The Principles are the Same

I periodically attend a dinner hosted by Tommy and Debby Hyland. Tommy has run a large blackjack team for decades and is a member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame. A number of gamblers of various stripes are invited to these dinners and the conversation is often stimulating. Tommy is also a very good golfer and plays several times a week.

The dinner was winding down when Tommy and a few others excused themselves from the table to catch the end of a Sunday night football game. Tommy likes to bet on football and I suspect he had a wager down on this particular game as well. I was lingering at the dinner table, enjoying the conversation and finishing my coffee.

Someone asked Debby how well she golfed. She said that she wasn’t very good and in fact had recently told Tommy that when a particular arm ailment healed a bit she was going to take another golf lesson. Tommy responded, according to Debby, that a lesson wouldn’t do her any good if she didn’t get out there and practice regularly.

I don’t know whether it was an exact quote or not, but that one comment is what this article is all about!

Tommy Hyland knows how to win at blackjack, golf, and football betting — among other things. Winning at blackjack is different than winning at golf, but many of the principles are the same. And one of those principles is that you have to practice to maintain your edge. That principle applies to video poker as well.

I have seen many “used to be” strong players now making numerous “small” mistakes. None of these mistakes individually costs that much. In sum, however, these errors substantially decrease or eliminate the small edge video poker players often play with these days.

I can’t tell you how many people have asked me why I still study video poker. Surely, I’m told, if I’m ever going to get good, I must be there by now. What more could there possibly be to study?

Part of it is that your memory is like a muscle. “Use it or lose it.” I retain in my memory 99% accurate strategies for perhaps 25 different video poker games. And 99% accuracy is higher than many players ever attain. But if you’re trying to win, the difference between 99% and 100% accuracy is huge. Even taking advantage of slot club benefits and promotions, sometimes 100.5% is as good as is available for stakes higher than quarters. Only obtaining 99% of that maximum means that I’d be playing a game where the house has the edge. Playing such a game is anathema to me.

The concept of ‘practice’ can encompass many activities. Part of this is reviewing what I already know. At least once every month I spend time with every game that I currently play or expect to play — making sure I have the strategy completely mastered and not confusing it with that of another game. At present, that includes about 10 games, with others being added or dropped periodically. If you can keep the strategies of 10 different games mastered without regular review, you’re a better player than I. (And probably younger. At age 25 I could probably do this with only an every-six-months review. At age 67, I’m not that mentally sharp anymore — but my memory is still sharper than many who never actively attempt to keep it honed.)

Part of the concept of practice includes discussing your ideas and knowledge with others. If you can become part of a trusted “study group,” where each person brings some ideas, some scouting, some bankroll, and/or some knowledge to the group, you will improve as a player. Just as computer software corrects you when you make a playing mistake, bouncing your ideas off of knowledgeable others helps you find where your misconceptions lie and where you can make improvements.

Such groups should consist of players playing approximately the same games at the same casinos. A nickel player from Las Vegas and a $5 player from Atlantic City would not generally be members of the same group (although it sometimes happens — usually because of family or friendship ties.)

If someone wants to be part of my group, they have to bring something to the “party.” I don’t want to be in a group with takers who are not givers as well. You might not have the same video poker knowledge as I, but if you work hard and prove yourself to be a good scout, or you are someone who drives to casinos to check out the details of a promotion, you can also be a valuable resource for the group. Maybe you have computer expertise and can answer questions I can’t answer from available software. Maybe you have connections with a number of casino employees and can get useful inside knowledge about certain promotions. Each person has to find his or her own niche in the group.

Whether or not Debby Hyland takes golf lessons coupled with whether or not she spends time practicing at the driving range is of little importance to me. However she and Tommy work that out is fine with me. My friendship with them has nothing to do with how well Debby plays golf. But if you’re not someone who is continually trying to improve your video poker game (i.e. regularly practicing), I don’t want you in my study group. I might be your friend (and I have many friends from square dancing and other non-video poker pursuits), but I won’t share with you my best video poker secrets or other information unless you’re also practicing and sharing with me.