Not long ago, I mentioned in a blogpost that if the only difference between an IGT game and a Scientific Gaming game was that straight flushes paid 250 in the former and 275 in the latter, I’d choose IGT because I like the feel and touch of IGT games better. I received some pushback for […]
Posts tagged 9/6 Jacks or Better
Response to a Blog Comment
For the past two weeks, I’ve been posting about using different software in order to learn to play. A comment on the first such post read (lightly edited): “Just some of plays worth two cents or less if you make the wrong one are sometimes on the rare side and some are somewhat common. So, […]
Which Game Should I Play?
Bonnie and I were attending a square dance convention where we had to stay for two nights. Close to the dancing venue was a Harrah’s Casino. Having Seven Stars status within the Caesars Entertainment system gets me a room “for free,” but a certain amount of play is expected. I don’t have to play every […]
It’s All About the Quads
In February, I was playing 25¢ Five Play Multi-Strike 9/6 Jacks or Better at the South Point. This is a 99.79% game, played for 100 coins ($25) at a time. With the normal 0.30% slot club, the knowledgeable player has a small advantage all of the time. In February, however, there were always two casino-wide […]
If That’s Random, You Can Bite Me!
This column is inspired by an email I received about 20 years ago, when TITO tickets weren’t found everywhere. I don’t have the email in front of me, but I remember the gist of it and certainly the line that I’m using as a title. For the rest, I’m using some artistic license that I […]
Be Careful What You Wish For
Say you’re playing 9/6 Jacks or Better and are dealt a hand like A♦ K♣ J♦ T♦ 3♦. The best play, of course, is AJT3. Many players hold the inferior AJT. As I see it, players make the lesser play for one of two reasons: They simply do not know that AJT3 is worth 3.7¢ […]
When 9/5 Was Better than 9/6
One of the very first lessons taught by virtually all video poker teachers, including me, involves the game Jacks or Better. We explain how the game pays 25-for-1 for all 4-of-a-kinds, 2-for-1 for two pair, and the difference between the good version and the bad version depends on how much you get for a full […]
Breakeven Point Analysis Leads to Some Strange ...
A version of this article first appeared in 1999, but I haven’t written about it for a long time and many of my readers are newer to the game than that and didn’t see it the first time.
How Do I Answer?
I was playing 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe at the South Point on a double point day. A lady I’ve known for years, “Sandy,” sat down to play at the machine next to me. She’s a fairly recent widow and I knew her husband as well. We’re friendly, but not close friends.
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