Bobby Vegas: Crazy for 4 OAKs — ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS Play Max Coin

Here’s why it pays to investigate video poker.

Checking out the new VP inventory at Downtown Grand, I came across two side-by-side machines with wildly different pay schedules. When I say wild, I mean like 1,200 coins for 4 aces!

Okay, that’s with a max bet 18 coins, so even at the lowest denom, that’s a $4.25 max bet. But checking it out on VPfree2, the max bet in this configuration is 99.63%, which for the Grand is pretty golden. (This game can be found at the Rio as well.)

Also, I wanted to pump up my points activity, being the end of the quarter (my host told me they reassess every quarter). I really wanted to hold on to my two comped nights a month, along with my max casino 50% room discount and $20 resort fee. So I was looking for a good play and lo and behold, the VP gods shined on me.

I’ve come to the realization I really play for 4-of-a-kinds more than royal flushes. It’s not like I don’t want RFs; it’s just they’re so rare, that I don’t play expecting them. Statistically, I’m “way overdue,” but in the meantime, I’m happy with my self-anointed King of 4 OAKS crown, with 16 of the little beauties in eight days — for me a new record.

And when playing a game with huge extra bonuses for 4 OAKS, yes, I’m tilting my strategy in their favor. Oh boy, did that work out well.

So what’s the game, Bobby? Come on! Shake the tree! The game is Triple Play Draw Poker on machines that say “Four of a Kind pays big with 6 coins bet per hand!” That’s how, with the max bet, you bet 18 coins.

That caught my eye and when I saw the pay schedules, I was flabbergasted.

I started playing JoB and hit a 4 OAK. Switched to Bonus Poker, hit another. Then went on to the golden moment on DDB and this is the payoff.

I’d started out the day taking my advantage protégé on an LVA MRB Fremont coupon run starting at El Cortez. There was some good free play in the back room and, well, I screwed up running my $10 FP through and did not do max bet, so of course I hit 4 OAK losing the additional $50. And on FP no less. GRRRR (hand slapping forehead “Bobby, you bonehead!”). Anyway, this lesson paid off big.

Later, I was playing the Triple Play machine at the Grand and was running out of money. So I fed a dollar in to make the max bet. I won a little, but needed to insert another dollar. BOOM! Not just 4OAK but 4 aces for the 1,200-coin payout.

Lesson learned. Always play max bet. Always.