A friend originally from out of state, Sam, told me that tipping practices in Las Vegas seemed strange to him when he first moved here. After class one day, he asked me my opinion and felt I gave him a self-contradictory answer.
“Tell me more,” I responded. “What inconsistency did I give you?”
Continue reading What’s The Difference?You’re playing dollar pNSU Deuces Wild, the 15-9-4-4-3 pay schedule also called Airport Deuces, five coins at a time, and you’re dealt W W W 7♦ 9♦, where each W indicates a wild card. Specifically, a deuce. This is a dealt straight flush, worth $45 in this game. Congratulations!
Continue reading Video Poker EndowmentAll sorts of comments get posted to www.gamblingwithanedge.com concerning the various blogs or podcasts posted there — including mine. The following comment was posted a week and a half after the original came out, and I assume most of the readers had already moved along to later posts. Still, it occurred to me that I have something to say about the post, so I’ll do it here.
Bob…have enjoyed your blogs and books throughout the years. At 75 I’d be thinking you’ve won enough and banked enough to try something less stressful. Like square dancing . . . or if that’s too much maybe fishing!
Continue reading A Question from a ReaderWhat I’m going to talk about today is a personal preference. It definitely works for me. I have no idea if it is something that would work for most people or not, but you take a gander and see if it’s a possibility for you.
One of the games I play at South Point is Multi Strike. Although I play the 25¢ 9/6 Jacks or Better Five Play version of Multi Strike, the technique I’m espousing works on any version of the game. It also works on Super Times Pay and Double Super Times Pay, along with a few others.
Continue reading How I Do ItIn terms of number of hands played, or number of dollars played, 9/6 Jacks or Better has been the video poker game I’ve played most in my career. Not so much recently, but certainly over my entire career.
The major things I like about the game are:
Continue reading What’s Wrong with Jacks or Better?This year, Caesars Entertainment merged with Eldorado. I have Seven Stars status at Caesars and haven’t played at any Eldorado property for several years.
Because of the pandemic, I played not at all at Caesars in 2020. My Seven Stars status was extended to January 1, 2022, and any Seven Stars unused benefits that would usually expire in 2020 could be used in 2021. This was very generous of Caesars/Eldorado.
Continue reading A Trip to New OrleansThis incident happened in 1999 or 2000. I don’t think I’ve written about it before.
The video poker world in Las Vegas was much different then. Casinos had been giving away money right and left to knowledgeable video poker players for at least five years, and many of us were becoming financially very well off. Oh, for the good old days!
Continue reading Is This a Good Idea?Every fall (except last one because of the pandemic), the world’s largest gaming show meets in Las Vegas for the Global Gaming Expo. All sorts of products directly or indirectly relating to gaming are on display in the exhibit hall, including new slot and video poker games, new table games, new player tracking systems, surveillance products, uniforms, chairs, legal services, architecture firms, etc.
I specialize in video poker and other games of skill. And this always starts with IGT, which still dominates the market for video poker machines.
Continue reading New Video Poker Games at G2ENot 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 that comment. Some players said going for higher EV is ALWAYS the correct play, while some more thoughtful posters said, “Why don’t you explain, Bob, when you’re willing to give up EV for other things?” Today’s post is intended to partially address that.
The most important starting point for many players should be bankroll. Compare 9/6 Jacks or Better (99.54% and a variance of 19.5) with 9/7 Triple Double Bonus (99.58% and a variance of 98.3). Last time I played at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe (pre-pandemic), both games were available on the same 25 cent Hundred Play machine. (Possibly they were only Fifty Play. It was a while ago). The EV is pretty close to the same, but the swings are much higher on the TDB game. Dealt quads on the JoB game earn you $3,125. Dealt quads on TDB range between $6,250 and $100,000. There were promotions in effect that made these games playable to me
Continue reading What’s More Important than EV?I’ve been playing video poker promotions for almost 30 years, and before that exploited blackjack promotions for about five years. I’ve absorbed a lot of “how to do things” over the years that are now second nature to me. When a new promotion comes along, I have enough experience, usually, to get the most out of it.
Recently, though, in another gambling game where they were giving away money, I was really out of my element.
Continue reading It’s Not So Easy