How much

[binoy]

How much do the $1 vp players usually put in the machine to start? Just wondering what most or average they start with.

[FloridaPhil]

[quote=binoy]How much do the $1 vp players usually put in the machine to start? Just wondering what most or average they start with.[/quote]I can't speak for $1 players, but as a quarter player I play $20 at a time and I cash out at $50 or over.  I find it easier to manage my money this way  because it gives me time to pause and reevaluate my progress or lack of same.  Putting $100 in the machine most always seems to make my money disappear much too quickly for me.  If you are good at managing your money, there is a correlation between your cash out level and the amount you go home with in a particular session.  It takes discipline to manage your money well, but in my opinion it's more significant to a player's sucess than getting every hand 100% computer perfect.

[daily_double]

I start with $500, but I play one of the less volatile games, 8/5 Bonus Poker for dollars.

[pokerpokerpoker]

I play DDB and bring $800. I feed $100 at a time and stay at one machine. If I hit aces, 2-4 with a kicker or anything bigger I try to leave immediately. A flurry of cheaper quads might make me leave too, especially if early in the session.

If my luck runs bad, that $800 is usually gone in an hour to an hour and a half. Usually I am on a 9/6 progressive or a 9/5 5 meter progressive. Sometimes I will play 9/6 DDB+.

[FloridaPhil]

[quote=pokerpokerpoker]If my luck runs bad, that $800 is usually gone in an hour to an hour and a half.[/quote]Yikes!!    Now I don't feel so bad about losing $300 a day. 

[Carcounter]

I won't start a session even on 9/6 Jacks with less than $500. I have had sessions where I lost that much in 1-2 Hrs, and sessions where the quads kept coming along with full houses, flushes and an uncanny number of making 2 pairs out of a low pair. Have had sessions where I ran it up to + 800-1,000 without anything bigger than a quad.

[FAA]

Interesting thoughts, Car. I could not begin to sustain such a loss. $100 loss is brutal. My early resolution is to ditch places where the bankroll consistently vaporizes. Every time I give in to the temptation, I get burned.  

[FloridaPhil]

Years ago I was strictly a $1 DDB player.  I loved hitting 4 aces for $800 and an occasional $4K Royal.  I can only remember hitting 4AK for $2,000 once.  I have to admit it was quite a thrill to walk around with big winnings in my pocket.  Unfortunately, those days didn't happen that often and I discovered I could buy a Mercedes for what I was spending on video poker.  I reevaluated and decided quarter play was a much better bargain for me personally.  Everyone's desire and pain tolerance is different, so I say play the way you want.  Just remember, no one is making money long term playing video poker unless you have access to outstanding comps and can invest a lot of time and energy turning them to your advantage. 

[Carcounter]

Agreed, the only way you can come out ahead in the AC market is by being over-royaled for the year. However, by playing games that are 99.69, or 99.5 % payback, with cashback and comp dollars most players can keep their losses to a tolerable level and enjoy a comfortable experience.

[FloridaPhil]

Unless you are playing at higher denominations, it's getting very hard to find winnable games these days. Paying to play is fine as long as you feel like you are getting your money's worth.