Where to start

[BobDancer]

My "secret" through the years has always been play a game where the base game + slot club + promotions + mailers exceeds 100%. If I can't find those conditions, I won't play. Period. For the past 29 years of gambling at video poker, 25 have been positive (some spectacularly so) --- and the negative years have been relatively small losses compared to the wins.

I do not subscribe to the "quit when you're ahead" philosophy which has been espoused by some in this thread. It simply doesn't work if you're playing negative games. The idea that you know when you're at the high point for the day and then you quit before you give it all back is tempting to believe in --- except you NEVER know what the next hour or two is going to bring.

If you're seriously tempted to get good at the nuts and bolts of video poker, I strongly suggest you spend hundreds of hours reading what I've written. I know bobdancer.com is behind a pay wall now, and I very much wish it wasn't true but it wasn't my decision. (My site is managed by the Las Vegas Advisor, and when they turned into a pay site, so did mine.) The fee to read my last 20 years of blogs is rather small, compared to the cost of playing video poker "in the dark."

The OP said he consulted with a writer. It might have been me. I don't know. If we take the original poster at his word when he says he can't stick to a fixed bet-size and can't possibly stick to that strategy, then I predict he is doomed to be a net loser at video poker. This isn't a game where a few tricks of the trade will turn a loser into a winner. It's a long-run type of endeavor --- with big swings both ways along the way. If you play the way I recommend in my first paragraph here, you will likely win. If you don't, you likely won't.

[AceTenBriggs]

Sorry, guys, I don’t know either. I thought I was saying some legit stuff. Sorry for the idiocy, ha. Anyway, I appreciate the posts. I will hit the books.

I am indeed a net loser at the moment, but I’ll stick to a bet size and keep to Dancer’s advice. Thank you.

[olds442jetaway]

I’m playing at just over 100 percent with the free play right now and had a great ( for me ) session even without a Royal, so I do plan to hit and run. I find at least for me it works. I tend to change denomination and bet too high when ahead, so that’s why the giveback so often as the time playing high is so much less than the lower denomination play. I’ll post today’s results on my thread in the Rec forum. Of course it is only one session.

[dinghy]

My "secret" through the years has always been play a game where the base game + slot club + promotions + mailers exceeds 100%.

If you're seriously tempted to get good at the nuts and bolts of video poker, I strongly suggest you spend hundreds of hours reading what I've written.

I will hit the books.

Bob's ego exceeds 100%.

You only need basic skills to achieve basic competency. Gamblers go awry mainly because they choose to make bad decisions. They intentionally play an inferior game, deviate from optimal strategy, and disregard casino promotions.

Can you disclose where and what you're playing? Some casinos are simply not beatable at video poker. Probably most of them.

[dinghy]

so I do plan to hit and run. I find at least for me it works.

Enlighten me please. Let's make it simple. I live across the street from the casino, and my only objective is to win. I'm not playing for fun.

What rules should I follow?

[olds442jetaway]

I think you know all of the rules already. Even playing with a small advantage, you need to have some luck too to win. This works for me. It probably won’t work for everyone. I need to hit and cash in because I tend to play above my bankroll when I get ahead a certain amount. For arguments sake, let’s say 200. Most of the time I am just not lucky. Last night and this morning was an exception.

[dinghy]

I need to hit and cash in because I tend to play above my bankroll when I get ahead a certain amount. For arguments sake, let’s say 200.

You already know I disagree with you, but I'm trying to work through the logic.

We have a win target of +200, at which point we quit.

What's the loss target? At what loss amount do we surrender?

[OTABILL]

I need to hit and cash in because I tend to play above my bankroll when I get ahead a certain amount. For arguments sake, let’s say 200.

You already know I disagree with you, but I'm trying to work through the logic.

We have a win target of +200, at which point we quit.

What's the loss target? At what loss amount do we surrender?

For me, when to quit depends on a number of factors such as objective in playing, time constraints, money management, alertness, etc.

[dinghy]

For me, when to quit depends on a number of factors such as objective in playing, time constraints, money management, alertness, etc.

That's nice, but you don't have a winning system.

Instead of swinging for the fences, I should settle for a nice what I call hit and quit. I would be ahead at the end of every year.

That's better than Bob's system. Bob's only 25 of 29.

[olds442jetaway]

Mine is a cross between OTAs and if there are none of those issues, I just play till I get tired. Usually all night into the morning it if I bust. Usually bankroll is 800-1200. Sometimes less. I don’t really have a stop loss. Probably why I have so many losing sessions. Bad to get 200 ahead and finish 1,000 down