Moving up and down in denomination?

[FloridaPhil]

I have been playing Video Poker for about 5 years and enjoy the game very much.   I've tried all the versions and seem to enjoy DDB the most.  I have WinPoker on my PC and can play most of the games with only a few errors per hour.  My budget is flexible, so I played $1s for a couple of years and had some really nice jackpots, including 4 Royal Flushes in two days for about $13,000.  Like everyone I love to win, but a loss of $1,000 in an afternoon bums me out so bad it kills all of the fun of playing.  Also there’s the W-2G problem.  On the other hand playing quarters takes away a lot of the excitment of a good hand.   What to do?  Lately, I have been setting my session budget at $300 total.  I have been playing quarters and move up in denomination only when I hit a quad or a good run.   This seems to be working much better, because at $1s the machine would often bust me before I hit anything good.  I think I’m maturing as a player and have learned that playing out of your budget and chasing your losses is not a good thing.  I'm having a lot more fun, playing more often and I think my net is better.  Any feedback?

[oej719]

I think your resolve is good. Chasing losses seldom works.
Life is good. Enjoy life.

[damule]

I play very similar to this. I set my loss budget at $500. I usually start on 3-play DDB quarters and will move up to 5-play quarters if I get up $300. Then I'll move to 3-play dollars if I get up $500. I'll stop if I get up $1000. If I come back down to even, I'll go back to quarters and start the cycle all over again until I'm either down $500 or up $1000. This money management strategy has been extremely effective...when I've stuck to it .

[cddenver]

This money management strategy has been extremely effective...when I've stuck to it .
 
I'll tell you what I've personally found to be the most effective money management strategy - shorter sessions.  Keeps the mental fatigue factor down that can affect judgement (when to leave).  Works for me. 

[shadowman]

There's no right or wrong way as long as you understand bankroll. For DDB the rule of thumb is usually 5-7 royals worth of bankroll to see you through the bad spells. If you just played dollar you would need to understand you could lose almost $30K during a bad spell. If this is not in you psychological make-up then either smaller denoms or moving up and down will reduce the potential losses.


 
Also, since even a small number of errors will reduce 10/6 DDB to <100%, you need some kind of CB or BB to make this game a long term winner.

[FloridaPhil]

All of the VP machines I have seen in Florida and Mississippi are less than 100%.  I write down all of machine numbers and run them through WinPoker when I get home. The best odds I have seen has been 9/6 Jacks.  In Florida DDB runs around 95%-96%.  In Biloxi the odds are worse, but I get a lot of comps so it's worth it for me.  The way I figure it if you're going to loose 4-6% an hour you might as well go for DDB.  My records show that over the past two years I'm about even, so I guess I'm really ahead of the game.   This going up and down is the main reason I switched to quarters.  These days I'm playing for the fun of it.   If you win $10,000 and give it back it's the same as winning $500 and giving it back, only you don't feel so bad when you loose.