Frank, I have done several video taped interviews with Rob, includng videos with him explaining his "special plays" and his belief that video poker machines may not be random.
The various interviews start on this page of alanbestbuys.com: https://alanbestbuys.com/id132.html
From the interviews, it is easy to see that Singer does not challenge the accepted math of the game, and in fact follows the math of the game. However, is some cases (he says 5% or fewer of the hands played) he will violate what is considered to be "accepted strategy" or what he calls the "optimal hand" to take a long shot.
He is not claiming that 2+2=5.
He does not advocate that players play on machines with lesser paytables, but he makes suggestions for changing traditional strategy when you are on a lesser paytable for certain hands.
Here is my analogy for describing Singer's "sysem." And the analogy is made with the game of craps:
Some players at a craps table will bet the passline with place bets on the 6 and 8 because those bets have the lowest house edge. I call these players the players who follow conventional strategy, such as those who follow conventional strategy in video poker.
But some players at a craps table will bet the horn and the hardways, along with the passline and place bets on the 6 and 8 -- and they are mixing the bets with the lowest house edge along with other bets that have a higher house edge but could return more money. This is, in effect, what Singer is doing with video poker.
I think that Singer's comments about "hot and cold cycles" and machines not being random are only side issues, and do not actually impact his strategy. Never did he mention hot and cold cycles or non random machines as being part of his strategy to me.
My opinion is that Singer likes to take long shots when he feels a long shot will give him a chance for a win that would allow him to reach his "win goal" and leave. He has no interest in playing for the long term. He wants to reach his win goal and that's all.
He will make his controversial "special plays" when they will allow him to reach his win goal -- otherwise -- he follows the same strategy dictated by the math of the game that everyone of his critics also follows.
In other words, and going back to my analogy, sometimes Singer bets the horn at a craps table filled with players who only bet the passline with place bets on the 6 and 8. And that's what this is all about.
There is a side issue -- and that is the personal problems among Singer and others. You are correct Frank, that the personal problems should not get in the way of an objective look at the different kind of betting strategy that Singer sometimes uses.
There is also criticism of his "progressive betting style" but even Singer doesnt use it when he doesnt have to. He frequently uses a "regressive betting style" to conserve and bank the money he's won. There has been too much criticism of his "progressive bets" and his regressive betting style has been totally overlooked by his critics.
You are welcome to use any of my videos in your public discussion and analysis. They are all available on YouTube at www.youtube.com/alanbestbuys and they can be embedded onto your site or linked to here. It's all in the public domain and free to use.
Thanks.
