Does anyone ever come close to breaking even.

[olds442jetaway]

Seems like no matter how hard I try, no matter how many hands I play, or how many years of toil and fun, I cannot come even close to a 99.54% return on job. My lifetime average in in the 97-97.5% range. That adds up to an awful lot of money. I'm not counting the value of comps at retail and if I did so I would probably be about even. Just the value of my hotel stays for the yeaar would approach 25k. I know that above percentage numbr is about right for some of the games I play like Double Down Stud poker, some of the multi line games, or some of the lower denomination games, but I stil somehow manage that retrun on 9/6 job too. I play nearly perfect play on that game. I guess it comes down to a lack of Royals hitting as they should over time for me. That is around 2% right there if you don't hit them. I am just curious for some of the long term players if anyone just on a cash in cash out basis has come real close to breaking even like the paytables indicate should happen over time.

[Vman96]

Considering all the royalless droughts you've had, it's not too
surprising to be a couple percentage points behind. I'm probably about the same since Fall 2012 for the same reason.

But Florida Phil on the other hand, he's probably at 110%+ for all his coin in this year.

[alpax]

It also does not help when Mohegan Sun does not give out momentum points (I think that is what they are called) as cashback to offset the house edge. I am not sure how much bounceback you get from playing a million hands a year.

Hard to ask a hobbyist to play less hands per session to a point where you still get free rooms, but I suppose that is the only way to break closer to even in that circumstance against the casino.

If Bob Dancer had the type of luck you have with the Royalless drought, I think he'd be in the deficit even with advantage play.

[olds442jetaway]

Just as a rough example of the comps at Mohegan, free rooms usually Sun-Thurs. 800 use or lose choice credits every month to use in the lounge, buffet, or shows. 200- or so free play monthly, dining and gas credits for another 200 or so each month. Invites to some parties and shows. Gifts with a retail value of 50- or so per month. Most of those you don't want or need. So it probably comes out pretty close. I would still rather have the cash and pay as I go. I wish there was a bare bones comfortable casino like that close to home, but it doesn't and probably won't ever exist.

[pokerpokerpoker]

Do you know the strategies down cold? With the hundreds of thousands of hands you play per year, those small errors must add up to considerable $$.

I only play DDB, and I thought I was playing nearly error free, but when I started using VPW I realized how sub-par my play really was. As for me, no I never achieve the results the payable says I should. Largely because I have never hit a single line royal. If I could manage one a year on the dollar progressive I often play, then yes - my results would be in line with expectations.

[wildman49]

Seems like no matter how hard I try, no matter how many hands I play, or how many years of toil and fun, I cannot come even close to a 99.54% return on job. My lifetime average in in the 97-97.5% range. That adds up to an awful lot of money. I'm not counting the value of comps at retail and if I did so I would probably be about even. Just the value of my hotel stays for the yeaar would approach 25k. I know that above percentage numbr is about right for some of the games I play like Double Down Stud poker, some of the multi line games, or some of the lower denomination games, but I stil somehow manage that retrun on 9/6 job too. I play nearly perfect play on that game. I guess it comes down to a lack of Royals hitting as they should over time for me. That is around 2% right there if you don't hit them. I am just curious for some of the long term players if anyone just on a cash in cash out basis has come real close to breaking even like the paytables indicate should happen over time.I don't have a lot of faith in them pay tables. I did about 5 hours of play today at the casino. I play 3 banks that have 99% plus on every game they offer. It seems to me that the lower pay machines let me play longer. Not sure why that is. You must hit royals to do anything close to 99%.Olds do you play progressive JOB? I play very little DDB, I don't like giving up double your money on  2 pair in that game over JOB, the four of a kinds don't come in enough.I have been playing the one coin system for 8 weeks now and its the real deal. You have to like DW and you have to play a lot of hands over many months to see it work. Its not for everyone.

[FloridaPhil]

I played traditional strategy for years and never came close to breaking even.  Your lifetime average of 97% was actually much better than the results I experienced.   I hit a lot of royals too, but my loses always ate up my winnings and then some.   I don't want to get into another long discussion about the Cheap Strategy because I've beat that thing to death and it's all on the website anyway.   It works for me because it makes playing small stakes fun so I can play 90% of my hands that way without getting bored or antsy.  When I hit a jackpot at the higher denominations, I keep it instead of giving it back.  I play a minimum of 5,000 hands of single line deuces wild a week. I started with $5K about a year ago and I'm up to $13K now.  You can call it luck if you want, but that's one heck of a long lucky streak....  I don't need the comps as I can pay my own way now.  

[alpax]

I played traditional strategy for years and never came close to breaking even.  Your lifetime average of 97% was actually much better than the results I experienced.   I hit a lot of royals too, but my loses always ate up my winnings and then some.   I don't want to get into another long discussion about the Cheap Strategy because I've beat that thing to death and it's all on the website anyway.   It works for me because it makes playing small stakes fun so I can play 90% of my hands that way without getting bored or antsy.  When I hit a jackpot at the higher denominations, I keep it instead of giving it back.  I play a minimum of 5,000 hands of single line deuces wild a week. I started with $5K about a year ago and I'm up to $13K now.  You can call it luck if you want, but that's one heck of a long lucky streak....  I don't need the comps as I can pay my own way now.  






In regards to comps, do you still play with the player casino club card in there? With the cheap strategy, you coin in about 1/3 of the amount that traditional strategy would over the same number of hands. That should still get you something even though I heard unfavorable changes to the Hard Rock Tampa on vpFREE.

[olds442jetaway]

Heading up tonight and it will be a one coin nite on DW for me. My favorite game anyway except oej which they don't have anymore.

[FloridaPhil]

At first I thought about pulling my card when I play single coin quarters.  I found that I still build comps just slower, so I keep it in now.  I played single coin quarters for three days at the Beau Rivage two weeks ago and so far I'm still getting free rooms offers.  We always stay off peak Sunday through Tuesday, so I don't think that's going to be a problem. If I'm going to gamble for multiple days, I play quarters so that I don't build up a huge loss.   When I play for the day at the Hard Rock, I like to use the system with dollars.  In fact, if I'm doing well I'll switch to dollars totally if I can get away with it. The trick is to stay alert and watch your money.  If things aren't going your way, play quarters.  If they are good, I go to $1 or even single coin $5 play.   In my view most video poker players concentrate too much on the rare jackpots and don't consider what's happening between them.  Jackpots happen if you are playing single coin quarters or $100 a coin.  If you are a 90% single coin player and you get used to it, when you hit a max coin or high denomination jackpot it's a windfall and you can stash the money.   The only way you are going to beat the casino is to hit big jackpots and keep it...