Contests discourage using VP strategy

[mamal]

This is such a good site to learn, practice and hone VP strategy. I don’t understand why the contests are programmed to do just the opposite. Not only does this programming work against a strategy we’ve learned is correct, it disallows us the pleasure of fairly winning a good hand. It’s wrong, it’s frustrating, and it has me wondering if the annual fee is really worth it.

[onemoretry]

I'm not at all sure I understand what you mean by all this. It is a fact, though, that playing successfully in a contest usually involves diverting from conventional strategy to a "go for broke" one.

[billryan]

Have you really been a member for over ten years without posting?

[Webman]

If you want a strategic contest, the Monthly Contest is your best bet. You still might want to vary your strategy a bit, but playing smart can definitely help you out there. It is single hand, so a dealt royal is no more valuable than a drawn royal. Yes, you'll still need a number of great hands throughout the month. But you have a little more control over earning them rather than the rarity of a dealt winner. There are a lot of things a player can do in that contest to try to gain an edge over the competition.

In the other contests, luck is a much bigger factor because you need the biggest jackpot out of thousands of people. That will usually end up being a dealt royal flush (or aces with kicker in TDB).

[mamal]

Thanks, all. I appreciate your comments.
M.A.