Video Poker Forum

Does anyone know if playing fast or slow increases or decreases your odds?

When I'm going thru a bad losing streak within a session, I tend to slow my play down a tad. This is just to break the RNG pattern. Does it really work? It probably doesn't hurt. I wouldn't speed up as that play does lead to mistakes that you normally woudn't make. That kind of play might be best described as "going on tilt".---CWA---

Does anyone know if playing fast or slow increases or decreases your odds?
 
No, the speed you play at doesn't change your odds.  Playing fast will lead to more misplayed hands, though.  If you're getting a lot of plays where your brain says "Oops...." a fraction of a second AFTER your finger hits that "Draw" button, you might want to slow it down a little.

What CDDenver said....Speed Kills.  Unless you play as perfectly fast as you do slow and then it doesn't matter except the faster you play, the faster you will rack up the comp points.
There is something oxymoronic with the statement "breaking up the pattern of the Random Number Generator."  If there were patterns, it wouldn't be random.  But, if it feels good, do it.

No difference.  You lose more on a negative machine or win more on a positive, over the long haul. However, the faster you play the more
mistakes you will make and not realize the optimal return on either.  

Thanks!  Good luck!  It's hard to pace yourself.  I tend to get excited and play like my hair's on fire.

Thanks!  Good luck!  It's hard to pace yourself.  I tend to get excited and play like my hair's on fire.
 
I know how that is!  My personal rule-of-thumb is to slow it down when I start making oopsies.  Or go home, since my little fingers want to play fast all night but my brain starts slowing down.

I hear that!  Regarding dueces wild - my favorite - Do you always hold pairs?  If you have 2 pairs do you hold them both hoping for a full house?  If you have a pair, but a shot at a strait or flush or better - what do  you hold?  If you have any of a wild royal - do you hold them over say - a pair?  Some people say if you have 3 or more of a royal flush but have a wild card to throw away the wild and hope for the other royal member.  What do you think?  I'm interested in other people's strategies.  Also, any time of day? Night? better than others?  My mom (she got me started) has hit a jackpot at certain times more than once. 
 
 

For Deuces I often hold 2 pairs. You can't get a 4 of a kind then which is sad but oh well. I also would never throw a wild not even with 4 to a royal and a deuce. No way!
 
If I had a wild card and the others were a pair and two to a royal I would hold the pair and deuce for 3 of a kind. 3 to royal with a wild isn't bad either but not quite as good.

I hear that!  Regarding dueces wild - my favorite - Do you always hold pairs?  If you have 2 pairs do you hold them both hoping for a full house?  If you have a pair, but a shot at a strait or flush or better - what do  you hold?  If you have any of a wild royal - do you hold them over say - a pair?  Some people say if you have 3 or more of a royal flush but have a wild card to throw away the wild and hope for the other royal member.  What do you think?  I'm interested in other people's strategies.  Also, any time of day? Night? better than others?  My mom (she got me started) has hit a jackpot at certain times more than once.   
 
Keep in mind that VP is random. This means the time of day means nothing. Who's played the machine last means nothing. If the machine just hit a big jackpot means nothing. In fact, most of what you hear in a casino is total misinformation.
 
That said, there are two kinds of strategies ... one based on random events and all others. All the others will get you in trouble. The only one with a sound mathematical basis is called expert play strategy. I suggest you read as much as possible both here and anywhere else you find the topic discussed.
 
Now, the answer to your question of holding a single pair or two pair for deuces wild is based on the paytable (as will everything else related to VP strategy). In general, if the machine pays the same for a full house and 4 of a kind ... hold the two pair. If the machine pays more for 4 of a kind just hold the pair. These kinds of questions are easily answered by any of the software tutors.