Video Poker DI2D(Diamond in 2 Days)

The title says it all. I am a newbie on this site and want to thank all the members for providing all the great information with your posts. I plan on contributing also if I have any new valuable info.

So I just started playing poker about 4 months ago. Have been going to Las Vegas and gambling everything from sports, table games and slots since I turned 21(14yrs ago). Now I am addicted to VP(I have 2 RF already). And since I will be in vegas to celebrate my 35th bday, I want to reach diamond status in 2 days(2500 TC/day with 5K bonus/day).. I reached Diamond last year but was all from slots(loses), no vp and only two 1,000TC day bonuses. This time I want to reach it by losing the least possible and taking advantage of the daily TC bonuses.

I have done my research and here is my plan(Higher pay and lowest variance)... Will be taking $3K bankroll.

Option 1) Hit up 9/5 JoB .25 100 line machine at PH HL room. My plan is to play 6 lines(instead of the full 100) per deal($7.50/deal). That will take me around 6 hours to reach 2,500 TC.

Option 2)9/5 JoB .50 at PH HL room. And play only 3 hands(3play) per deal($7.50/deal).

Now are those two machines at PH HL room always busy?? What time should I arrive in the morning to better my chances of them being available?

My last option if they are not available would be to play the $1 BP machine at Rio(But I don't want to play 8 hours/day(10,000 hands in 2 days at Rio)...


I know my RoR looks good for my bankroll. And the higher denom machines will also increase variance and increase my RoR and hurt my chances with my bankroll.


Any advice to this fairly new VP player? Can the attendant lock/hold the machine to take bathroom/lunch breaks?Any input will be greatly appreciated. I will share my results during my trip.

Thanks

 

So I was practicing online(free, no $ bet) and after 35 minutes I hit this...



Now if that happens in my trip, it would be a great bday present...

 

You've made good choices for machines, those PH units are the best that I'm aware of at the quarter denom for CET Vegas props (where you still earn full points). And a good choice for pounding tier credits, since you can bet more than $5 per hand, unlike on the full pay BP at Rio.

I wouldn't worry about getting there super early or anything like that. The PH high limit room has never been that busy the few times I've been in there.

I wouldn't worry about bathroom breaks either. Just leave your card in and lean the seat up. You are talking about these machines like they are some +EV machines with a hot promo running. At the end of the day, they're still <99% return. There won't be any professionals waiting to snag your seat for 8 hours the moment you get up.

 

Thanks for the info.. Maybe I was overthinking/expecting that since those 2 machines at PH are best value at quarter level(and .50) for DIAD in Las Vegas, more people would be trying to reach diamond by using them.

 

Most people are reaching Diamond in their normal gambling. Yeah, the quarter 100-play machine at 9/5 JoB is the best choice at that denomination level. More lines at lower denomination is a better choice between 25c and 50c. I believe for goals like yours, lowering your variance is significantly important unless you have a large Bankroll and are willing to "let the chips fall where they may".

This thread from another site discusses the various "risks of ruin" for this version of the game and other decent choices. Unfortunately 8/5 Bonus at Rio wasn't included in his spreadsheets.

http://wizardofvegas.com/forum/gambling/video-poker/26887-diad-risk-of-ruin/

And save your royals for real money, dang it! haha

And tilting the seat up should probably be good enough...just don't forget to cash out before taking a break!

Edit: See you have a $3k BR. Yeah, I would stick to 6 line quarters, should have a good chance of success with that much money. Chances of busting out are less than 5%.

 

I'll just chime in on the PHo HL room, since I just came back from a week at PHo and spent almost all my time in the HL slot room or machines just outside it.

It's small and well staffed, it always had a booth person and its own slot attendant when I was there, which was usually early morning. There are restrooms 30 secs away down the corridor to the South elevators. However, I would definitely ask an attendant to lock/save your machine rather than just tilt the chair and leave it unattended; the VP machines are right near the entrance. Tip or not is up to you, but I'd normally tip a fiver the first time.

One day I was in there, there was a lady hitting handpays left and right on different VP machines, but I didn't look to see what denom she was playing.

I would suggest early morning (but after 6:00am!) would be a good time to start, but that's unpredictable of course. But Vegas gets a late start; it's nice and quiet in the morning, it'll help with concentration if you are whipping through hands.

 

Hi @tringlomane . Thank you for your response. I have been reading many of your posts and one of the main reasons I made up this strategy is because of all I have learned thanks to the great information you have provided in VMB. I also had reviewed the google docs on RoR from wizardofvegas post and done my own variance and S.D calculations. I would love to see data on Bonus Poker and even double double bonus since its my favorite. Would love to see the results of that many simulations(might not be great b/c of DDB higher variance).

Is there an advantage of doing switching from 6play to 7play or 8play in random sequences?? I know it will decrease my time to get the TC(increasing/dec variance), but switching back and forth(up and down) makes it more fun I guess(if not playing STP since there is not multiplier). I am just hoping for a nice dealt hand when I am 8play instead of a 6play, haha.

If successful, any $ left over from my BR will be used to attempt to get my first hand pay in vegas. Love playing $1 DDB and $1 DDB STP. Have hit 4 Aces twice at Caesars for $800 but no record of hand pays yet.

Thank you for the tips. I am familiar with the area and have in there once. It was a short 20 min session of loses, but it was before I had done any homework on vp. This time I plan on staying longer haha.

 

I might add... cash out, and then put a couple dollars back in. Some people get annoyed with those tilted chairs and start playing. On the other hand, if there are credits in the machine, it is another story. Playing would be akin to stealing. Not saying there are not a-holes that would do it anyways... but...

 

I appreciate the PHo info there. I had always thought that my 3/5/10 quarter BP (7/5 - 98.01) at Rio was the best play for CET quarters. I see that your 9/5 JOB (98.45) is a better play. I'm going for Diamond in 5 days, during my March Madness trip! Did it last year at Ballys, Linq, Flamingo and Rio. Took 7 days though between VP and craps!!!

 

Yeah I can see that happening. It would be tough to pull that inside that small high limit room, but who knows if a 7* player comes in, wants that machine, throws my card away while I was taking a break, starts playing it. I would assume that 7* players would get their way compared to a lowly diamond like me haha

Nice, I will also be there for March Madness. Hopefully by then I will have succeeded reaching diamond(that will expire 01/2019, since I am diamond already from last year) and will be strictly focusing on March Madness parlay and underdog Money Line bets.

 

I'll be meeting a friend from Tuscon at March Madness. Shes a BIIIIIIIG Zona Cats fan. Shes going to Vegas for Pac 12 tourney and staying for March Madness!

 

I am also from Tucson... #BearDown #Wildcats!!

 

Sounds like a March Madness VMB member meet is brewing!,

 

Just .02 from a lowly slot player, but IMHO, 3K is on the small side for bankrolling two 2500TC days, even with VP. I have had terrible streaks at VP, I would hope that you have about $1K "cushion" prepared.

 

I am just going by the numbers.. And they are theoretical assumptions. Denominations and Variances and using 2 times S.D. says I have about 5% chance to not make it. Have enough to pay more than $3K, but that is not my goal. If I don't hit any RF or 4oaK, then I will probably be close to the 5% data prediction. At the end of the day this is gambling and luck is needed no matter how the numbers look. It will be fun and I will post results.

 

Understood. good luck, and I hope you make your goal!!

 

Yeah, play the wrong games and 3k can easily go poof. Unfortunately a few other members have seen it happen with dollar Double STP lately. But he's sounds like he is going to grind it out on lower denominations.

 

I did DIAD this past January by playing the 100 play 9/5 JoB machine at PH at only 1 credit per hand (not 5). This equates to $25/pull. Now, before people start saying how that was a horrible idea and I "gave away" 1% advantage to the casino, realize that I did this with a $2500 bankroll. There was $500 I never even put in the machine. I ended up losing $1200 and that was because I couldn't catch a break the first hour of play. Threw in $1000 at the start and lost it, then another $1000 at hour 2 and played with that the rest of the session. Now while your mileage may vary, I believe this is the absolute lowest variance way to get DIAD in vegas. If your only goal is DIAD, you want to stick to a low bankroll, and you can swallow your pride when a royal comes up and you only get $62.50 instead of $1000 (happened once for me) this is the way to go. With bathroom breaks, drink orders, and occasional texts it took me just over 4 hours on a Friday morning. Just some thoughts...

 

I congratulate you for sticking to your guns.

You had a goal, and a strategy, and you stuck to it.

 

Glad it worked out for you....but why not play 20 hands at 5 credits per hand?