Playing through Free Play

I would like your opinions about playing through free play when the casino does not have any decent video poker. I am receiving free play this month for the Skagit Casino in Washington state. They have only the usual array of slots and no decent VP. Your ideas of playing through free play on certain slots etc. would be appreciated.

Use it on a high denom machine you normally would not play. Or on a 3/5 play VP machine.

Not sure I'm understanding your question, but this is what I do with Free Play sometimes.

Another thing that could be done with Free Play is if there is Video Blackjack, play it through at as low a level as possible since there would likely be a higher return and a lower Variance than Slot Machines.

RecVPPlayer

I don't know if my practice is optimal, but if there is no decent VP, I usually play high denomination slot machines. I figure the house edge is probably close to bad video poker, and I either get it over with (I hate slot machines) or hit it big quickly.

I follow a similar approach.

If the VP's bad, I can't find a way to enjoy running freeplay through it. Even on hits, I'm constantly thinking "Damn, that should have paid 45, not 35."

I don't play slots much either, but at least they have the decency to conceal their terrible house edge from us. So I also run freeplay through slots rather than through bad VP.

I used to try to squeeze as much cash out of free play as possible, but recently decided to swing for the fences with it. Used a $25 FP to hit a slot for $150 dollars and another to turn $30 into an $80 hit. I also managed to turn a half dozen or so $20-$30 FPs into nothing, but it was fun.

Video blackjack with a 1-2% hold is a reasonable way to use this. Penny slots at low volume is another - assuming a 10% hold on the play. Really it's up to you - so many options!

Players should keep in mind that with Video Blackjack (at least in the USA), it may say on the machine "Player Blackjacks Pay '2 For 1'." This actually means that Player Blackjacks end up paying 1 To 1 (which is Even Money which will help to increase the casino's advantage over us players to over 2% in and of itself and it can go up to about 4% depending on what other rules the machine is [or is not] allowing).

RecVPPlayer

As stated above, a higher denom (which probably has a better payback) or a 3/5 machine, or that megabucks because you'd be sooo embarrassed because you'd never play slots with real money.

Please see above where I have fixed what I wrote about when Blackjack is paying "2 For 1" (which is actually 1 To 1 -- which is Even Money). And so again, that one rule change in and of itself pushes the casino hold to over 2% right there and it could go up to about 4% depending on what else may not be allowed (like Splitting Pairs only once and maybe also Doubling Down being restricted to 10 or 11 only).

But that still could be a higher return offered than other Slot Machines or Video Poker for such a short time play.

RecVPPlayer