Debunking Video Poker Myths
Video Poker has been around about 25 years. That’s long enough to have educated lots of players but unfortunately, enough time has passed to have engendered a number of false conceptions about the game. We’ll try to set
the record straight, fully aware that we most likely will fail to convince most of the players who have been taken in by these old wives’ tales.
(1) Play Only 9-6 Machines
This advice is correct, but misleading, since it should be applied only in the special case of the original Draw Poker machines paying on Jacks or Better and 2 for 1 on Two Pairs. Even then, players must check the entire pay table to insure that the machine is a full-pay version. In
recent years many exotic games have become popular. The advice does not apply to the vast majority of 9-6 machines today, because they are of the Double Bonus type where one must look for the 10-7 version since the payout
on two pairs is reduced from 2 for 1 to merely a push. You can bet that it is no accident that the renowned 9-6 pay lines were incorporated into the lower paying Double Bonus version.
(2) Dollar Machines Pay More
This is much the case for reel-slots but very often not true for Video Pokers. The only criteria for any Video Poker machine paying more is the pay table on the machine. The machine’s microprocessor is the same whether the coin receptor is for nickels or $5.00 tokens. Walk by the high roller slots area and (if there are any Video pokers) you will often find poor
paying machines there. Apparently the casinos have learned that poorly educated players come from every walk of life.
(3) In Las Vegas, Play Where Locals Play
You have to be just as selective (maybe even more selective) in the locals casinos. They still generally have some of the more competitive machines, but over the years these casinos have become giant corporations (just like
the Strip casinos) and they have learned to offer plenty of clinkers, also. They also tend to push their more profitable in house designs which are poor payers. To make your experience more nerve-wracking, locals’ casinos cater to repeat traffic and many of these players are on two or three machines at a time, usually the better ones. The fact is that many Strip casinos are in serious competition and have to offer just as high a content of high paying machines as found in casinos off the well trodden tourist path.
(4) Always Play Maximum Coins
Players who are not well versed in the expert strategy for their machine are well advised to limit their play to just one coin, unless they feel
hell-bent to hit a big jackpot. Remember, those Royals show up very seldom, around once in 40,000 hands for most machines, so your bankroll will be consumed much slower in
the long intervals between Royals. In any case, don’t play 2 to 4 coins would be better advice. If you can’t afford 5 quarters, play 5 nickels on a
nickel machine. That Royal will pull in $200 instead of $62.50 and that might save your marriage.
(5) Video Poker is Easy to Play
Most players who play poorly never even know how many mistakes they are making, so they think the game is a piece of cake. Video Poker is not easy, but most people can learn to become near-experts on a game or two, if they
go about the learning process the right way. There are video cassettes, books, play at home software to educate players. Novices can practice on the kitchen table before going to casino. There’s no reason to play for real money while you are still rough in the basics.
(6) Video Pokers are Highly Regulated
The regulations in many locales are excellent, but when you play in foreign casinos or off-shore shipboard casinos or some Native American
casinos, you are at risk of playing unfair games. They may be using foreign made machines which are not subject to American standards for integrity. To further complicate matters for the players, the recent offerings of game within a game bonusing gimmicks can utterly confuse players as to their chances of
winning, so they should be avoided in all locales until the regulations are clarified.
(7) It’s All Luck, Anyhow
This is the mating call for players who love to play, but won’t (or can’t) learn to play well. Sure, there is a lot of luck involved in Video Poker but the right play is always the right play and it helps to make you a winner. The reduction in loss rate helps keep you on the machine longer; if you aren’t on the machine you can’t hit the jackpots.