Back From Vacation

[FloridaPhil]

I am back from my forum vacation. I have to say it was refreshingly peaceful. While I was on vacation, I had a chance to think about this forum and what has been posted over the past eight years. Here are some of my thoughts.

I suspect I have visited more casinos than almost anyone else on this forum. From Washington State to Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Mississippi, Missouri, Michigan, NY, New Jersey, North Carolina, Florida, Canada, the Bahamas and more, I have seen more than my share. I have played video poker as a hobby one full day each week for over six years. Over the last 12 years, my wife and I took frequent VP vacations, where we played VP for a week at a time. We have both played many millions of hands each.

It may surprise some members that I play VP in Vegas when I am there on vacation. I play at Red Rock and South Point and I always play the best games I can find. I may be playing next to you and you don't know it.

After all those hands and all those casinos, I have concluded that there is no such thing as a long term beatable video poker game. However, I believe there are strategies that will minimize your losses and/or allow you to gain more comps. If the comps and incentives have value to you, you may consider them as profit. It doesn't add anything to this forum for me to state this over and over again.

I do believe there is a small group of players that only play when they have an advantage who make money at the game. They are not playing the same games and earning the same comps as I am. It doesn't add anything to this forum for me to state this over and over again.

There are members of this forum who benefit from players believing the game is beatable. Some benefit directly through the sale of products, services or the sale of advertising. Some benefit because this belief keeps them in the game. The casinos benefit from increased player traffic. It doesn't add anything to this forum for me to state this over and over again.

Now that you know my beliefs, I will attempt to cut back on the number of times I repeat them. Hopefully this will reduce some of the tension. There will still be a few who for one reason or another will attempt to drag me back into another endless argument that won't change anything. I will do my best to ignore those posts.

I am a semi retired business owner, consultant and entrepreneur. I spend my day in front of a computer working my investments and emailing my clients. I post often because I am able to keep this forum open while I am at work. The quantity of my posts seems to annoy some members. If I cut out the above mentioned topics, I should be able to reduce the number of my posts.

I enjoy talking about Recreational video poker and listening to the experiences of other members like myself. I do not enjoy listening to endless VP mathematical formulas and computer simulations. In my opinion, they are boring and have no relationship to actual human VP play. The Strategy Forum is the perfect place for those discussions and you will rarely see me post there.

The Recreational Forum should be a place where members can discuss any video poker strategy or topic they desire without having someone attack their every statement. One person's entertainment may not be yours. You may think playing single coin or using Martingale is not the way the game should be played. Someone else enjoys playing that way. Look around the casino. Do you see hordes of APs banging away at full pay games? Of course not. The Strategy Forum is where those discussions should take place. However, neither forum should used to take shots or hurl veiled insults at the other group or their way of playing the game.

My video poker goals are set and met one day at a time. Each and every time I walk into the casino to play, my goal is to play VP as long as possible and walk out with at least the same money I came in with. Sometimes that's $100. Other times it may be $1,000. This strategy has served me well. I find if I take care of my bankroll on a day by day basis, my long term results take care of themselves. I never expect to win money long term and I don't. I win in other ways. I enjoy many hours of quality entertainment. My cost to play VP is low and I enjoy traveling around visiting casinos and playing the games. I don't fret over odds because I can't control them. I only worry about the things I can control like accuracy, discipline and money management.

So where am I now? I will stay on this forum and do my best to be a productive member. I will contribute when I can and hold my thoughts when it's prudent. I will curtail making negative statements about professional gamblers or any one particular player. There is one name I will never post again on this forum. Unless he becomes President of the United States, I have no interest in anything he says or does. I am not going to become involved in long arguments about "winning" video poker strategy. It is useless to me and I prefer to leave it that way.

Any forum posts you see from me in the future will be reports about how I play or what happened when I played my way. My posts will be in the form of reports not instruction manuals. If you want to dispute my reports, that is fair game. I don't take seriously most of the reported results I see on this forum myself, so we are on equal ground.

To me, video poker is about having fun however you define it and that is all I am interested in discussing.

[wildman49]

Welcome back Phil.

Recreational Play VP should be enjoyed by all regardless of pay tables. The value of VP verses other casino games is hard to beat in terms of enjoyment and pay back. There is so many new or as some call them gimmick games that it brings new players to the game that might not play VP single line.

When I hit the casino for Recreational Play I knew its going to cost me when I drift away games like 9/6 Jacks or Better for multi hand games. While I don't play a large amount of hands on multi hand games, I enjoy them from trip to trip. To me its worth the price to play.

Been playing TTD a 98.40% game, really enjoy it but eats credits fast!

Good Luck Chasing the Royal everyone!

[Eduardo]

Is a week up already?

Welcome back, Phil.

I enjoy talking about Recreational video poker and listening to the experiences of other members like myself. I do not enjoy listening to endless VP mathematical formulas and computer simulations.

Strongly agree! I don't recall seeing too many formulas in my time on this forum. But if that were to happen I wouldn't enjoy listening to them endlessly.

One person's entertainment may not be yours. You may think playing single coin or using Martingale is not the way the game should be played. Someone else enjoys playing that way.

I always enjoy a good martingale or single coin discussion. I don't think anyone has a problem with these topics... It's important to understand that this is a legitimate way to play and also what the consequences of it are. Nobody here cares if you play single coin. They really don't. I wish you would get that off your back.

After all those hands and all those casinos, I have concluded that there is no such thing as a long term beatable video poker game.

These are the types of comments that tend to get you into conflict with AP's for obvious reasons. Of "all those hands" you have played, few were on positive pay tables. You don't have an adequate history to draw that sort of conclusion. Positive pay tables may be rare, and may not exist at all in your area. But they are a real thing that does in fact give you a long term edge when played right. As long as you continue to argue that point, you can expect it to continue to annoy people who understand the mathematics of the game.

Any forum posts you see from me in the future will be reports about how I play or what happened when I played my way. My posts will be in the form of reports not instruction manuals.

That would be a welcome change and much more enjoyable to read. Thank you!

[OTABILL]

The Recreational Forum should be a place where members can discuss any video poker strategy or topic they desire without having someone attack their every statement. One person's entertainment may not be yours. You may think playing single coin or using Martingale is not the way the game should be played. Someone else enjoys playing that way.

Welcome back Phil.

The above excerpt from your post is the most salient. Following it by everyone will cut back on the unpleasantness that sometimes pervades the forum.

BTW, Looks like you have played VP all over the US except Arizona.

[FloridaPhil]

BTW, Looks like you have played VP all over the US except Arizona.

I left out Wisconsin. Been to Arizona, haven't been in a casino there... yet.

After all those hands and all those casinos, I have concluded that there is no such thing as a long term beatable video poker game.

These are the types of comments that tend to get you into conflict with AP's for obvious reasons. Of "all those hands" you have played, few were on positive pay tables. You don't have an adequate history to draw that sort of conclusion. Positive pay tables may be rare, and may not exist at all in your area. But they are a real thing that does in fact give you a long term edge when played right. As long as you continue to argue that point, you can expect it to continue to annoy people who understand the mathematics of the game.

Members should not draw conclusions from my statements of personal belief. I would not attempt to jump the fountain at Caesars Palace in a motorcycle even though the math says it's possible and others have survived it.

I have concluded that beating the casino is not possible for me personally. Let's leave it at that.

[billryan]

Eduardo, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll take a test vacation for a week and we'll see how it goes. If you don't want me to come back, don't make negative comments about me or anything I have posted. If Billy, Bob Dancer or anyone else makes any derogatory comments about me or anything I have said on this forum, I'll be back. No fair using fake or made up names either. Let's see if you can pretend I have never been a member of this forum. It's 5:24 PM EST on Friday 10/12/2018. My bet is you can't do it. Go


Did anyone make derogatory remarks towards the person we are pretending was never a member?

To quote the person who was never a member" If you don't want me to come back, don't make negative comments. " Anyone here make negative comments?
Seems to me someone made a binding bet and lost. Not that anyone had any reason to rationally think you might keep your word.

[FloridaPhil]

There will still be a few who for one reason or another will attempt to drag me back into another endless argument that won't change anything. I will do my best to ignore those posts.

[FAA]

Cold cycle/Hot cycle. Detente cycle/VP Feud cycle. We know the drill.
FP, do feel free to comment on my weekly TR. I certainly prefer complements, but any nitpicking is fine.

[billryan]

There will still be a few who for one reason or another will attempt to drag me back into another endless argument that won't change anything. I will do my best to ignore those posts.

I'm not trying to drag you back at all. I'm trying to get you to honor what you wrote. I can quote you again, if you like. The forum kept its end of the bargain. No one said anything bad about you and we somehow managed to go the six days you didn't post. All I ask is why you don't keep your word?
No one twisted your arm. You made the statement unsolicited.
I don't get it.

[FloridaPhil]

I will do my best to ignore those posts.