Something to Think About

The lighter side... playing for entertainment, less concerned about "the math."
Gronbog
Senior Member
Posts: 267
Joined: Tue Jan 09, 2018 4:59 pm

Re: Something to Think About

Post by Gronbog »

Proof that the earth is not flat: If it were, then the cats would have pushed everything off the edge by now.

FloridaPhil
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Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2008 11:28 am

Post by FloridaPhil »

Gronbog wrote:
Mon Apr 13, 2020 8:13 am
Proof that the earth is not flat: If it were, then the cats would have pushed everything off the edge by now.
I have never seen a cat in a casino. :lol:

FloridaPhil
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Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2008 11:28 am

Post by FloridaPhil »

Here's the reality. None of us is playing video poker in a casino right now. We aren't losing and we aren't winning. My profit and loss today is exactly the same as everyone else. Skill, odds, and bankroll mean nothing. It doesn't matter what we think because there are no games to play.

davidearl
Senior Member
Posts: 319
Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2010 2:38 pm

Post by davidearl »

FloridaPhil wrote:
Mon Apr 13, 2020 7:48 am
I have given you my reasons why I do not believe humans can create video poker profits with math and skill alone. If you wish to believe it, it's your money, do what you want. I do not have to go along with it.
It's not the math that fails. It's the failure to overcome the addictions of the casino. It takes discipline to do that.
Some of the addictions of the casino are, drinking, smoking and drugs. Large quantities of food and sugar. Loud music, sounds, and excitement. And numbers.
Let's talk about the n#mbers. Tier level, Keno, 100 play video poker, and Jackpots. To me, making money is much more important than how many points in my tier level. If the Tier level is costing me money, then it's all about the benefits, not the money. 100 play video poker was costing me money, so I gave it up for single line games with better pay tables. The color of my card is not important to me. I do the math and decide..
When there's a promo, I do the math. When the promo is over, the advantage is over. The casino now has the advantage, so I walk out.
Keno. Ever sit next to Keno player? Ding ding ding ding ding for hours on end. !00 play and large Jackpots go handnhand. Making money is more important than Jackpots to me. N#mbers can be addictive.
Phil, I too have traveled the country to many casinos and gamings. I have been to 117 casinos/gaming in 21 states plus Ontario while working as an Expeditor. About a third of my casino profits came from casinos on the road. I check any nearby casinos check the games, the promos and ask about what I can get with a new players card. I do the math and decide. The math works for me.

FloridaPhil
Video Poker Master
Posts: 6229
Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2008 11:28 am

Post by FloridaPhil »

davidearl wrote:
Tue Apr 14, 2020 8:29 pm
Phil, I too have traveled the country to many casinos and gamings. I have been to 117 casinos/gaming in 21 states plus Ontario while working as an Expeditor. About a third of my casino profits came from casinos on the road. I check any nearby casinos check the games, the promos and ask about what I can get with a new players card. I do the math and decide. The math works for me.
Dave. Many of us play video poker just because we enjoy playing video poker. We would enjoy video poker if there was no money involved. This may seem strange to you, but it's not uncommon. Most of us live in places where positive video poker games are practically impossible to find or only stay positive for very short periods of time. Our choice is to play what we have or not play at all.

To get the most enjoyment from our casino visits, we play the best games we can find as accurately as we can. I consider myself a Recreational player. I own three copies of Bob Dancer's VPW software and practice often. My wife is a Gold member of this website and uses the traffic light strategy feature. She plays the same 97% deuces wild game on this website she plays at the casino. We play as accurately as we can not because there is profit to be made. We play accurately because it lets us play more hands with our money. Comps are more important to us than making money. We use comped casino hotel stay as mini vacations.

My beef with the experts is they choose to limit their advice and contributions to only potentially profitable games. We think this leads players to believe making a profit is the only purpose for playing video poker. We believe this causes players who play negative games to play too long, risk too much and pay too much for comps. What we would like to see is an expert include advice on playing the common 97% games we find around the country. I don't think I am alone in that regard.

tech58
Video Poker Master
Posts: 1369
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2014 1:21 pm

Post by tech58 »

FloridaPhil wrote:
Mon Apr 13, 2020 8:15 am
Gronbog wrote:
Mon Apr 13, 2020 8:13 am
Proof that the earth is not flat: If it were, then the cats would have pushed everything off the edge by now.
I have never seen a cat in a casino. :lol:
FP is probably not a cat owner GR, this got by him. ;)

onemoretry
Video Poker Master
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Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 8:00 pm

Post by onemoretry »

FloridaPhil wrote:
Wed Apr 15, 2020 3:51 am
What we would like to see is an expert include advice on playing the common 97% games we find around the country. I don't think I am alone in that regard.
Why don't you simply accept the fact that it's not going to happen, and just get on with your life?

For that matter, would you hire a financial advisor whose focus was not on making gains in the stock market, but just losing less?

FAA
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Joined: Wed May 28, 2014 11:58 am

Post by FAA »

None of us is playing in a casino right now. We aren't losing and we aren't winning. My profit and loss today is exactly the same as everyone else.
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Which, if we're honest with ourselves, is a net win! Okay, I wish to return in a month if possible, but I'll take the preserved assets in the meantime.

FAA
Video Poker Master
Posts: 8465
Joined: Wed May 28, 2014 11:58 am

Post by FAA »

would you hire a financial advisor whose focus was not on making gains, but just losing less?
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Hell no. But the casinos as presently constituted would be considered a much harsher environment than the long run market. You're locking in projected losses on every game upon entry.

FloridaPhil
Video Poker Master
Posts: 6229
Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2008 11:28 am

Post by FloridaPhil »

onemoretry wrote:
Wed Apr 15, 2020 8:35 am
Why don't you simply accept the fact that it's not going to happen, and just get on with your life?
When I go to the casino, I do not see hordes of people playing positive games. I see regular people who play what is available. I ask myself why do we spend so much time discussing so little? If we are serious about helping the most players, why not help the majority? There could be a number of possibilities. Telling players how to lose less does not sell books. If you are successful in helping players to lose less, it hurts the gaming business. I sometimes wonder who's side the experts are on?

A financial advisor that helps people keep up with inflation is not as good as one who helps to make a profit. He is magnitudes better than one who won't help at all.

Is it possible we can help players who play 96% games to receive more value for their money? Is it possible to play video poker for entertainment purposes better? These are the questions I think about.

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