Random? I don't think so.

[Galeygoo]

I'm thinking Oct 1st is too early...It seems to me that FP enjoys a long and simmered "stew" before he overheats and "burns"...

[FloridaPhil]

I can accept "Bob Dancer's" post as it is. Thank you for the clarification. When I post on this forum it's from a much different prospective than he does. The video poker world he sees is not the video poker I see. The video poker players I see are common working people looking to have some fun. To most of them, $200 is a lot of money to lose in a casino. You could say those people should not gamble and you would be right. I don't think anyone thinks that will happen. The casino doesn't check your financial statement before they take your money.

The question is "Why do I care what happens to someone else?" My family didn't have money. I started with nothing and through shear luck and a lot of hard work I made myself wealthy. I still remember those days of struggling financially. I have empathy for those who were not as fortunate as I was. When I see an article stating that gambling $25 a hand in a slot machine is profitable, it touches a sensitive part of my heart. Through my church volunteer work I have looked into the eyes of a widow who lost her husband's $200,000 life insurance gambling and I know what that looks like. It's very sad. What happened was not "Bob Dancer's" fault. It's not the casino's fault either.

On this forum I tell regular players how I enjoy casino gambling without losing a lot of money. I think that is better than spending my time telling a few wealthy people how to profit. "Bob Dancer" and I are both human beings and we both deserve respect. Small time video poker players do as well.

The next time you read one of my posts, keep this in mind.

[FloridaPhil]

I apologize for my spelling and grammatical errors. Not being able to edit a post after 15 minutes is fine with me. Unfortunately, I don't always notice errors until after the edit period has expired. The stupid error correct feature on my phone is not my friend either.

[Tedlark]

Phil it is my impression that people: all with varying playing styles; abilities; perspectives; desires, etc. take Bob Dancer's classes and read his writings, all with the hope of improving their overall video poker play for the better. These are not just Advantage Players (AP's), they're average people just like you and I, who follow Bob Dancer.

To me, a recreational player desires to exit a casino with a profit even though you have stated many times that you play for the entertainment factor. I consider myself to also be a recreational player but I also measure comps and advantage plays before deciding to go to a casino. Locally I have the ability to travel, within a 2 hour drive, to many casinos but this does not mean I go to casinos on a weekly or more frequent basis. I go when there is a good advantage promotion (give-aways for example that I can use) or when I have a decent amount of freeplay tossed my way. Because I am also a disciplined player I do not ALWAYS go to a certain casino for a good give-away or freeplay. I ultimately decide to go to a casino to play on MY terms rather than theirs, even though I consider myself to be a recreational player.

I am also not afraid to pull the plug and leave a casino if I've reached a point where I may have won enough that satisfies me. I don't think about those jackpots I may be missing out on if I do leave the casino because I leave satisfied and again, on my terms. Many times, even when in Las Vegas, I just quit playing and found something else to do. This is an area that many players NEED to put a focus on, discipline. Bob Dancer,and other notables in video poker, make disciplined play a staple and for those players who do not have it: they are the ones who put themselves in peril.

My bottom line in this long winded post is to say that I do not preach to people about how they should play. This includes talk of single line vs. multi-line, talk of what denomination to play (other than my rule to ALWAYS play max coin at a comfortable denomination), talk of the evils of gambling, etc. I cannot control those people, I can truly only control myself. This boils down to personal choice.

[FAA]

But you usually win right away and o don't. I can leave after +$50 the last two trips. But that barely made for a tolerable trip, so I did want more and gave 60-100% of this pittance back.

[Tedlark]

Phil if I may add one thing about your recent post. I am happy that you have done well for yourself financially but you've made similar comments here in the past and at some point it may put a negative spotlight on you. Many others here who I know personally, have also done well financially but they have not routinely posted about it.

[FloridaPhil]

Ted, my video poker experience is much different than yours. I do not play to win. This doesn't mean I don't want to win, it means winning money is not number one on my list of expectations. If that were the case, I would never go into a casino in the first place. I also take advantage of comps and incentives, but I am under no illusions that the casino is going to gift me a long term profit.

I enjoy the game for the challenge it provides. Everyday when I drive over to the casino, is a mini battle between me and the machines. My goal is in two parts. First, I want my video poker entertainment to last as long as possible. Second, I want to come home with at least the same amount of money I left with. When this happens, I drive home with a smile on my face. When it doesn't I am disappointed.

To make these two things happen, I play VP as small as possible. This allows me to enjoy the casino experience on my terms, not the casino's. Since last fall I have modified my VP strategy and it has turned my results positive. I will be posting about this on this forum soon. I don't expect my positive results to turn into a long term profit, but it's working much better than the "hit and miss" strategy I was using.

I think Advantage Play strategy is a positive thing. I like the idea that "Bob Dancer" teaches classes. I do not think the average player has any chance of duplicating his results, especially in 2018. Most of what I have learned about video poker I learned from his books and his software. We disagree about some of his claims and marketing tactics, but that's his business.

I don't enjoy talking about my business success. I am not a proud person. I only talk about it on this forum because I believe my poor beginnings explain my frugality when it comes to VP. If I was born rich, I would probably have a different attitude.

This forum needs two voices. When you only hear about Video Poker as an AP plays the game, you come to the conclusion that winning big is easy. Video poker is gambling. To some, it can be an addictive and destructive behavior. As a group, I believe we should temper our remarks when we discuss big profits. If you feel I am preaching, I'm OK with that. I want average players to know the chances they will make money long term in a casino are extremely slim. If I can keep one person from financial harm, it's worth it to me.

[Eduardo]

This forum needs two voices. When you only hear about Video Poker as an AP plays the game, you come to the conclusion that winning big is easy.

Just two voices? Doesn't anyone else get to talk?

You act like you are the only voice against a mass of AP Players.

Most people here are NOT AP players, but I certainly think that the AP's are the best resource for information on proper strategy and getting the most bang for your buck in video poker. People can follow their tips as much or as little as they want.

If anyone thinks winning big is easy, then they haven't actually played VP. Nobody ever said it was easy, and it doesn't take much experience to realize that.

I appreciate the conclusion that you reached, that playing small will lose small on losing machines. That's true of any game in a casino. But this crusade of yours against AP's is kind of silly.

[markinca]

But this crusade of yours against AP's is kind of silly.

It's truly ridiculous because I get the impression that Phil thinks APs are some different breed of people, playing an entirely different playing style and totally different games. He doesn't seem to realize that an AP is technically anyone who is playing a game that returns >100% after comps/drawings/etc. Of course, APs who make significant money on VP tend to play these kinds of games exclusively.

If you're playing a 10/6 DDB machine for single-line quarters and little comps/no drawings, then yea, your hourly isn't very much, and you certainly won't make a living out of it, but you're technically an 'Advantage Player' whenever you are playing that game. This is what Phil doesn't get. An AP isn't someone that makes their living off the game. It's just someone who has an advantage over the house.

[FAA]

Hit and miss is clearly disastrous.