions, I put about 6000 points on my card, over 5 hours ... but I'm doing 3 lines per hand ... and not making any mistakes.

    On my recent trip, I had one speed demon gal next to me at the Gold Coast, and another one next to me at Main Street Station. I have never in my life seen hands & fingers fly across the buttons so fast ... they HAD to be making mistakes. Eventually, both of them lost their complete buy-ins, and left empty-handed.
     
  6. ACMike

    ACMike High-Roller

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    I don't enjoy playing that fast, and, as suggested above, it leads to more mistakes. I usually put it on the lowest speed. If I'm playing 10 hands at once, I will usually put it on a middle speed, and if I get dealt 3oak or 4 to a royal I put it on the slowest speed before I draw.
     
  7. HuskerBB

    HuskerBB VIP Whale

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    I also turn it to the fastest speed before starting. I just don't like waiting for the cards to turn over one at a time. I don't try to play extra fast - but I do play fairly quickly. Not 1,000 hands per hour - but I can pretty easily do 300 TC's per hour at the local CET property which is 600 hands (playing on a $1 machine).
     
  8. bardolator

    bardolator Lifelong Low Roller

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    For me, it's a tempo thing. I play reasonably fast but not nearly 1KPH. Games that have been set slow by the house and can't be adjusted, like FPDW at Sam's, bug me.

    I have seen professionals play much faster than 1KPH at quarter FPDW. Error-free? Who could tell at those speeds? In practice sessions on my home computer, back when Biggeo ran those contests on LVA, I have played 800PH error-free in short runs, and I gave up the piano at chopsticks. A well-trained, well-coordinated player would be able to play at 1KPH or higher virtually error-free.
     
  9. Jejas

    Jejas VIP Whale

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    I can't withstand those slow machines. The casinos do that on purpose to keep the pros away.
    800 HPH is very good for non-pro I would say.

    I am not a real pro, but I played (or rather competed) with some Vegas pros together in a few occasions.
    We didn't know each other, but we knew what we were doing. sometime we even had a friendly short conversation.
     
  10. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    I always set it slow, if I have the option. I guess I do one hand every 10-15 seconds or so, but I'll often take a drink or check the time or e-mail or just pause to people watch.

    I seldom play for an hour at a time without a break, but I guess my speed would be maybe a few hundred hands per hour.
     
  11. mike mc

    mike mc High-Roller

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    I usually do Bar-tops games, more interested in drinks per hour than hands per hour so slow play is the way for me :beer:
     
  12. nhcris

    nhcris VIP Whale

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    I have no idea how many hands per hour I play, but I also set it to fastest speed. I often have a conversation with myself, reminding me that I am not in a damn race and to slow down. It seems the worse a session is going the faster I play, desperately looking for the next quad or that elusive royal. When I can force myself to slow down, i actually enjoy myself much more.
     
  13. tringlomane

    tringlomane STP Addicted Beer Snob

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    I try to play slow, and definitely lowest speed setting if available.

    But if I'm not chatting or watching TV, I can go decently fast if I'm not careful. I'd rather not go much faster than 200 hands an hour on a bartop without a reason (paytables/promos, etc.)

    One time I tested how fast I could go on slow speed at my local for 15 minutes on 35/8/5 Bonus and let machines count up all wins. It was still 640 hands/hr. The VP tourney at gold coast I did this year, I got the 200 hands done in 12 minutes (1k/hr). I didn't let the machine fully count up wins there though.

    The bartops I dealt with in Tunica this past weekend though, you wouldn't want to go fast. Nearly every bartop had sticky buttons. [emoji35]
     
  14. Jejas

    Jejas VIP Whale

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    I fully understand at a bartop you don't want to play too fast, unless you have a edge on the paytable which is very rare for bartops.
    Your edge is in the drinks.
    For regular machines, I am not sure playing too slow is beneficial.
    Interestingly in a recent article by Bob Dancer, he mentioned a free play session in Tunica where you have to play for two hours to qualify.
    So he ended up slow-playing $700 coin-in on a dollar machine in over 2 hours. Well, he has good patience.
     
  15. VPDana

    VPDana High-Roller

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    I always set my machine on slow (if possible) and I play relatively fast - not lightening fast, but fast.
     
  16. TIMSPEED

    TIMSPEED Money’s on the way, with CashNetUSA

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    I CAN play, error-free at 1000hph, but I usually set the speed to the middle setting, and play about 500hph.

    When I'm playing a "session", with a specific coin-in goal, I'd always set it to FAST, and blaze on.
    I almost CAN'T play on slow.
    I know, in the last vp tournament I did (at The Cal), I finished my credits about 5 minutes before anyone else (15 minute session, 10 minutes to play 300 hands, IIRC). The attendants thought something had broke...lol.
     
  17. smartone

    smartone VIP Whale

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    I set the machine on medium if it allows, because I simply prefer that speed of turning the cards over. I take my time making my choices however, especially if I've increased my usual denomination. I also have the attention span of a gnat and am easily distracted by the various goings on of a ballgame or those around me, so I've learned to slow it down and pay attention BEFORE hitting the deal button.
     
  18. Kingbarkus

    Kingbarkus Low-Roller

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    I only play slow when I'm required to put in a certain amount of time, i.e. Bob Dancer example. The Orleans has a Macy's promotion where you have to put in 4 hours to get the card (or free play). I play slow or get on a 5 cent machine or both.
     
  19. ACMike

    ACMike High-Roller

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    Speaking of game speed, I hate it when some of the new games don't allow you to choose the speed!
     
  20. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    The speed function is an option in the machine menu and some casinos just turn off the option, so never see the button.
     
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