Need some advice

[pokeherguy]

I've noticed other people talking about casino's dropping paytables so I know it's not just in my area. I won't lie and say I play the game to perfection but for some reason I used to get away with less than perfect play. Here's my problem, 100% payback video poker does not exist in my area and as far as I know every machine I played carried a 98.98% payback percentage on my game "DDB" and I always met or beat that number which meant some years I actually finished ahead of the game and other years I only suffered acceptable losses. I got very comfortable with the game and basicly increased my play each year with the same results until the last couple of years and can only attribute the problem to the drop in payback percentage to 97.87% and some cases 96.79% on the majority of the games. I didn't really pay enough attention to that drop of 1.11% payback percentage but it makes a huge difference for someone who likes to play as much as myself. Every nice hit I get is quickly gobbled up and I find myself digging for more money to feed the monster. The price of playing my game my way has definatly gone up in my area and I was wondering if this is the case most everywhere?

[pokeherguy]

I got so into the problem I forgot to ask the question. I've talked to a few players with different opinions regarding thier favorite game and a couple of them said they switched from $2/DDB to $2/Dueces Wild and enjoyed it as much as if not more than DDB. Is Dueces Wild a better game to play and worth learning the strategy because it seems to me like you're just waiting on quad 2's or a natural royal for any real excitement.

[kjohn]

I'm glad you asked that question because I've wondered the same thing...I hear so much about DW and see so many playing it, but I'm not very good at the game and  get somewhat bored with all the little hits waiting for the Deuces,  DDB or ever TDB is more exciting...Although we don't live close to a casion so I have to fill my plate in our 3 day trips to Vegas every three months or on ocassion to Kansas City I still like to get the best odds...With all the math wizards on this site you should get a good answer...I feel the same about JOB.....That was fun when you got a bucket of coins but 125 for a 4OK...My adrenalin  would dry up from lack of use...

[marie meijer]

I prefer DDB but play DW when running low on $. DW stretches those $$.  Lately however, I am enjoying DWB with more potential of hits. You have to practice them first and know what you are doing. With either DW or DWB you get that defeatest feeling when you hit aces!

[rascal]

Pokeherguy, return is return, regardless of the game. If you are playing for money, then you choose by the return. If you have access to a DW game with a higher return, take it. Vice versa for a DDB game. Remember, always, that the return percentages advertised are with a royal, so it is very long term and in the short term you can lose heavily waiting for the royal to bring you up to 99.whatever%. Without winning a royal, the return is much lower, and for those players who have not/do not hit a royal on the average, they are giving the casino quite a bit of money.

[cddenver]

Remember, always, that the return percentages advertised are with a royal, so it is very long term and in the short term you can lose heavily waiting for the royal to bring you up to 99.whatever%.
 
The same logic applies in the shorter term for the different type of bonus quads like Aces, 2's-4's, & kickers in games like DDB or TDB.  You'd be amazed at how long you can go without Aces - I usually have one or two dry spells each year of 20K-25K hands between them. 

[shadowman]

The variance of many of the deuces games is around 27. 9/6 DDB is over 42 so it will be bumpier. However, with deuces you will have more losing sessions and as already noted, it can be more boring.


 
In all games the paytable determines the return. It's easy to forget in games like DDB where you're looking for the big quads, but 9-6 DDB pays over 2% higher than 8-5 DDB. Over time that will have a big impact.  It pays to find the best games.

[rascal]

Yeah, casinos love to encourage the thought that a given game has a return of 99.whatever, but without hitting a royal or something similar valuable, the return is so much lower that many players would probably be surprised. The advertised return is the very long-term average for that machine.