|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Is playing five coins always better than playing one coin? |
|
|
|
No. In fact (and I suspect my answer will surprise you), youâre usually better off playing one coin than playing five.
In video poker, the ratio of coins returned for winning hands is the same whether you play one coin or five, except when you hit a royal. This is easy to see by looking at the machineâs face plate. For example, if a machine returns one coin for a pair of Jacks with one coin in, it will pay two for two coins, three for three, four for four, and five for max-coin play. The 1:1 ratio is constant. Usually, though, a royal flush will return 250 coins for one coin, 500 for two, 750 for three, and 1,000 for four, then jump to 4,000 for five, which raises the per-coin ratio from 250:1 to 800:1. The shot at the bonus jackpot explains the popular advice to always play maximum coins (five).
True, playing five coins leads to a higher-percentage return. But to get there, you have to play four coins with a negative expectation. This means that, in terms of money lost, you will lose less at most games by playing one coin, than you will by playing five.
As a gameâs return percentage moves closer to 100 percent, this effect diminishes. Ultimately, the gain from the fifth-coin bonus overcomes the expected loss from the first four coins. The break-even point where it makes economic sense to play the full five coins is about 99.8 percent (including slot club benefits). If the game returns at least that much and you know how to play it close to perfectly, go ahead and play five coins. Otherwise, just play one.
It almost never makes sense to play two, three, or four coins, and if you arenât playing with an advantage, playing no coins at all is cheaper still. Professional players, of course, never play games that return less than 100 percent, so they always play five coins. |
|
|
|
When the cards are dealt, are the next five cards already lined up behind the first cards? |
|
|
|
No. Theyâre not lined up behind, but they have already been selected.
When the random number generator inside a video poker machine selects the cards for a hand, it actually takes ten cards, not five. Cards one through five can be seen, and cards six through ten are waiting in a stack to replace the discards.
For example, assume youâre playing Deuces Wild and are dealt 9´ 9ú 4® 4© 5ú. Further, assume that cards six through ten (which, obviously, you canât see before you decide how to play the hand) are 4ú 4´ 2® 5´ Aú. The correct way to play this hand is to hold either of the pairs, and discard the other three cards. If you keep the Nines, you will end up with 9´ 9ú 4ú 4´ 2®, for a full house. If you keep the Fours, you will end up with 4® 4© 4ú 4´ 2® for 5-of-a-kind.
After the cards have come out, you have enough knowledge to fret over what you ãshould have done.ä If you held the Nines, itâs easy to see that you could have had 5-of-a-kind by holding the Fours. This aggravates some people. I shrug it off; there was no way to know this at the time that I made the decision. It all averages out. Getting annoyed just takes away from the concentration necessary to play expertly or the enjoyment of playing for fun. |
|
|
|
What is the best video poker game to play? |
|
|
|
It depends.
The caliber of games varies dramatically from casino to casino and from casino city to casino city. The best games in Vegas are very different from the best in Atlantic City, which in turn are very different from those in other locales.
Iâll answer this question specifically for Las Vegas (where I live and play), but some of this advice may help you make your decision wherever you play.
The denomination of coin you play has a lot to do with it. In Las Vegas, for nickels, the best games are Deuces Wild (100.76 percent return for optimal play) and 10/7 double bonus (100.17 percent). For quarters, the above two games are available, plus some Jokers Wild games worth 101.0 percent, and maybe five other relatively uncommon games that return more than 100 percent. For dollars, there are a few ãfull-payä Deuces Wild games in town, about a dozen Joker Wild games that return 100.65 percent, and more than 100 good double bonus games. For five dollars, there are Jacks or Better games (99.54 percent with cashback from slot clubs that raise the percentage above 100 percent) and several good double bonus games. Some games come with sequential royal bonuses and many come with progressives. There are thousands of machines at all denominations returning 99 percent, 98 percent, 97 percent and lower. You must learn to distinguish between good and bad pay schedules and play only the good.
Slot club benefits are important. Many clubs pay cash rebates, which are easy to evaluate. Other casinos offer rooms, meals, shows and logo merchandise that are much harder to evaluate dollar-wise. Some give both. Samâs Town, for example, offers a meager dole in cashback (.09 percent), but gives you a free room for playing $2,500 through the machines per day. If you value the room at $80, the slot club return raises the overall return rate by 3 percent. If you have no use for the room, the return is not so hot.
Always look for promotions to improve your return. In Vegas, double and triple slot club points are fairly common. Sometimes on Motherâs Day, for example, a casino will pay double for four Queens, or give you a drawing ticket whenever you hit 4-of-a-kind, or give you a scratcher, or a jacket, and so forth. Each of these promotions is worth something, though the value will be different for different people. When youâre deciding which game is best, pay attention to whoâs offering the best extras at the time.
The most critical factor in deciding which game is best may well depend on which game you know how to play best. Playing video poker well requires a high degree of skill. If you donât know how to play Deuces Wild, but you do know how to play Jacks or Better, then you are better off sticking with the Jacks (even though youâve heard Deuces Wild pays better). Better yet, learn the Deuces strategy. The more games you learn, the more options youâll have. |
|
|
|
How big a bankroll do you need to play video poker? |
|
|
|
In gambling-speak, a bankroll is an amount of money set aside for gambling. If you lose it, youâll still have enough money to get home, stock the refrigerator, and (if you do this for a living) maybe pay the alimony.
If youâre going to play on a full-time basis, I recommend having at least a three-royal-flush bankroll. That is, have $3,000 if you are playing for quarters (a typical royal on quarter machines pays $1,000), $12,000 if youâre playing for dollars, and $60,000 if youâre playing for five dollars. Again, this assumes that youâre playing games where you have the advantage.
For casual players, I recommend a more psychological approach (related to potential losses). There will be days where youâll lose half a royal, or more. Will this bother you? If losing $500 dumps you into a profound funk, you do not have the psychological bankroll for playing quarters. If losing $2,000 makes you late for the rent, forget about playing for dollars. |
|
|
|
Whatâs the best way to learn how to play successfully? |
|
|
|
No surprises here. You have to work at it. Video poker is a game where every hand has one best play. Learning what these are takes time and effort. And the time and effort is rewarded by better results when you play. (Winning is fun!)
Video poker strategies are complicated. Most people learn by using one (or both) of two techniques. The first entails reading what experts have to say about the game. Most books will at least provide a strategy chart for the game you want to play. The better ones include discussions on why certain hands are played in particular ways, and provide you with lots of practice hands. (As you might expect, I believe my reports are state-of-the-art.)
Studying from a book is good, but enlisting the help of a computer to supplement that study is better. With the good programs, you can input almost any pay schedule, and the computer deals you practice hands until the cows come home. Every time you make a mistake, the computer tells you what the correct play was, and how much the mistake cost you. If you want to know how to play a particular hand, you can plug that in too. This is a fun technique, and learning is almost automatic. Several good programs are available, but one called Video Poker Tutor is by far the best computer learning device I know of.
Thatâs it for this month. Next month Iâll discuss why losing is such a major part of winning at video poker. Until then, go out and hit a royal flush! |
|
|
