Video Poker Forum

Hi gang, really respect everyone's opinions and experience on this board so thought I'd post a dilemma I'm currently facing...

My local casino recently started offering a promo on certain weeknights which results in a total slot club bonus of .934%

There are two games offered on certain "all-star" type machines that are candidates as advantage plays. They are as follows:

Option #1) $1 denomination - Double Super Times Pay - 3 Play - 10/6 Double Bonus Poker which I believe returns 99.39% for a total payback of 100.324%

I know that the single line version of this DSTP game has a variance listed at 69.144124 but I'm unsure how that scales up for the 3 play game and what that means in actual dollars of standard deviation for a 21 credit max bet.

Option #2) $1 denomination - Ultimate X - 3 Play - 7/5 Bonus Poker which I believe returns 99.28% for a total payback of 100.214%

I know that the single line version of this Ultimate X game has a variance listed at 35.512649 which is almost half of option #1, but I'm also unsure how that scales for the 3 play game and what that means in actual dollars of standard deviation for a 30 credit max bet.

Which of these would you choose and why? I'm looking for answers that include something about bankroll requirement, variance, standard deviation, volatility, strategy difficulty, etc. I'm primarily concerned about enduring really big swings and running out of money before being able to realize the advantage play.

For reference, and to relate to these other games, up until now I've typically only played $1 - 5 Play - Deuces Wild 9/15 @ 98.91%, a slightly losing game but mainly just for fun and an easy way to earn tier credits without risking losing too much.

Thanks all for your time and consideration and appreciate any education on the math and logic that you can provide!

DSTP. Nine bucks less per hand without complicating the strategy. You'll get used to the volatility.

For Double Bonus game, you must pay attention to the payout of the straight. For regular Double Bonus where you max bet 5 credits, 10/6/5 pays 98.88% while 10/6/4 pays 97.46%.

It's very likely the version of the DSTP DB base game at your local casino is 10/6/4.

The game is 10/6/5 Double Bonus on DSTP, that is why it is so attractive as an advantage play. Unfortunately, even though it is $9 less per hand my experience so far playing it has been extremely negative compared to the Ultimate X.

trackmastergreg wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 12, 2025 12:54 pm

Unfortunately, even though it is $9 less per hand my experience so far playing it has been extremely negative compared to the Ultimate X.

I don't have a strong preference between the two, but for the numbers as stated, I wouldn't play either of them. Just not enough of an edge considering volatility, tax impact, and tipping costs.

I could possibly be persuaded if significant unmentioned value is available from mail offers, comps, tier benefits, or drawing entries.

Even then I would scout thoroughly to try to find something with 99% payback at a lower denom or with lower volatility.

trackmastergreg wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 12, 2025 12:54 pm

...so far playing it has been extremely negative compared to the Ultimate X.

Do you play it correctly? Strategies for 9/7/5 and 10/6/5 differ significantly.

dinghy wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 12, 2025 7:38 pm

...tipping costs.

What are you talking about? It's the law that a slot attendant has to pay you—it’s not just a courtesy. I’ve hit $100K royals dozens of times, and tens of thousands of jackpots over the years. I never tipped once. Similarly, if you live in New Jersey, you know you can't pump your own gas—it's the law that attendants must serve you. And because it's mandatory, NJ residents don’t tip at gas stations. Simple as that!

I tip when it's a genuine courtesy—like holding my seat while I run to the bathroom.

For regular gamblers who frequently get W2Gs, tipping on every single one adds up fast—do you realize how much you'd actually lose? It’s ridiculous. But it's your choice if you want to lose more, your bahavior determines your bankroll eventually.