Losing trips and Discipline

[FAA]

When the 99.5 % games are gone, so am I. Period.
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I'll be right behind you. I skipped for two weeks. Refreshing to rediscover life and be surprised by mundane events.

[Jstark]

Dont try to "beat the casino." Just learn and play the games (VP, slots and table games are all included) when they are in a state where profiting is possible. There is no "belief" about these propositions. They are facts. Thinking otherwise is self defeat.

[Carcounter]

I'm willing to play a 99.5% or 99.69 or 99.75 % game Single line JOB, 9/5 Super double Bonus and 9/6 JOB multi strikes are available to me. With cashback and comp dollars, close enough for me. When there are 5x, 10x and even 15x cashback promotions, I try to always get down.

[FloridaPhil]

I totally understand why someone may not find playing 97% games entertaining. When you feel you are defeated before you start, it affects your attitude. I have played everything from 96% single coin games to full pay games with generous comps. Other than being able to play longer with my money, I have not noticed any significant difference in my long term results. Actually, I seem to do better with 97% games. This doesn't prove much as those are the games I play most.

Long term video poker results are all about the frequency of royals. Hit more than you are entitled to and you are a winner. Hit less and you are a loser. No strategy or player can force them to happen any more or less frequent. I am sure there are machines that have never dealt a royal flush and will never deal one. I have been dealt five royals so far in my lifetime. What did I do to make this happen? Did I use a special strategy, play perfectly or was I just lucky?

I do not profit from video poker because I do not choose to do what it takes. Profiting from video poker is more than playing a positive game perfectly. It's about taking advantage of opportunities. Many of those opportunities are outside the game itself. It took me years for this to sink in. The experts told me, but I wasn't listening.

[verylowroller]

When the 99.5 % games are gone, so am I. Period.
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I'll be right behind you. I skipped for two weeks. Refreshing to rediscover life and be surprised by mundane events.

Just curious - why is 99.5% where you guys draw the line?

[Carcounter]

I am not an AP, but consider myself a knowledgeable recreational player. I enjoy playing, but wouldn't if all I had were 96-97% games. As far as AP play is concerned today, even in Nevada, the good plays are way way down. I never had the urge to be a full time AP, even when good plays were plentiful out there. As Bob Dancer once admitted, it was an extremely unhealthy lifestyle. If you are smart enough to be an AP, you are probably smart enough to earn a good living doing something a lot less stressful. I think some people on this board fit that category

[FloridaPhil]

For a long time I believed all that was required to profit from VP were positive games played computer prefect. I bought piles of books and read them all. I bought software and practiced until my hands were stiff. I flew to Vegas and Reno where positive games were available. To my surprise, my results weren't much better. Yes, I could play more hands with my money. No, I didn't make any more money.

Other members of this forum never seemed to lose. They claimed they had the game all figured out. When I posted something that worked better for me, I was called "dangerous" and accused of taking photos of other player's jackpots. Clearly, I was missing something.

What I was missing was professionals do not make all their profit in white tickets. When I play VP, I go to the casino when I feel urge. Professionals only play when there is a real and present opportunity. I sit down and play whatever is offered. Professionals only play when there is an advantage to playing that machine at that particular moment. Scalping Ultimate X multipliers is a good example, something I was not aware of until recently. "Must Pay" slot jackpots are another example. Multi-point days and progressives are obvious. Drawings are held at all times of the day and night. I had never won one until last year. The casino handed me $500 in free play for just being there. I turned it into $800, something I was not expecting to do.

If I was playing video poker for profit, I would do whatever it takes. I would spend a lot more time scouting than playing. If a progressive worth playing materialized, I would play it hard. As soon as it hit, I would be gone. I would enter every drawing worth entering and be at the casino whenever it happened. I am sure I would find many other opportunities, some not found in books.

So, why don't I do all those things? Because video poker is not my business, it's my pleasure. I go to the casino to relax and be with my friends. If I was a professional VP player at my casino, I would do more walking than playing. I would be at the casino at midnight waiting for my name to be called instead of home sleeping. I would only go to the casino when something valuable was offered. As soon as I got it, I would be gone. My job would be the "business" of VP. I don't need or want another job.

[case]

Phil
Why does your casino do their draws so late? My casinos never draw at midnight. You should have a chat with the promotional manager about the draw times.

[FAA]

It’s the MO

[FloridaPhil]

Phil
Why does your casino do their draws so late? My casinos never draw at midnight. You should have a chat with the promotional manager about the draw times.

Not all of them are late in the day. Big drawings that would attract a professional are always held late. I'm not sure why. I don't play at casinos in the evening unless I'm staying there overnight. The best machines are always taken and I don't enjoy playing with drunks, smokers and loud talkers. Small drawings are held 2-3 times a week starting at 12:00 Noon. Most of these drawings are for free play. I never thought my name would be called, so it was a shock when I was.