newby's strategy question

[pjmaui]

Welcome to the forum. To expect continued success will more than likely get you into financial trouble if you let it. Early success, or beginners luck can give you a false check on reality and have you believe that it is easy to hit jackpots. Enjoy the success when it comes, but don't get caught up in chasing.
Been there, done that....

[FloridaPhil]

As you may have noticed winning "long term" at video poker is all about hitting royal flushes.  They make up about 2% of the game and there is no skill involved in hitting one except sitting in the right seat at the right time. It's pretty simple really.  If you learn good strategy and you get more than your share of royals you're ahead.  If they don't happen, you will lose.  Occasionally someone will hit a lucky jackpot taking a pot shot at a big denomination.  If you keep those lucky hits instead of giving them back, you can add them to your bankroll.  Just don't get in the habit of playing above your bankroll or you will be depressed most of the time.  

[ecxpa]

volatility seems to be the big issue with DDP which I have played over the years without realizing that a strategy even existed for this game. I've been lucky I guess given the volatility. I generally take 4 of a kind and move to another machine since I usually play .50 or 1.00 max bet Looking forward to lurking and learning more about video poker games in this forum.

[Vman96]

volatility seems to be the big issue with DDP which I have played over the years without realizing that a strategy even existed for this game. I've been lucky I guess given the volatility. I generally take 4 of a kind and move to another machine since I usually play .50 or 1.00 max bet Looking forward to lurking and learning more about video poker games in this forum.

Even without being aware of "optimal strategy", unless you were making very odd holds, you probably weren't costing yourself that much in errors. A few percent from optimal at worst probably. And luck can definitely mask the cost of errors.

[ecxpa]

As you may have noticed winning "long term" at video poker is all about hitting royal flushes.  They make up about 2% of the game and there is no skill involved in hitting one except sitting in the right seat at the right time. It's pretty simple really.  If you learn good strategy and you get more than your share of royals you're ahead.  If they don't happen, you will lose.  Occasionally someone will hit a lucky jackpot taking a pot shot at a big denomination.  If you keep those lucky hits instead of giving them back, you can add them to your bankroll.  Just don't get in the habit of playing above your bankroll or you will be depressed most of the time.  







maybe over the years I have been wrong.....hit a few lucky royals from time to time but I have concentrated on maintaining my bank roll and being happy with relatively small wins of $200-$300 when I play. When I hit 4A for
$400-$800.....I leave the casino

[ko king]

[QUOTE=FloridaPhil]



As you may have noticed winning "long term" at video poker is all about hitting royal flushes.  They make up about 2% of the game and there is no skill involved in hitting one except sitting in the right seat at the right time. It's pretty simple really.  If you learn good strategy and you get more than your share of royals you're ahead.  If they don't happen, you will lose.  Occasionally someone will hit a lucky jackpot taking a pot shot at a big denomination.  If you keep those lucky hits instead of giving them back, you can add them to your bankroll.  Just don't get in the habit of playing above your bankroll or you will be depressed most of the time.  







maybe over the years I have been wrong.....hit a few lucky royals from time to time but I have concentrated on maintaining my bank roll and being happy with relatively small wins of $200-$300 when I play. When I hit 4A for
$400-$800.....I leave the casino[/QUOTE]


Stick to that strategy, not sure how many years you have been playing but if you managed to maintain an actual bankroll to play with I'm very surprised and jealous. I hate that I love the game because it's not a cheap habit, at least not for me. I've played for over 20 years, and I mean I played a lot. For the first 15 years I lost a minimal amount of money playing the game, it's both fun and relaxing to me, I do remember having a year that I actually finished ahead for the year just over $6K. The last few years have been kind of rough around these parts, I keep expecting those numbers that a few of the guys have posted regarding the odds and statistics to come back around to more respectable levels but I'm not completely convinced that they even pertain to vp in this area anymore. Now I can hit the royal like clockwork, possibly a bit better than the expected levels for hands played. My biggest problem is the other premium hands, in particular the quad 2's, 3's and 4's with and without the kicker. I'm sitting at close to 30K hands in a row without seeing those quads with the kicker and that can be very costly when they don't show up, I've hit a few without the kicker, best I can remember I've seen those quads 6 times during this latest dry run. Now I only tell you all this to let you know the game can get rough, really rough.

[FloridaPhil]

All great comments.  My post about royals was not intended to make you think they are all there is to winning.  In fact, my personal strategy revolves more around hitting high denomination non royal jackpots than relying on royals to pull me out. Professional video poker players play in a world that is non existent for most of us.  The idea that getting an edge will make you a winner over the long term is ridiculous in my world.  This is true because for me 100% opportunities do not exist and if they did luck is such an important part of the equation that it puts in question the logic of waiting for the math to prove itself.  My advice to any new player would be to find a game you enjoy, learn to play it as close to 100% as you can, learn about odds, seek out the best games and play at a financial level you are comfortable with.  Video poker is unique in that you get to choose the amount of the entry fee.  The only difference is in the amount of pain or pleasure you want to experience during the process. 

[ecxpa]

I have been a conservative player going to the casino 3-6 times a year playing 1-2 days each time. Up until 2 mos ago I would play a mix of slots and VP. Over the past 2 trips I have pretty much committed to VP and going forward I am done of the bells and whistle slots. I found that many times it was VP that saved the day for me. After reading a lot of materials I found out why so many people are committed to VP.


I am on the brink of retirement and have to be ultra-conservative now. Harrah's Cherokee Casino is the only casino I am able to play and that is one tough baby to come out ahead in. Don't plan to make a lot of money but I enjoy the mountains, and the comps I get allow for more frequent trips. Currently I am at the Diamond tier and want to maintain this as the comps are much better than the Gold or Platinum. Even though the comp credits are less from VP than they are from the bells and whistle slots.

I am just trying to maximize my trips and learn the so called expert strategy to see if it makes a big difference compared to my previous strategies. So far after 3 trips this year I am up about 6K. Not naive in thinking that any strategy is going to make me a winner every time. The RNG is still the gatekeeper I guess

[FloridaPhil]

If you play conservative games accurately and manage your money well in retirement, you should be able to maintain a decent bankroll.  After learning to pick the right games and play accurately, money management is the key to keeping your expenses under control.   I am semi retired and play video poker one full day a week and take numerous multi day video poker vacations.  I don't have great odds available to me and I have to play within a budget.  I don't get hung up on comps or maintaining levels.  It's much cheaper for me to manage my wallet than try to get something free from a casino.  I avoid bankroll killers like high volatility or tricky games, consistently playing above my bankroll or hitting the ATM when I'm having a bad day.  Over the last two years I have been very lucky and am actually ahead considerably.  My strategy is to play as cheaply as possible for 90% of my hands and play big for 10%.  I keep all the big hits which is the reason I'm ahead.  Video Poker retirement can be heaven or hell.  It's your choice. 

[notes1]

congrats on your good fortune over the past 3 trips. we have some things in common, cherokee is also my 'home' casino, getting closer to retirement, pretty conservative player and a low level diamond member. so, if you see a tall guy, sitting in front of a VP machine shaking his head/mumbling, with a bottle of water in his back pocket, say hello.  cherokee, like most casinos has good and bad points, including some of the nicest employees. their VP machines range from 8/5, 7/5 and 6/5, for DDB. i think the math guys would tell us that those odds assure us of being a mathematical loser.  best advice i can give is this, know how to play the games you choose, play at or below your financial comfort level, do not expect VP to supplement your income, expect it to be an entertainment expense, forget the tier levels and have fun playing.  i hope your recent postive sessions continue, but do not be surprised, if it doesn't. VP can be a great deal of fun and provide a lot of excitement, but like every other game in the casino, the odds are not in our favor.