Things I Do...Things I've observed

[jakgaph-VP]

To begin I mainly play $1 JOB at Mohegan Sun in CT always 5 credits (max on the JOB's except one machine with 20 credit max)My initial Bankroll for a session is $300 if I bring $600 its 2 sessions etc.I play very fast over 800 hands per hour minimum, and I usually play long hours 8-15 per sitting.  Mohegan gives 1 point for every $90 in coin in, I usually leave with 300pts for the session(s) again...ON Average !! sometimes its 30 point   At mohegan sun $1 point equals $1 in buying power at any of the restaurants or shops. So even if I lose, for the most part over time, I get on average about 65% of my bankroll back in buying power (this paid for all my xmas presents got me an ipod, digital camera a million CD's and DVD's, gifts for my girl at tiffany etc etc etc)  It also got me a higher player status and players card which gives me free rooms for 6 months and two tix to every concert they have (good ones too)That equates to roughly $25K-$30K per visit of coin in...I usually go about 2-3 times per week.As far as when I end a session...heres what I do...I sit at a machine, put $100 in I intend on doubling or losing.  If I bring it to $200, I will play back to $150 or $300, If I get to $300 I play to $250 or $400 and so on.  I constantly track at about $50 clips except when I first sit at a machine.  If I lose the $100, I put in another, if I lose that I put in another $100, same machine.  If I lose that I go home or switch machines.I cant tell you how many times I have put my 3rd hundred in a machine and "went on a run"...quads, straight flushes, full houses.  I have been down to 5 or 10 credits and hit a str8 flush and been almost back about 8 out of 10 times.If i hit a quad, I will play about 7 more hands, if nothing happens, full houses, flushes etc I am gone regardless of how much $ is in the machine...again this may be wrong according to odds etc, but my own personal experience shows that if this happens I end up losing anything in the machine very quickly...But on the other hand, If within the 7 hands I continue to hit decent pays (flush and up) I usually end up hitting another quad very soon.  The other night for example I went on a "run" and hit 5 quads and a straight flush in about 10 minutes and went from about 30 credits to 700 (didn't hit them consecutively). Using this strategy i have also hit 4 royals in 4 months.  I am aware that there is NO scientific reason for this, and I cannot back my claims with anything other than experience.Moving forward all the 9/6 JOB's are at bartops, which on the weekends causes major problems, the games are MG/MD, so people sit and play 1 cent keno to get free drinks.  So I tip the bartenders very well, got friendly, and got their cell numbers, now when I am going on a weekend I simply make a call, and the tilt a chair and save me a spot   Tipping works VERY WELL.  I usually only drink water when I am playing but I will give the bartenders about $40 in tips per night.Also, from time to time I will switch to a DDB game and commit $100 of "winnings" maybe I hit 4 aces etc. Would love to hear any other personal observations

[shadowman]

This type of pattern recognition has been discussed on here before. We will all see these kinds of patterns, however, they eventually change. I've played VP for 16 years and I've seen many, many short term patterns that seem to work for awhile. If you continue to play you will find this out as well.
 
This is just a side effect of true randomness. There are many bankrupt gamblers who thought they had uncovered "the secret" and assumed the pattern would last forever. Go with it as long as it works, but be quick to give it up when the eventual "other shoe" drops.
 
Finally, as long as you're playing the best games skillfully and have the appropriate bankroll then it won't matter if the pattern changes. You're still using the best technique you can.

[pokeherguy]

{My initial Bankroll for a session is $300 if I bring $600 its 2 sessions etc.}
 
I can only wish that a $300 bankroll would give me the type of play at the $1 level you are describing. I know several folks who play JOB and they make sure to carry a considerable amount more for a session. I play DDB and my session amount is $2K. I play at the $2 level and I've had my share of going thru it all without anything above a full house in less than an hour. I played for years at the $1 level and on most nights all $300 would have gotten me was a quick loss and a long ride home. My bankroll per session at that time was $1K and I did okay. With that said all I can say is stay on it until it bucks you off. 

[clwn2]

Sounds right on pokeherguy, I play DDB at the quarter level and go through $2-300 per session.  As you descibed it could be all gone in a quadless hour.  Those long drives home suck don't they!
 
All I can say to the member that started this post is that you are a lot luckier than I am.  But that is not sour grapes.  I agree with the other members who have commented before me. Do what works best for you.  It is true that most vets pour hundreds into the same machine, sometimes thousands.  My routine at the quarter level is to put two or three $20 per machine and if they don't hit I move on.  This has no basis in fact because of how the RNG works but it is what I do.  Many players have their own routine and so do I.  Nothing anyone has said has changed this because in my experience this is what works best for me.
 
Go for it and have fun while the hands are hitting!!
 

[shadowman]

It's not all that hard to figure out the down side. For DDB the quads and above account for around 20% of the payback. So, based on hands/hour you can determine the expected loss from a bad streak.
 
I normally play DDB between 800-1000 hands/hour. If I want to make sure I have the bankroll for a minimum of two hours play I need to bring 20% of 8000-10000 credits, which is $1600-$2000 for a dollar player. For Jacks or better the quads+ only account for around 8.5% of the total return. Using the same rate of play would require around $700-$850.
 
Now, going two full hours without a quad would be very unusual. In 2000 hands one can expect an average of almost 5 quads. However, anyone who has played for any amount of time will do this every now and then. Just last night I was playing Super Triple Play and quit after 1300 hands without a single quad. This is around 3 cycles. I commented once before on this forum where I went 18 cycles playing Quick Quads without a single QQ or quad. 

[Benford's Law]

Slightly off-topic.My dad once commented on all the automotive traffic around large casinos:"They drive in fast and they drive out slow!" ~Benford's Law

[clwn2]

It's not all that hard to figure out the down side. For DDB the quads and above account for around 20% of the payback. So, based on hands/hour you can determine the expected loss from a bad streak.
 
I normally play DDB between 800-1000 hands/hour. If I want to make sure I have the bankroll for a minimum of two hours play I need to bring 20% of 8000-10000 credits, which is $1600-$2000 for a dollar player. For Jacks or better the quads+ only account for around 8.5% of the total return. Using the same rate of play would require around $700-$850.
 
Now, going two full hours without a quad would be very unusual. In 2000 hands one can expect an average of almost 5 quads. However, anyone who has played for any amount of time will do this every now and then. Just last night I was playing Super Triple Play and quit after 1300 hands without a single quad. This is around 3 cycles. I commented once before on this forum where I went 18 cycles playing Quick Quads with a single QQ or quad. 
Two questions Shadowman.  1.  You mentioned that in DDB the quads and above account for 20% of payback.  How did you arrive at that calculation?
2. You also mention the term "cycles".  What is a cycle?
 
Thanks

[marie meijer]

I constantly set goals for myself in life as well as in video poker in casinos, which is a positive. IE: I will play this machine up to $800 or $1000 and cash out. Too often I have experienced a downward spiral cycle when a machine will take back ALL my winnings if I do not cash out and move on. Or even cash out my ticket and put it safely away and put another bill in if I feel this machine is still smiling on me. This does break that comp cycle on the machine, but more important, it slows me down a tad, makes me think and I leave with some winnings! There have been times I have played right through a royal and have to call myself names again - nothing really bad because I do not want to hurt my feelings. Every time, I vow never to do that again because it hurts so badly afterwards! 

[aceswithakicker]

I agree with you Marie.  There is nothing worse than losing money that you've already won!  I'd rather lose my entire bankroll every visit than to have to go through the belly-aching ride home thinking to myself........"If I would have just cashed out sooner........", DOH!
 
I too have adopted more "responsible" habits relating to cashing out and it does feel much better on the ride home...... win, lose, or break even!

[shadowman]

Two questions Shadowman.  1.  You mentioned that in DDB the quads and above account for 20% of payback.  How did you arrive at that calculation?
2. You also mention the term "cycles".  What is a cycle?
 
 
1). This information is provided by the various software tutors. When you analyze a game it breaks down the percentages of each paytable item. They also provide the frequency (cycle time).
 
2). A cycle is the average number of hands that it takes for you should see a particular result. As with most things in VP an average only has meaning over many cycles. When we talk about a RF cycle that is usually close to 40K hands. A quad cycle in most  non-wild games is around 425 hands. The cycle for a QQ/quad is around 160 hands.
 
Keep in mind that the cycle times and percentages are based on playing the optimal strategy perfectly.