Three to a Royal, Hold or Don't Hold?

[olds442jetaway]

Great! Thanks for the info. I think I will stick to the 3 line play on Spin. Most likely play all 3 games. I am continuing to slow down the Clone so hopefully something will hit before the bankroll is history. Latest plan that I have tried in practice and will try for real tonight is not to increase a Deuces Wild bet unless hitting the Deuces on one line will not get you even or better. I’ve got the session time to wait it out. Will see what happens. Thanks again. I guess that’s one reason the casino pays a bit more on Spin games because of the volatility when playing many lines. Lots of people won’t play spin poker at all.

[dinghy]

I think I will stick to the 3 line play on Spin. Most likely play all 3 games.

That's how I play. Typically on a quarter machine, 3 games x 3 lines x 5 coins = 45 coins bet.

I like that selection because it's minimum volatility. It should run very similar to a 10-play game (minus one hand). And at 25c denom, it cuts down on jackpot paperwork because the thousand-dollar royals come one a time.

I guess that’s one reason the casino pays a bit more on Spin games because of the volatility when playing many lines.

I haven't decidedly noticed the tendency or come to the same conclusion. I know casinos consider volatility from the standpoint of jackpot liability, but that usually just means they'll deactivate the high denominations for fear of paying out something like a 12x dealt royal.

[olds442jetaway]

Many of the high limit games at Mohegan Sun have poor paytables. I have never found a 9/6 Job game at Mohegan that was Nulti line or Spin , but many of their Multi like Spin games pay better than say 10 play. I have never been able to figure their reasoning for much of anything VP that they do wise. More than 10 Years ago they pull 99.13 Bonus Poker, yet leave in 9/6 JOB. I have never seen 9/6 Jacks there on any but single line games. Funny, can’t remember seeing anyone in the high limit areas playing games with very poor pay tables, yet they leave them in there. To me a busy 98.5-99.5 game is better any day for a business than a 96-97 game that just goes unplayed. Especially with so many players not paying attention to strategy.

[FAA]

More than 10 Years ago they pull 99.13 Bonus Poker, yet leave in 9/6 JOB.
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Interesting. It's the opposite at sister Resorts AC. HL room has 8/5 BP, but no 9/6 JOB anywhere. I'd want to switch to JOB just for a few hands, but the tables make me a conscientious objector.

[rsactuary]

In case it's not clear which cards are bolded, the KK hold is at the top, and the TJK hold is at the bottom.

Well that is how I played it this morning when I was dealt that, I held the two Kings, but then in a not-so-cool moment the Queen and Ace of Spades both came up as the first two cards on the draw, and this is what prompted me to ask this question. I blew off a Royal but at the same time I did the right thing according to the tables you showed me.

But then again I could have held the King, Jack, and 10 of Spades and then the other two Kings in the deck would come up on the draw and I would just be trading one reason to be upset for another, I guess I don't know what to like better.

This may depend on the game being played. Not familiar with lots of new Carnival games.
JOB proper play is the Kings. DW proper hold is 3 to the Royal. Not sure on any others.

There were no wilds in this game, it was Jacks or Better DDB game I was playing.

The cards are determined at the millisecond you hit the draw button. If you had held the three to the royal, you would have hit the button at a different millisecond and likely wouldn't have had the same outcome.

[OTABILL]

In 9/6 DDB, per Bob Dancer's chart, it depends which pair of high cards and which three to the royal as to the correct hold. Assume the same regarding other versions of DDB and if the rf is a progressive.

[MemorySage]

Everything depends on the game. There’s no single “correct” move that applies to every version of video poker. Each game, whether it’s Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, or Bonus Poker, has its own logic. And even within the same game, your strategy can shift depending on the situation.

It gets even more interesting when you're not just playing with your own money but using casino bonuses. For example, I recently came across casinobonuszok.com and picked up a couple of no-deposit offers they listed. And honestly, I noticed right away how different my strategy became compared to playing straight cash.

When it's your own bankroll, you're more focused on long-term EV and making the mathematically correct plays. But when a bonus is involved — especially with things like wagering requirements and bet limits — it can actually make more sense to play more aggressively or structure your bets differently just to clear the bonus faster.

It really shows how much the “right” strategy depends on context. Sometimes chasing EV isn’t the best move if you're navigating bonus terms instead of just trying to grind profit.

[kimber1181]

Definitely hold three to the royal. You are gambling, right? So, take the gamble and go for it! Imagine how you'd feel if you didn't hold it and the other two ended up coming up on the draw?

[onemoretry]

You are gambling, right?

True. But, going for the longshot doesn't pay off very often, and taking the much smaller, but more frequent payoffs could lead to a fatter wallet.

[TripleTriple]

You are gambling, right?

True. But, going for the longshot doesn't pay off very often, and taking the much smaller, but more frequent payoffs could lead to a fatter wallet.

Yes. And by obeying max EV you will last longer and be around when the rare hands manifest. This, along with adequate bankroll eliminates nearly all of the "gamble" after a number of sessions. Extending sessions in turn maximizes coin-in leading to maximum free play, tier level et al.
Of course if you're only playing ten or fifteen hands for whatever reason, I would instead "gamble", only because I want a decided result.