Video Poker Can someone explain the different Video Poker games?

I know the games are all explained on Wizard of Odds, but can someone explain the differences in plain english? I've only played Jacks or Better, but I'm looking to branch out for my December trip and play some bartops downtown. Will the same strategy as JOB work on DDB and others?

I plan to spend a lot of time at the MSS Boar's Head bartops, which game should I play there?

Craft beer, Video Poker, and sports on TVs

 

Best game on the bartops at Boar's head is 9/6 Jacks or Better followed by 9/7/5 DB.

And no the same strategy will not work on DDB as on Jacks 100%. I do not play DDB so I do not know what you are giving up using Jacks. I cannot tell you the hard and fast differences but I do know in DDB Ace are more Valuable and you hold a single ace more often. Though Jacks strategy will work well on Bonus and Bonus Dlx.

 

I personally like "The Video Poker Edge by Linda Boyd". Search for it on your favorite book site. It's got all the major games covered and includes tear out strategy cards; which I use generously in Las Vegas. I have no doubt that book has slowed my losses by far more than the $14 it cost.

 

The differences are mainly in the payout structure. Some games pay bigger jackpots for more hands, but balance that out with smaller payouts for the common hands like two pair, etc. Which makes them more volatile, and also rewards a more aggressive strategy for trying to draw into big hands.

 

Yeah that is why I cannot stomach DDB. I cannot take the volatility.

 

Bonus Poker strategy is pretty close to JoB and you get better 4 of a kind pay outs for Aces and low cards. But DDB, strategy can be quite different at times. The biggest changes are when you get two pair and one pair is Aces, You keep just the Aces. Also when dealt two off suit high cards and one is an Ace, you keep only the Ace. And when you get a Full house dealt to you with 3 Aces you keep only the Aces. Those are the biggest non-intuitive hands I can think of right away.

http://wizardofodds.com/games/video-poker/strategy/double-double-bonus/9-6/

The variance is super high in DDB. So that $100 that might last you an hour or two at JoB or BP, might only last 15 or 20 minutes in DDB. Or if you hit Aces w/ Kicker, you're balling.

 

But hitting Quads with a kickers or even better Aces w/ kicker is like crack. Sometimes crack might be cheaper......

 

In DDB you also hold to an inside straight. You would never do that in JoB. Learn one additional game at a time and purchase a program (~$40) to practice at home. The programs have a practice mode that will tell you if you save the wrong cards.They easily pay for themselves in getting you to play better.

 

I don't do drugs!

Lol I am under bankrolled for DDB, I'd rather drink more and lose less! Sometimes I will try it out to try and hit a homerun but I do not put a significant bankroll to it.

I did hit 4 aces with a kicker on jacks at Boars head, Luckily I do not play DDB so I do not think twice of it. My go to game is Bonus poker,...the gateway drug to DDB

 

^^^^ +1 ^^^^^

Count me in on that addiction to DDB ... I just added DSTP on top of it .... thinking any drug addiction would be cheaper at this point.

 

Using Jacks strategy to the letter at 9/6 DDB costs you 0.54%, but the major strategy changes others have already wrote in the thread close that gap a lot.

As others have covered already, the different "variants" of VP for non-wild games mostly focus on adjusting the four of a kind payouts to adjust the variance in the game, which adjusts the excitement level for many people. DDB is definitely the most popular variant because its variance is close to what one might expect from a slot machine and gives you several ways for sizeable wins. However the game is rough when you aren't hitting because 2 pair and Jacks or Better only get your money back. I'm with wanker, I'd rather play Bonus or JoB. But I'll typically play the "best game" wherever I go.

Most of the major strategy differences between JoB and Bonus have been covered already, but what I would recommend is to familiarize yourself with JoB strategy (which works for Bonus too) and then look at my post about adjustments to JoB strategy for other games.

Refer to the Bartop sticky for more general info
https://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?111193-A-Video-Poker-Primer-with-Bartop-Listings-and-Better-Nickel-Options!

JoB simple strategy (0.08% less than optimal)
http://wizardofodds.com/games/video-poker/strategy/jacks-or-better/9-6/simple/

9/6 JoB optimal strategy
http://wizardofodds.com/games/video-poker/strategy/jacks-or-better/9-6/optimal/

Major strategy deviations from Jacks or Better
https://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?112319-How-do-you-know-ALL-the-video-poker-strategies&p=1020345#post1020345

When using these strategy charts, simply pick the highest hand off the list that applies to your dealt hand.

 

Is Jacks or better the best way to "Farm tier credits" at CET casinos?
Considering you need $10 per point and the good pay tables are so hard to find.

If your setting a goal to hit a certain tier level would you play VP or some other game?
Yes I know you should not chase comps. But at some levels when you are getting close it might actually be worth it to farm the last few points if you would going to gamble the money anyway.

 

Either that or Bonus poker. I probably play the one with the higher returning paytable; JoB has to be two "notches" higher than Bonus to be the higher returning game. The problem is, multiline games at CET are often 6/5 Bonus (96.87%) or 7/5 JoB (96.15%) unless you are playing dollars. But in terms of variance when "grinding tier points", you're better off playing 10-lines of dimes vs. 1 line of dollars if the paytables are the same.

At the dollar level, 9/5 JoB (98.45%) can get you full points at some casinos and 7/5 Bonus (98.01%) nearly everywhere, but 9/5 JoB are typically multiline games, unless you can find 9/5 JoB w/Super Times Pay or Double STP where you can set it to be just one line. The STP features are also optional as you can set the bet to 5 credits per line instead.

 

Thanks for the reply. I have only ever played Jacks or better and single line.
Looks like I will need to give multi line bonus poker a shot.

 

VP Game Comparison

If you've got a Windows computer, you can't beat "Frugal Video Poker" for training and printable strategy guides considering that the program is free. It's an old program, but runs fine on anything from XP to Windows 10. Also has decent graphics and sound effects. A large variety of machines is included, with all the common ones represented with multiple pay tables.

Other than the similar strategies for JOB and Bonus Poker, there are too many differences to rely on a single strategy for a number of games. Variance is hugely different as well, with greater risk of loss typically accompanied by greater possibility of a big payoff.

I'm attaching a table I post from time to time that compares a number of the common games in terms of possibility of loss and gain given a fixed bankroll. The assumptions are included in the table (they mimic the way I often play). View attachment 19381 View attachment 19381

 

If at same level though variance goes up. Just fyi.

 

I second frugal. It is great. You can customize machine to shittier pay tables too.

Also I like playing in flash card mode so I do not see any draws... that way I don't connect on a fake royal... that'd be like sex with no orgasim

 

But less variance if let's say given the same paytable 1 handed 25c versus 5 hands 5c right?


*Nevermind, Tring answered my question.

 

I did several 1000 TC days to reach diamond this year, majority of my play was on 25 cent 10 line 6/5 BP. Low volatility and almost 97% return, not too terrible for CET. Actually wound up slightly ahead on the endeavor, thanks to a couple royals.

 

Yes and I was glad that you succeeded! Did you ever have to dip below the $500 mark to complete a day?

I want to say I was pushing for a $700-$800 bankroll for attempting $10k coin-in per day in our PM discussions over this. Unfortunately my ad hoc simulator can't do multiline simulation to get even more concrete numbers.