it finally happened last night...

[chattycattty]

BJ, I think I will leave the TDB to you.  Decided to play a couple rounds to try to understand it.  The only way I know to learn the different games is to try to play with optimum strategy.  I ended up playing 8 rounds of 100 games each of five play.  I felt that 4000 games represented a pretty good sample size..
 
While it is exciting to get the big hit, by far the biggest hit for me during this session was one hand of 4 2's and a kicker which paid 2000 credits.   All but 2 of the rounds I received 2 or less 4oak's.  Playing total of 4000 games never saw 4 aces, in fact other than the good hit I mentioned above, I only hit 400 credits on the 4oak twice.
 
I think I will try another 4000 games tonight and see if I have better results.

[DaBurglar]

I saw a TDB paytable that was 8/5/4/2/1 (full house, flush, straight, trips, jacks) but that paid 4000 for the 4 aces/kicker, 2000 for little quads plus kicker and $1,199 for a royal (25 cent denom)..... clearly this game is meant to mimic SLOTs Video Poker experience at least on the payoff front.....chance at big paydays but more likely to go bust. I only dabble in TDB when its on a dreamcard option menu..... But here's the sad truth:  In the past 3 years in AC, I have hit four aces with a kicker 11 times playing plain ol' vanilla 9/6 JOB!!!!   it's fuggin awful everytime it happens!

[chattycattty]

I saw a TDB paytable that was 8/5/4/2/1 (full house, flush, straight, trips, jacks) but that paid 4000 for the 4 aces/kicker, 2000 for little quads plus kicker and $1,199 for a royal (25 cent denom).....
 
clearly this game is meant to mimic SLOTs Video Poker experience at least on the payoff front.....chance at big paydays but more likely to go bust.
 
I only dabble in TDB when its on a dreamcard option menu.....
 
But here's the sad truth:  In the past 3 years in AC, I have hit four aces with a kicker 11 times playing plain ol' vanilla 9/6 JOB!!!!   it's fuggin awful everytime it happens!
We have some full pay triple / five pay machines at our home property in Bossier City, La.  When I play I like to go back and forth between JOB, BP, DDB, and DW.  I play mostly 9/6 JOB or 8/5 BP because I like the low volatility. 


 
The same thing seems to happen to me.  The quad aces seem to come up when I am playing JOB, BP, or DW.  At least with BP you get 400 instead of 125.  I would rather have the 800 or 2000 or 4000 in TDB.  But I don't want to burn through my bankroll either.  If only I was luckier or had a crystal ball. 

[Vman96]

During the 100 hand session mid-pair and lone ace came up 3 times.  In all three cases the training mode suggested keeping mid-pair over lone ace.  I am not sure how big of statistical difference there is between the two choices as this training mode does not tell you that.  I am not trying to be critical but was curious. 

It's a significant error.

At 9/5 TDB a hand that looks like this:

6d 6h As Tc 9d

Pair: 0.618871 betting units
Ace only: 0.486099 betting units

So playing max credits at:
quarters: 16.6 cent error
dollars: 66.4 cent error
$5: $3.32 error

*elbows billyjoe*

The three to a royal can be higher than a high pair because of the short 2 for 1 payment on three of a kind, especially if the flush pays 6 or 7 for 1. When this happens, 3 to a flush is often better than garbage.

[chattycattty]

Thank you vman for the statistical facts.  Just completed another 4000 games of TDB.  Results about the same as last night.  Observed 25 games where mid pair and lone ace in same hand.  On all occasions training mode indicated holding the mid pair.
 
I also observed 11 4oak's.  One of which was 4 aces, 1 was 4 threes, and the rest ordinary 4 oaks. No kickers.  As a result if I had been playing quarters I would have lost about $750 or dollars a tad over $3000.  Thankfully I was practicing on videopoker.com and it cost me nothing.
 
TDB is not for the faint of heart.  A lot of people seem to really enjoy it.  Too volatile for me.  Maybe some  day.  If you are lucky enough to be able to stroke more than your fair share of 4oak's, especially with kickers, it seems like the perfect game to play.

[BillyJoe]

[QUOTE=chattycattty]

During the 100 hand session mid-pair and lone ace came up 3 times.  In all three cases the training mode suggested keeping mid-pair over lone ace.  I am not sure how big of statistical difference there is between the two choices as this training mode does not tell you that.  I am not trying to be critical but was curious. 

It's a significant error.

At 9/5 TDB a hand that looks like this:

6d 6h As Tc 9d

Pair: 0.618871 betting units
Ace only: 0.486099 betting units

So playing max credits at:
quarters: 16.6 cent error
dollars: 66.4 cent error
$5: $3.32 error

*elbows billyjoe*

The three to a royal can be higher than a high pair because of the short 2 for 1 payment on three of a kind, especially if the flush pays 6 or 7 for 1. When this happens, 3 to a flush is often better than garbage.[/QUOTE]
That's why I am always pleasantly surprised when I hit quad Aces holding that lone Ace after chucking the pair.

[chattycattty]

Although video poker does require more skill to play that closing your eyes and pushing the button
like you do on an ordinary slot machine, end the end luck is more important than anything.
 
I have a friend I play next to on many occasions who is much luckier than I am.  Once in a while I will do better than him but most of the time he is oblivious to the fact that you are only supposed to get a 4oak every 423 hands.  Some people are just luckier than others. 

[dbldbl scotty]

over half the people i see playing every time i go are making terrible plays. i dont watch often, usually just as i sit down and am getting some cash out - ill watch 2 or 3 hands of theirs. of course, once i establish they such - they end up hitting quads like 4 times in 5 minutes while i sit there grinding...

then the couple that grabs an end machine - two chairs (which they took from another close machine and now will make someone stand) and they take turns playing - discussing every hand - then one yells at the other when they say "i told you so"...

[chattycattty]

over half the people i see playing every time i go are making terrible plays. i dont watch often, usually just as i sit down and am getting some cash out - ill watch 2 or 3 hands of theirs. of course, once i establish they such - they end up hitting quads like 4 times in 5 minutes while i sit there grinding...

then the couple that grabs an end machine - two chairs (which they took from another close machine and now will make someone stand) and they take turns playing - discussing every hand - then one yells at the other when they say "i told you so"...
I think you sit next to the exact same people as I do.  Sometimes I think I should wear blinders and earplugs while playing.

[tommiedee]

One time playing Joker Poker, I got distracted by another player and didn't hold my pair of 6's.   Ended up catching 4 8's and the joker on the middle line.  But in TDB I never held a lone ace with any pair on the board even though I have caught the 4 aces with kicker when holding only the ace from the deal.