vp tournament advice anyone?

[ginxxxx]

Have been invited to play in a video poker tournament, does anyone have any advice?  I have seen folks play in a regular slot tournament, looks like all they do is pound the spin button, but I don't know anything about video poker play in  a tournament setting.Wonder what VP game they use, like Double double, Jacks or better or what.Any advice would be appreciated.Life is a gamble!  Ginxxx

[shadowman]

You should try and get some more info about the tournament format. There are several different types.
 
1) Speed ... This format gives you a preset time interval for you to accrue points. Usually 5-15 minutes.
 
2) Credits ... This format gives you a set amount of credits to play off (and usually a reasonable time limit). 1000 credits (200 hands) is not unusual.
 
The games vary from Jacks or Better to Double Double Bonus and sometimes have reduced value for royals.
 
As you imagine each of these variations requires differing approaches. Also, the total number of participants and number of payouts are also important.
 
Although luck will be the primary factor in your results, it can't hurt to have a plan going in. So, once again, get as much info as possible. If you can provide a few more details I can help with the plan.

[ginxxxx]

Wow, Shadowman,  Thank you for your input, I see now I need to get more info from the tournament. Thanks, again.ginxxx

[Eduardo]

Try to win! 

[ginxxxx]

Gotcha!

[videofan]

I played in a VP tourney in Reno a couple of months ago.  with two playing sessions, one in the afternoon and one the following morning.  I seem to recall that the sessions were 15 minutes long. DDB.  You start w/ 10K "credits" and off you go, first session was 300 hands, 2nd session was 400 hands.  Older folks who "touch screened" didn't stand a chance.  Keyboarders (or folks who used both hands/fingers to select/hold cards and draw did best.  No smoking allowed at "tourney" machines.  I finished first session (300 hands) with about 40 seconds to spare.  Did better the following morning, finishing up with 2-3 minutes left, even though it was an extra 100 hands.  They score according to how many credits you have left, with some type of sliding / statistical scale so that folks who didn't play out all of their hands weren't rerwarded for their slowness. In other words, you can't win if you don't play.  Top point folks (20K+) were on right machine at right time -they all hit RF's, and several quads etc.  it lots of trip on their pair draws etc.  I had middle of road luck, 2 sets (5-K) of quads, some full houses, flushes etc but no SF or RF.  So to warm up, play on a "cheap" DDB machine prior to tourney and get to that new hand every 2-3 seconds "zone" / speed.  Two fingers to hold two cards, without focusing too much on the hold buttons.  Pound your pairs, don't keep kickers, don't see anything enticing, hit that draw/deal button!  Good luck

[MikeA]

Fitzgerald's has a couple of $10 entry tournaments each week.  You can make up to 4 rebuys (even in advance of the first round being played).  Rebuys are $5.  I think they are played on Wednesdays and Fridays.  They are separate tournaments.  There is no advancement to other rounds though if you've done the rebuy thing, you can play a fresh round.  I suppose it is theoretically possible for one person to come in 1st, 2nd and 3rd!
 
The game is Double Double Bonus.  Everyone starts out with ZERO credits.  Played on a 10 minute time limit.  Whomever has the most credits after all rounds have been played wins.  I can't remember the prize breakdowns, but there are cash prizes for 1st-3rd places.  There are consolation prizes of $15 play on selected machines in the casino (no VP) and tee-shirts.

[JHock12]

Has anyone heard of any VP tournaments in AC or CT?  I get every imaginable letter and offer for slot tourneys but never VP.  Won $50 at a Slingo tournament a few summers back at Ballys AC but squat since.

[BOOPSAHOY]

the Taj has VP sometimes but its usually during the week-boohoo!

[njmike37]

JHock,
 
Tropicana holds them quite often.  I usually go to at least 2 or 3 per year there, and so far I'm about 50/50 in cashing believe it or not.  They run it similar to MikeA's post (start you out at 0 credits, and you get 10 minutes to play.)  You only get 1000 "credits" to play with, but your score doesn't go down when you play like many other tournament structures.  I have used all 1000 credits each time, and the game they run is AC 2-pair Joker Poker (4000-coin payout is 5 of a kind, not royal flush.) 
 
I finished 1st one time ($5000), 4th another time ($200), and a bunch of $100 prizes as well.  The trick to those ones is always going for the 5 of a kind.  If you hit one of those, you're pretty much guaranteed money.  There were even 2 times that I hit just a 500-coin straight flush and ended up cashing though..  My strategy is simple for these tourneys..  always go for the highest payout possible.  If I am dealt a full house, I break it and go for the 5 of a kind. (BTW, one of my 5 of a kind hits in the tourney was from a broken full house..)  I will break a pat flush to go for a 3-card straight flush (once again, worked for me there, too..) 
 
Mike