Family Video Poker

[FloridaPhil]

This year my wife and I celebrated our 52nd wedding anniversary.  It's been a long time, but in our memories the years seemed to fly by.  I met my wife when she was 15 years old and I was 16.  Other than the obvious physical things that attracted me to her was her interest in traditionally all male activities.   She is as female as they come on the outside but her interests are more in line with "guy stuff".  She wanted to go fishing, hang around race cars and cruise the local hangouts.  Over the years, whatever I wanted to do she was right there with me.  She wasn't just supportive either, she wanted to do it herself.Somewhere around the year 2000, we decided to take a well earned vacation to Vegas.  We had never been in a casino before then. The table games were pretty intimidating to us, so we played slots.  A friend had told us VP was the best game, so that's what we played.  It wasn't long before my wife wanted to play her own machines.  I gave her $300 and told her it should last her until we went home.  I quickly learned that wasn't realistic.  Using my money was a problem for her.  She was afraid to lose "my money" and $300 wasn't nearly enough for a week of gambling.  Under those circumstances, she hated gambling.   If your wife or significant other doesn't like to gamble, there's probably a similar issue going on there.  My wife and I have always had separate banking accounts.  This happened because we both own our own businesses.   She decided to start her own VP bankroll and play with her own money.  This immediately changed everything.  She could make her own decisions,  pay the cost and reap the rewards without involving me at all.  This works great because she is a very conservative gambler and I am all over the place.   Incredible as it seems, she actually makes money playing negative games.   Turns out she is also very lucky, which helps immensely.How much of a bankroll do you need to play video poker as a family hobby?  It's not that you are going to use it all up, but it's common to go up and down thousands of dollars even playing quarters.  If you are going to play at least 2-3 days a month and on vacation, we think you should eventually have a $5,000 bankroll totally dedicated to VP.   Don't think about this money as throwing it away.  Think about it as paying for season tickets to a game where the team gives you a chance to win your money back.  Never gamble with money you can't afford to lose.Video poker can be a terrific couples activity, especially it you are retired.  It doesn't work well unless both couples participate equally.  Keeping separate bankrolls is the best way to go.  It's OK to lend short term money back and forth as long as you pay it back.  It's fun to compare gambling styles to see who does better.   Staying in luxurious casino resorts is a very romantic getaway that we both look forward to, even at 70 years old.  We eat in great restaurants, go to shows and play VP, most of it at low or no cost.  Two or three times a year we take VP road trips jumping from casino to casino as we drive and play across America.  It costs money to do this, but compared to our friends who travel around the world in retirement or buy an RV, it's actually pretty cheap.If you are going to play VP on an extended vacation, pace yourself.  Don't get caught up in a dream of riches which can quickly turn into a nightmare.   Play slow, start out small and concentrate on accuracy.  You will have plenty of chances at a jackpot.  If you do well one day, don't assume the next day will be as good or better.  If things don't go well, you will live to play another day.I know there must be some forum couples who currently play VP together or some that would like to.  If you want to talk about it, lets hear from you.

[Come Back Kid]

Congratulations on your 52nd wedding anniversary! That is awesome!

[FloridaPhil]

Thanks.  It hasn't always been easy.  The key to a long great marriage is keeping the romance alive.   I still think of my wife as the teenager I first met years ago and she feels the same way about me.  We still enjoy each other's company, which helps a lot when things aren't going well.We realize most couples don't play VP together.   I suppose some people think all gambling is bad.  VP as a game is great entertainment.  VP as an obsession can be destructive.  If you don't take the game too seriously and you treat it the same way you would any other recreational activity, it's a lot of fun. 

[onemoretry]

You have us "out-anniversaried" by one, but I think I have you "out-birthdayed" by five.

Our first trip to Las Vegas was in 1991. I have absolutely no idea how many times we've been back - but it's a lot. And, if we add in trips to other Nevada locations, it's obviously somewhat higher. We have played at many, many other locations, as well. Atlantic City comes to mind, but there is a host of others. We once drove to Las Vegas, stopping off at as many different casinos as we could fit into the trip.

We do not have separate bank accounts, nor do we maintain a dedicated video poker bankroll. When planning a casino trip, we decide what we think we need, and withdraw the funds. We each take the same amount, since we play about the same. We usually keep our trip bankrolls separate for the duration of the trip, but occasionally, a redistribution of assets is needed. When we get home, everything goes back into the same pot.

This is all quite different from what you do, but it works just fine for us, just as your approach works for you.

We've had a lot of fun and enjoyment over the years resulting from our play, and hope we can continue on with the casino life for at least a few more years.

[FloridaPhil]

We realize keeping separate VP bankrolls is unusual for most couples.  Our playing styles are very different.   My wife is a former banker turned real estate agent.  She is very deliberate, disciplined and conservative.  I am impulsive, creative and enjoy doing things my own way.  We laughingly call her the tortoise and me the hare.   She plods along steadily playing amazingly cheap while my bankroll takes huge swings.  I usually run behind, then catch up on one or two big hands.  This would not work if we both worked out of the same pot of money.   We each enjoy our own way of playing VP and totally understand why we play the way we do.What's important for couples who play VP is that both parties are OK with the arrangement whatever it is.   Most of our friends don't play VP, they play slots.  Playing VP well takes some skill and you have to enjoy having a hand in the result.  When you win you can take the credit.  When you lose you can blame it on bad luck.