Slot players are the most common gamblers in the casino. They feed their money into the machine, select the bet size, hit the spin button (or pull a lever) and hope for the best.

They do not know the casino edge. They only know that most of the time they lose. They expect this. They play with the hope that they will hit a jackpot. Slot jackpots can be amazing, it is true.

After a while, however, many slot players get tired of losing. They quit playing or look for a different game. The game that many of these players choose is video poker.

But unlike slots, video poker requires some player knowledge to improve results.

This article has advice for novice video poker players that will help them ease into the wonderful world of video poker.

1. Video poker basics

Slot machine players insert money, make a bet and hit a spin button (or pull a lever) to play. 

That is where the similarity in play ends. Video poker players:

• Hit a Deal button. This causes five randomly-selected cards to be displayed on the screen.
• Select the card or cards, if any, to hold.
• Hit the Draw button.
• Cards that are not held are replaced with new, randomly-selected, cards.

2. Video poker advantages

Video poker has many advantages over normal slot machines. They include:

• The return of each game and pay table combination can be determined.
• Playing strategies are available that show how to get the highest return.
• The returns from video poker games are higher than returns from slots.
• The player has an active role in determining the outcome of each round of play.

3. Video poker disadvantages

As with most things in life, there are also disadvantages.

• While video poker has some big jackpots, they do not approach the huge levels of slot machines.
• The player has an active role in determining the outcome of each round of play. Yes, this is also an advantage. To be successful takes work. Players must obtain the proper strategy, learn it, and practice it. This takes time. This takes effort. Many players do not want to put in the time and effort required to maximize their results.

For information on video poker basics, go here: How to Play Video Poker (888casino.com) - 

4. Best games for beginning video poker players

There are dozens of different video poker games, each with multiple pay tables. Beginning players should limit their selection of games. They should walk before they run. 

The best games for beginners have a:

• Good return.
• Low variance (volatility).
• Simple playing strategy.

Three of the best video poker game for beginners are:

• Jacks or Better
• Bonus Poker
• Deuces Wild

These games satisfy all three criteria for good beginner’s games.

For more information on available games, go here: Video Poker Games and Games Categories (888casino.com). For information on variance, go here: Low Variance or High Variance Video Poker – Which is Your Style?

5. Strategy

Playing the perfect strategy for the selected game and pay table is a major key to success in video poker. Strategies for common games (such as those that are ideal for novice players) are available online. There are also several video poker apps that can generate strategy charts for any game and pay table.

A strategy chart lists hands with highest return hands on top. Each successive line lists another hand or hands with a lower return than the previous line. 

To use a strategy chart, compare the dealt hand to the first line of the chart. If it matches the hand on the machine, save the cards indicated in the strategy. If not, continue to the next line and repeat the process. 

If the hand on the game is not listed in the strategy chart, discard the entire hand to receive a totally new hand. It is that simple.

Before heading to a casino and dropping hard-earned money into a game, players should know how to properly play the game. Make sure to take the time beforehand to obtain and learn the strategy before risking any real money.

For more information on strategy, go here: Video Poker Strategy (with Charts & the Basics) (888casino.com).

6. Practice

Learning the proper strategy can be accomplished by memorizing the strategy chart. That alone will not guarantee the strategy will be played properly during live play. It is wise to practice playing at home prior to playing for money.

There are several video poker-playing apps available. With them, players can play on their computer or smartphone. The apps will issue warnings when errors are made. 

Practice using the app until there are no – or very few – errors before risking hard earned cash. Your bankroll will thank you.

For more information on practice, go here: Practicing Video Poker Play Strategy (888casino.com).

7. Bankroll

Speaking of bankroll, there are a few important points to follow for successful play.

• Money should be designated solely for live play.
• Bring it with you – do not go to an ATM.
• Divide the trip bankroll into session bankrolls. If you lose the entire session bankroll, that session is done. Do something else until it is time for the next session. 
• If you are unfortunate and lose the entire trip bankroll, that is it. No more play that trip.
• Do not hit the ATM or obtain casino credit.

Following these bankroll tips will limit any losses to sustainable levels.

For more information on bankrolls, go here: Video Poker Bankroll Requirements (888casino.com).

8. Summary 

• Video poker is different from normal slot machines. It allows players to impact results.
• New video poker players should choose a high return, low variance, simple strategy game.
• Video poker players should know the proper playing strategy.
• They should learn and practice it at home before playing for money.
• Bankroll management is important for video poker success.
   

Casinos have an edge in almost every game that is on the gaming floor. 

In fact, there is only one type of machine that never has an edge for the casino built into it. That machine is the bill changer. Assuming it is working properly, the player always gets 100 percent return – five $20 bills for one $100 bill, four $5 bills for one $20 bill, and so on. 

Every other machine on the gaming floor provides an edge for the casino. 

• The rules for some games such as blackjack allow the dealer to win more hands to give the edge to the casino.
• Other games such as slot machines, craps and roulette, pay less than full odds on all winning hands.
• Some games take the house edge separately.
  • Poker rooms take a rake (a percentage of the pot, usually with a dollar limit), or a fee to play.
  • Baccarat and Pai Gow poker charge a commission on certain winning hands (those that would give players the edge).

How does a casino get the edge in video poker where player skill can influence the results? Read on.

1. The random number generator and a fair deal

Video poker games are all based on the assumption of dealing from a random deck of cards. This is not accomplished by shuffling a virtual deck of cards in the machine’s programming. Instead, video poker games use a Random Number Generator (or RNG). The RNG cycles very quickly (about 1,000 numbers per second) through a large range of numbers. 

When the player hits the Deal or Draw button, the software selects five numbers and translates them into five different cards. Because of the speed of the RNG as well as the large range of numbers, this process comes extremely close to a random deal.

A random deal is considered a fair deal because over a long period of time each card will appear an equal number of times – the same as a thoroughly shuffled deck of cards.

2. Odds of having a winning hand

A random (fair) deal means that, over time, each possible hand will be dealt the same number of times. From this, the odds of various hands appearing can be calculated.

Game manufacturers as well as casinos and players can also know how often certain winning hands will appear, on average. Winning hands include:

• Jacks or better has nine distinct paying hands.
  • Royal Flush
  • Straight Flush
  • 4-of-a-kind
  • Full House
  • Flush
  • Straight
  • 3-of-a-kind
  • 2 Pairs
  • Pair of Jacks or Better
• Double-Double Bonus Poker has 13 distinct paying hands.
  • Royal Flush
  • Straight Flush
  • 4 Aces with a 2, 3, or 4
  • 4 2s, 3s, or 4s with an Ace, 2, 3, or 4
  • 4 Aces
  • 4 2s, 3s, or 4s
  • 4 5s thru Kings
  • Full House
  • Flush
  • Straight
  • 3-of-a-kind
  • 2 pairs
  • Pair of Jacks or Better
• Deuces Wild has 10 distinct paying hands.
  • Royal Flush
  • 4 Deuces
  • Wild Royal Flush
  • 5-of-a-kind
  • Straight Flush
  • 4-of-a-kind
  • Full House
  • Flush
  • Straight
  • 3-of-a-kind

3. Pay tables: amount paid versus true odds

Pay tables contain not only the winning hands, but also the amount that hand pays. It is in the format of n for n, such as 6-for-1. 

In a perfect game where neither the casino nor the player has an edge, the amount paid for each winning hand would match the true odds of that hand appearing. The reality is that they do not. One reason is the amounts paid would have to be in fractions of a credit.

Instead, the pays for most hands are close to true odds. Some are lower, some are higher. The average of all winning hands, over time, comes close to true odds. The difference creates either a casino or player edge. 

Casinos can, and do, alter pay tables to set whatever return they would like. Not all pay tables for the same game and denomination are set the same.

4. Why do casinos offer video poker games that return more than 100%?

Yes, sometimes video poker games have a player edge.

It does not happen often, but on occasion, casinos will have jacks or better, double bonus poker, deuces wild, or some other game that returns more than 100% – a game with a player edge.

Why would a casino put such a game on their gaming floor? Mostly as a drawing card. The player’s edge tends to be low – less than one tenth of one percent. But that is enough to draw more players into the casino. 

Most of those players do not play proper strategy. Consequently, they give up a decent portion of their possible return, making their play at least slightly profitable to the casino. 

Many of the video poker players that respond to the ads about the player edge do not realize they have to play a specific game and pay table to get the advertised return, Casinos may only have one or two of the player-favorable games on the floor, but the new players will sit at any game, or if they know to look for a specific game will not check the pay table. 

Also, many players bring their non-video poker playing spouses and friends with them. These players more than make up for the reduced profit from the video poker players.

The additional players and the less knowledgeable video poker players make up for the minimal player profits. 

5. Summary 

• The random number generator (RNG) within the video poker machine’s programming is responsible for ensuring a random, (fair) deal.
• Because the deal is random, the odds of specific (winning) hands can be determined.
• Using both the odds for winning hands occurring and the amount paid for those hands, the return of video poker games can be calculated. Tweaking the pays for winning hands alters the return so casinos can set the amount of their edge.
• Sometimes casinos offer video poker games that have a player edge. They do that in order to attract players.
• Video poker players often bring non video poker playing family and friends with them so the casinos make money on those additional players.

Here they are, some tough questions for me to answer, if I can. Some of these, in certain forms, have been asked of me when I give talks.

An Amazing Day

Question: You have been having an amazing day. You played craps and had an amazing roll to be followed up with another amazing roll. Most of the other players were hot too. Amazing! When you get a little tired, you hit the roulette table to relax.

You did relax, a lot, meaning you also won a lot of money betting only the red/black even-money bets as you recommend. Your losses basically came on green and half your bets were returned when that happened. You bet red or black and you beat the house by about three to one. Your bets were pretty high at times, winning can do that. You usually do not use a Paroli betting system but you did a kind of a one, two, and three Paroli at the roulette table. 

[Please note: Paroli means parley or pressing bets and it is technically a one, two, three parlay and then back down to your normal bet.]

You went to blackjack, then Pai Gow Poker, then mini-baccarat. You couldn’t lose. Then you got a cell phone call from your wife, the Beautiful AP. “Don’t forget,” she said. “We’re meeting Mr. and Mrs. Someone or Other for a comped gourmet dinner and then we have that comped show. This is just a reminder. Meet you in a few minutes. You know I’ve been really looking to see So-and So’s performance. This is going to be a great night for us!”

Experience

Question: What is the significance of the narrator's recent gambling experience and how it affects their perspective on their future actions at the casino?

Frank: I wish I could have had a day such as that in real life. I have had good days and bad days at the casinos but I never hammered them so badly at so many different games in a single stretch. Wow! 

I don’t usually play long enough to spend what appears to be a whole day playing so many games. You’ve really attempted to make this hard.

Sorry my friend, it isn’t hard at all. So here goes. I leave playing, go to the bathroom to refresh myself and then I meet my wife at the restaurant. I enjoy dinner with our acquaintances and I enjoy the show. Then we go back to our room, make that a suite (what the heck) and I sleep the sleep of the victor.

Why wouldn’t I play some more? I mean, I have been lucky as can be. Is Lady Luck really on my side from here on out? 

Again, for me this is simple. No game gives me the edge based on how this question was phrased. I am playing against the house edge at all of them. Today? Oh, boy, have I been lucky as can be. But I am only hoping my luck will continue; there are no guarantees. The math, the horrible math, favors the casino – it almost always favors the casino.

Will my good luck continue? I don’t know. The odds of me continuing this are somewhat remote, maybe very remote. Do I really want to reduce my total winnings by playing more and more during this magical day?  Can I be sure other shooters will have good or even decent rolls of the dice? That would be asking a lot of Lady Luck. Blackjack can go any which way, as can all of the games.

The casino doesn’t make money by players hammering them. 

So, I will be satisfied with what I have won and enjoy the rest of the night with my acquaintances and my wife the Beautiful AP. She’s my real Lady Luck.

The casino isn’t going anywhere. I’ll tackle it tomorrow and hope for some continued magic. You see, I am never in a rush to play or stay at games, especially if I have been hot or cold. I play so much that this or that session is no big deal to me. 

Rewarding a Roller

Question: The old guy is having a heck of a dice roll. You’ve made some good money so far with his roll. You want to thank him. Should you put up a bet for the guy? He has a beautiful rolling form. He sets the dice and takes great care with his throw. Could this guy be controlling the dice? 

Should you place a bet for this man? How do you, a fellow player, reward the roller?

Frank: Many players set the dice and many players look as if they have some control over the dice – and some, a very, very few mind you, actually do have some control. Also, it is possible (but unlikely) that this man has gotten into a controlled situation without even knowing it – he’s rhythmically rolling for a short while. 

Obviously, I can’t tell from the description in the question. Even at the table it is hard to tell on first seeing a shooter. You’d have to see such a shooter a lot.

Okay, if he is a real dice controller, what are his bets? Are they bets a competent dice controller can beat? Or are they the typical bets of the average craps player? 

Most bets by most craps players range from excellent to awful in the same time frame such as a pass-line bet and a couple of hardways, maybe with some other horrors mixed in. Maybe placing bets such as the 5 or 9 or 4 or 10. No real dice controller would make bets that have a high house-edge such as the hardways. No dice controller can overcome those edges.

Do not be confused by self-anointed dice controllers who brag that they can overcome such awful betting choices. They can’t. It is only sheer luck that anyone can beat the high house-edge bets and that will just occur now and then. Sheer luck, remember that.

 When I first started playing dice in Atlantic City around 1990, players tipped other players all the time. It was the thing in those days. That still occurs but far less frequently. Many of the garrulous World War II guys were big tippers. Almost all of them are gone, many of them long gone.

Now, if I thought this guy was a rhythmic roller, I would not put up a bet for him. That might take his concentration away from the important thing he was doing – which was making me some money. Nor would I slap him on the back or talk to him. Let him roll until he sevens out. 

Once he sevened out (hopefully 10 years from now), I’d congratulate him and throw him a decent chip as a thank-you note.

When a shooter seems to be in a rhythm I am not happy when other players try to slap him or her, high five or pat him or her on the back. I also don’t like when the shooter orders a drink or in any way loses concentration.

My bottom line about hot shooters? Leave them alone when they are shooting. Tip them when the shooting is over.

Card Counter Conundrum

Question: A card counter is at your blackjack table as you sit down to play. He’s been betting $25 per hand and is only playing one hand at that time.  Now he increases his bet to two hands of $200 each. You and the pit crew know this is a sign that the counter understands the remaining decks now favor the players.

The other players at the table don’t notice anything at all. They are locked into their own bets and upcoming hands.  

The pit boss pushes the card counter’s bets back to him and tells him his action is no longer tolerated in that casino. The card counter gets up and leaves the casino. The casino does not shuffle the remaining decks and the game continues.

The remaining cards still favor the players. What do you do?

Frank: I’d love to jump into the fray here and put up the type of bets this high count would require. That’s the dream scenario, right? I am not going to do that. I am, however and maybe, going to double what I would have normally bet since this would be my first bet. I’d stay at that bet until the end of the shoe. On the next shoe? I will drop my bet down to my normal level. Maybe. Or leave and go to another table. I don’t know.

I do not want anyone to notice me any more than they would notice anyone else playing the game as normal people play the game. Just taking the game as a basic strategy player is what I would do. Next high count? I don’t know.

While card counting is not illegal, it is frowned upon by the casinos and a good counter, or maybe any counter, will often be asked to stop playing and leave the casino. Or they might be told to play any other game but not blackjack. 

Good question. I am even doubting my answer as I finish answering your question. I might not do anything at all special in this case. Again, I say good question. If you know you have an edge, what should you do?

Winning the BIG Money

Question: It’s your day Frank, your glorious day. Prepare now. Make sure you are ready for this. The money is going to be pouring in to you today. You put a full-coin bet in the progressive slot machine that has a current jackpot of $60 million.  And it hits! All that money is yours.

You’ve won a lifestyle dream jackpot. How will that change you? Okay, what do you do Frank? Very few players have ever won such a jackpot. It is all yours.

Frank: I have a whole plan if I ever were to win such a jackpot or a lottery prize of that huge amount. This would be a crazy happening in my life because I stay away from all progressive machines and I only play the lottery if the jackpot is about $800 million or more. 

Still, I’ll play along here. A fantasy is sometimes fun to harbor if it doesn’t actually consume you. I don’t usually fantasize about such wins.

I know I’d have to go through the casino for them to write me a check and take care of all the paperwork and tax forms for the government. When that is over and I have to be photographed for the press releases, then I will make a big announcement.

[Please note: Almost all casinos write for players to read that big winners must be made public. These signs will be posted here and there in the casino, usually at the various entrances. If you play the machines, you agree to this stricture. Most players don’t know about this stricture for some reason. It’s good publicity for the casino that Mr. or Ms. Casino Patron just won a bundle.]

My big announcement will come the day my big win is revealed. It will be bigger news than just the fact that I have been a huge winner. 

Announcer says: “So my Scobeleetie…”

I respond immediately, “Sco-bled-ee.”

Announcer turns to the Beautiful AP: “Arlene Scob-bled-ee…”

“Alene, not Arlene, thank you.”

“I do have an important announcement to make,” I say. “I think people should hear what I have to say.”

Announcer: “Okay. Go right ahead.”

“I want everyone to know that I am not giving any of this money away. That’s right. if you are a person looking for a handout, you won’t get one. If you are a person looking for me to invest in your company or project, the answer is no.

“Any one who calls me or gets in touch with me asking for money for anything will get nothing. That means relatives too. Try to get any of my money and the answer is a big, fat no!

“Anyone I want to talk to about this, I will call you. You call me and the answer is no. 

“Even charities are a big, fat no, too. Religions, no. Research, no.

“If you want to sell me something – guess what? – the answer is no. 

“If you want to ask me questions about what I have just said, the answer to you is no!

“That should about cover it. My wife will also say no to anything too.”

All the best in and out of the casinos!
 

I have discussed many ways to play roulette and other casino games too. But what do some players think of my ideas and advice? This article will let you know. Just about all veteran casino players have their philosophies and methods of play.

From Jim:

“Hi Frank, Jim here. I do like your ideas in general. But I think you are a little more conservative than me when it comes to playing roulette. Here is what I am talking about.

“You once discussed – or maybe more than once – about trying to keep your roulette play to no more than 40 decisions per hour. This would, as you correctly say, protect your money in the long run. It would also allow you to play more if you want with the same level of expectation if that is what you want. 

“I can’t just limit myself when I am playing my favorite games, roulette being one of them.. Every spin that I am not involved in makes me anxious. I want to get into the game. I am also thinking that other players feel the same way. In craps, I like your idea of the 5-Count but I have to have a bet on every roll of the dice. But I am talking about roulette now so here goes some more. 

“I do not want to play and count the spins of the wheel. Maybe I should use the word decisions as I did above of the wheel instead of spins, but each decision that I miss I don’t like missing. I feel that could have been my hit. I play three inside numbers and maybe here and there I will go with an outside proposition bet like the dozens or even-money bet.

“Thanks for your years of writing! I have read 20 of your books. The best!”

From Alice: 

“My name is Alice. We met once at a (Vegas) casino. I recognized you from one of your television appearances. 

“I agree with your idea that the single most important reason that we casino players enjoy playing is the thrill of the anticipation of the next decision and the decision after that and so on. But after a while the thrill pales as time passes. That, to me, is the time to call it quits for that session.

“I also know that before I go to the casinos, and I do go a few months a year, that I do feel that sense of anticipation building in me. I live in Arizona and it is only a hop, skip and a jump from Vegas. I prefer Vegas to all the gambling meccas in the country. I guess that is just me. Maybe not.

“I would also think that if I were having a good night I might call it then and there and enjoy my win. The same would be true if I am having a really bad night. Pull the plug. I can always return later or the next day or the next trip. I do have that kind of discipline.

“I too enjoy playing the proposition bets of even-money and the dozens or columns on occasion. I do keep my betting spread the same so I would split up how I play my money. But if I am betting one bet or three I just evenly split my money or close to it. I want to protect my bankroll. If you are a regular casino player your bankroll is the key to your ability to play. 

“I have, as you suggested many years ago, a separate account for my money. I put some of my money each month into that account and I only play the money from the account. Therefore, my normal life is not threatened in any way by my casino play. That is a sharp idea you had and I have followed it for years. It eases the mind.

“I do not want casino playing in any way, shape, or form to interrupt my real non-casino life. I can have both and I enjoy both.”

[Please note: Alice is referring to my idea of the 401G, with the “G” standing for gambling. This would be a separate interest-bearing account for your gambling bankroll and only your gambling bankroll, that you can deposit small amounts in on a regular basis. I strongly believe in this idea basically for the reasons Alice stated. I got this idea from the late Captain, my mentor in gambling.]

From Terrance:

“I can’t stand those even-money bets that you seem to love. I do not want 1-to-1 payouts. Sorry about exploding the bubble in your mind but even-money at a game that can pay 35-to-1 on inside bets? Really? Come on, my man, that seems like a waste of a great opportunity to me.

“And what is that opportunity? You ask me. I’ll answer. 

“Hit a few of those 35-to-1 shots during a session and you can have a spectacular evening with Lady Luck at the roulette tables. I have had those too. Not always, I won’t lie here, but enough times to make that the way I enjoy playing. 

“I do agree with you on making sure you do not over bet. Bad nights will occur and you do not want to get devastated now do you? I want my gaming pleasure not to be sullied by worrying about money or how losing this or that amount affects the rest of my life. I have a good life. Part of it is going to the casinos and not worrying much about money.”

From Nancy:

“I was a blackjack player and I sampled other games too but none of them rang my bell. I ignored roulette because it seemed dull from what I could see.  

“Blackjack was a little annoying because every so often you got these ‘so-called’ brilliant players who had no real idea of how to play but they had to tell everyone at the table how to play their hands – usually the wrong way too!

“I’ve read some of your articles about roulette and you made the game seem interesting. Then I went on a binge and I read most of your articles and longer pieces on the game here and I then decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did.

“The game is not dull at all. There are so many different kinds of bets you can make, from high paying ones on the inside to propositions to one-to-one bets too. I actually enjoy watching the ball spin around the wheel and land in the pockets where it bounces all over the place before coming to rest in one pocket. The winner!

“I use a few bets at the game. At first I go for the propositions like the dozens and the columns bets. If I am ahead on those, I will then take a shot at the higher paying bets on the inside. I might go with two or three straight-up numbers and try to break the bank. Well, I don’t really mean I am trying to break any bank but I would like to go for the big win if I can.

“The question I know you are asking is this: Have I ever actually had a big session at the game? Indeed, I have sir, indeed I have. 

“One time I made plenty of money on those proposition bets that I went for the real kill. I bet one, just one!, inside bet; the James Bond bet of 17. It hit right off the bat! I made a 35-to-1 win! Yippee! 

“I then picked a number on the other side of the 17 which was the 18 and after about three spins that baby hit too! I can’t tell you how exciting that was. It almost felt as if I were in a dream. I mean it, it almost felt unreal.

“I went one more number, the single green zero. I know that many players think of those green zeroes as casino numbers but what the heck? I went about five spins and you guessed it – that baby hit. I had some extra money on that number too. What was the problem? A little more on the bet and let’s see what happens. Right? What happened was what I wanted to happen.

“I quit then and there. I went to the bar, ordered a very expensive drink, and I then watched all the people playing. Few of them, if any of them, would have the evening that I just had. It was just a great and relaxing feeling. What I experienced is rare for almost all players. It was really a dream time.

“I had two drinks and then I went to my room and fell asleep. I had a deep, peaceful sleep. It was a great night in every way.

“I didn’t even play the next day. I wanted to take my money and go home and remember this trip as the best ever. That’s exactly what I did.

“I never came close to that night since then. But for one time, one great time, I experienced the ultimate in casino play. For one night, I was the heavyweight casino player in the world. At least, the world inside my head!”

From Brett:

“I decided to do something that I had never done before. I was going to do what I called a ‘home run’ approach to the games, four games in all – blackjack, craps, roulette and mini-baccarat. That would be the home run which is four bases and I would play four games. 

“I would play one game after another, make a few decisions on each game and then switch to the next game. I’d do this as long as I wasn’t losing too much or if I was up even a little.

“I knew that I would have to do this during the morning and afternoon before the evening players arrived. I really didn’t figure how long this would take but it would take what it took or until I got tired. That was my game plan.

“At a six-deck blackjack game, I’d play the strategy that is on the basic strategy card I bought. I am guessing it is the correct basic strategy. I’d play one shoe and then move on. At craps, I would make one bet on a shooter but when I shot the dice I’d just keep making pass line and come bets, all with odds, until I sevened out. Then over to roulette and I would play the column bets that pay 2-to-1. I’d make 10 column bets and then move to mini-baccarat.

“In mini-baccarat I’d go with 10 hands in a row and then I’d go back to blackjack and start all over again (I hoped). I was able to keep all the bets the same, $25, and I hoped I didn’t get creamed too fast. Winning too fast would be just dandy. Winning is never a problem for me.

“At blackjack I played at a full table, even in the morning. That meant not as many tables were opened this early – about 8 o’clock. I didn’t get one blackjack but I did get to double down twice and I had one split. I was down about $50. 

“Craps was terrible. No shooter made me money. I was thankful I made only one bet per shooter. On me? I established my point and sevened-out right away. 

“Roulette turned out okay. I hit four of my column bets and made 2-to-1 on each bet. Not bad. 

“Mini-baccarat I bet banker all the way. I split 50/50 and wound up losing a little because the casino takes 5% of your banker bet. 

“I wasn’t in horrible shape at the end of my first round. I decided to take a break and have breakfast. I thought my idea of the ‘home run’ technique was pretty good but I was really tired after playing it. Weird, right?

“I didn’t continue with this. Instead, I went to bed and then checked out of the hotel and headed home. I had the flu. Oh, well, what could I do? I went to bed and slept and slept.”

All the best in and out of the casinos!
 

When a dealer shows a 7 upcard, she has about a 26% chance of busting and about a 74% chance of getting to a final hand that totals 17 through 21 (rule dependent). Because of the latter, we have to be more aggressive when we are dealt a stiff hand (hit rather than stand) and less aggressive when we are dealt a two-card soft hand (hit rather than double down).

What follows is the accurate blackjack playing strategy for any hand when the dealer shows a 7 upcard. 

Fortunately for blackjack players, the playing strategy against a casino dealer’s 7 upcard is nearly the same for any number of decks of cards or mix of playing rules. There is one exception and you’ll find it below. 

Notations used in this article:

S17 = Dealer must stand on soft 17
H17 = Dealer must hit soft 17
DAS = Doubling down after pair splitting is allowed
NDAS = Doubling down after pair splitting is not allowed
H = Hit
S = Stand
P = Split
Dh = Double down if allowed, otherwise hit

Multi-Deck Game 

Regardless of the playing rules, use the following strategy when facing a dealer’s seven upcard.

Double down if allowed, otherwise hit if holding:

• Hard 10 and 11
• Pair of 5s

Split if holding:

• Pair of As, 2s, 3s, and 7s and 8s 

Hit if holding:

• Hard 5 through 9
• Hard 12 through 16
• A-2 through A-6
• Pair of 4s and 6s

Stand if holding:

• Hard 17 through 20
• A-7 through A-9 
• Pair of 9s and 10s.

Below is the corresponding playing strategy arranged into three color-coded tables for hard hands, soft hands, and pairs. The first row in each table represents the player’s hand (in the case of hard hands, it represents the total count of the cards), and the second row contains the correct playing strategy against a dealer’s 7 upcard with S17 and DAS.

Hard Hands

Soft Hands

Pairs

What if you are playing a double-deck game?

The playing strategy for a double-deck game is identical to the above multiple-deck game except for one change:

• If the rules specify DAS, split a pair of 6s (instead of hitting) against a dealer’s 7 upcard.

What if you are playing a single-deck game?

You should implement the same strategy change for a single-deck game as you would in a double-deck game, namely:

• If the rules specify DAS, split a pair of 6s (instead of hitting) against a dealer’s 7 upcard.

Practice Play

To be sure you have the strategy down pat for playing your hand against a dealer’s 7 upcard, determine how you would play each of the 10 hands listed below, jot down your decision on paper, and then check it against the correct play at the end of this article. (Your goal is to be able to play every hand accurately, regardless of the number of decks of cards or mix of playing rules.)

For more playing strategy tips, consult Chapter 3 in my Ultimate Blackjack Strategy Guide.

Correct plays for the hands in the table are:

Video poker is a game that allows players to calculate the return of the game – if it is a “fair” game. Fair, in this case means random.

Many video poker players have doubts about the randomness (fairness) of the games they play. This article explores video poker “fairness” and how to prove it.

1. Why players feel the games are not fair

Every casino game has streaks – both winning and losing. This is true for slot machines, video poker, and table games.

Slot machine players do not know the house edge is for games they play. In general, slot machine players expect to lose. There is nothing they can do that will influence the outcome.

Video poker is different. The pay table and knowledge of how often the winning hands will occur allows players to calculate the house edge.

The player also has a choice. That choice will impact the outcome of each hand. 

The knowledge of the house edge and the ability to affect the outcome of each hand causes some video poker players to have an expectation of how frequently the winning hands should occur.

When those expectations are not met (usually during a long losing streak), often players accuse the game of being unfair (not random).

2. How randomness manifests itself

Many video poker players expect each winning hand to appear close to the average frequency. For example, in a random game a full house has a mathematical probability of appearing once approximately every 85 hands. Players expect them to occur once every 85 hands or so.

According to Wikipedia: “randomness is the apparent or actual lack of definite pattern or predictability in information. A random sequence of events, symbols or steps often has no order and does not follow an intelligible pattern or combination. Individual random events are, by definition, unpredictable”.

Results cannot be predicted. A particular winning hand could occur two, three, or more times in a row, or not occur for two, three, or more times its mathematical cycle.

A full house that mathematically should occur once every 85 hands might not occur for 200, 500, or even 1,000 hands – or it might occur five times in 20 hands.

The mathematically derived frequency is an average. It is based on an infinite number of hands.

3. Frequencies of winning hands for selected games

Listed below are mathematical frequencies for winning hands for two games.

Frequencies of Winning Hands

4. The proper way to determine whether a game is fair

The human mind is an amazing thing. However, it can easily be fooled. Players remember long periods without any winning hands. They tend to forget those times when winning hands appear more frequently than normal.

We cannot rely on our memories to determine if a game is fair. We must record actual data. 

The number of hands played and the number of winning hands are required. This is a lot of work and probably not worth all the effort. But it is necessary to prove fairness (randomness).

Recording the number of hands played and only one or two infrequent winners (such as full houses) is more manageable.

Rather than try to count each hand played, take advantage of the players card bonus point count. Almost all players clubs give points based on dollars per point. To calculate the hands played follow either option A or B.

1. If you know the dollars per point:
   • Calculate the number of hands played by subtracting the starting points from the ending points giving the number of points earned this session.
   • Multiply this by the number of dollars per point. This gives the dollars played this session. 
   • Divide that number by the amount of each bet – for example, $1.25 for a quarter game or $5 for a dollar game. This gives the total hands played.
      
2. To calculate the dollars per point:
   • Make a note of the starting players club points.
   • Play 20 to 50 hands (the more the better). Keep track by making a hash mark when each hand is bet.
   • Remove your players card and then reinsert it to update the point count.
   • Subtract the new count from the starting count to get the points earned.
   • Multiply the number of hands played by the cost per hand to get the total dollars played.
   • Divide the dollars played by the points earned to get the dollars per point.
   • Go to A.

While playing, keep track of the number of full houses. This can be done by making hash marks. Add up several sessions totaling at least 20,000 hands. The more hands, the closer the results will be to the average frequency.

It is a whole lot of work. However, if the effort is taken, I am virtually certain the results will confirm a fair game in major gaming venues. Remember, the more hands captured, the closer to the mathematical frequency you should be.

5. Summary

Video poker players sometimes feel games are rigged (unfair).
A player’s memory is unreliable as it remembers long periods without hitting winning hands, but forgets winning hands that are more frequent than normal.
Based on the game and pay table, the frequency of winning hands can be calculated.
Determining the fairness of the game requires a lot of work and will almost certainly prove the games in major markets are fair.
 

It happens. It certainly happens. Probably to all of us. If you play more than just infrequently, I am guessing it has definitely happened to you.

Casino playing is not without its negative aspects. Sure, you can lose a little. Few casino players let small losses bother them (much) because that is the price we pay for bucking the house edges. Every casino player bucks an edge; that is the way it is. That is what it certainly is.

I have been there. You have been there – I am guessing about that but I am guessing that you have indeed been there. Regular players have taken beatings at times. Casino players are boxers of chance and often chance destroys us.

I once lost – hang on to your hats! – my whole bankroll. This was in the beginning of my second year of play over 33 years ago (or the end of my first year) – ah, time, it does go fast that some things oh so  long, long ago are lost in the rush of our lives and everything about it.

Were my disasters caused by me? Yes, two of them definitely were. 

The first took place at roulette. This occurred at the long ago and now defunct Sands in Atlantic City. What did Sands become once it closed? A garbage-strewn lot once the building was demolished.

My Roulette Horror: Scobe’s Perfect Roulette System!

The oldest game in the casinos, roulette. The youngest player, at least this evening, me. A clash of titans! Uh, actually, one titan and one something else altogether. That something else was me again.

I had developed a special way of beating the game, a guaranteed way – without a doubt a guaranteed way. I wondered why no one had ever thought of this method before. It was so obvious and so obviously a winner. That showed me how stupid people could be. The winning system stared everyone in the face and players ignored it. So sad, so very sad.

This system (Scobe’s Roulette System) would be used strictly on the even-money bets of red/black, odd/even, or high low. I had 18 chances to win one of those bets and 20 chances to lose it. I was playing the American double-zero (0, 00) wheel.

I picked the red/black bet. I liked that it was colorful. I take red first and enjoy that color as it was the color of the casino blood I would spill. 

I grew up in a cold water flat my first five years of life. Three of our rooms had no heat in winter and from what I could remember my mother had to boil water for our baths. But now I would become a millionaire, maybe a billionaire. Oh, yeah!

And here was the plan:

You see, you bet, say $10 and if you lose, you double your bet to $20, and if you lose that you double your bet to $40. Lose again? Just double to $80. Another loss? Just go to $160. Lose that and you make a $320 bet. That gave me six chances of hitting my selected color. The casino might even allow me to bet double the $320, making the bet $640. A breeze.

That $640 would make seven straight bets. Seriously, what were the chances that I would lose seven straight bets? I was thinking about a zero chance. In no movies did any player lose seven straight bets at roulette. Never saw something like that. It may have never have happened in the whole history of roulette.

I had not read a book about roulette, or an article and there was no Internet to look stuff up – at least I didn’t know about the Internet. I was a young man; just old enough to go to the casinos. Maybe brilliance was in the young. 

Did it really matter? Nope. The casino belonged to me. Seven straight losses? Ha!

[Please note: I know exactly what you are thinking now, my friends. Yes, I do. I was playing the famously infamous betting strategy called the Martingale. I didn’t know it then but I soon learned a very important lesson that stayed with me forever more. Many other players have played this system as well and learned the same lesson I was about to learn. Probably most of these players also thought they had invented the strategy.]

I bought in for $640. I knew I would never get to that level but I was arrogant about my genius in discovering such a foolproof way to beat the casinos. I even kind of felt sorry for the Sands. I was about to destroy them. That $640 buy-in made me feel like a super-gambler. The game seemed comforting for me at this time.

Place Your Bets: Friday Evening

I bet red and sat back in my chair. I was sitting right in front of the red/black bets. I just had to slip my chips out there and wait for a win. 

And the win?

It came on my third spin. I had a bet of $40 out there. Winner! Winner! Winner! The first money toward my first million dollars. Scobe’s unbeatable roulette system!

I could visualize the Sands Hotel and Casino as an empty building once I had destroyed it. I felt kind of sorry for the employees that would lose their jobs. Still, management should have seen this technique in action and realized that it would be a disaster for them to allow players to play it.

That night I won $200. That would be 20 wins at even-money. Wow! I went up to my room and slept the sleep of the conqueror. That was Friday night.

I was tired from my long trip from New York and I slept like the opposite of a baby; a deep, wonderful sleep. I never once had to go past four steps in the Scobe roulette process.

Place Your Bets: Saturday Morning and Afternoon

I had a great breakfast and I then headed to the roulette tables. I sat across from my special bets of red/black and I continued my $10 play on red.

The morning was a good morning. I had as my longest losing streak a mere three bets in a row. I had to bet $80 a couple of times. My system worked like a charm. I wondered if the Sands knew it was in the process of being taken for all it was worth? I was ahead that morning/afternoon $80.

My total win so far was $280. Not bad. 

The afternoon saw my longest losing streak of four losses in a row. I had to bet $160 three times over the course of four hours until I broke for a nap. I was tired. But I was prevailing over the casino. That was the key thing. 

Yes, when I had four losses in a row, I will admit I felt a little nervous making the next bet. Could such a losing streak keep going? If I lost $160, the next bet would be for $320. That was a lot of money for me. Still, my system had worked so far. I’d keep going. Come on, my system was unbeatable, wasn’t it?

I was now up $280! 

Place Your Bets: Saturday Evening

The Sands was packed on Saturday night. A weekend in Atlantic City brought out the crowds, as did the shows and superstar performers. I really wasn’t interested in going to a concert. I was there for one purpose and one purpose only – to hammer the Sands.

A necessary aside: You may wonder why I was in Atlantic City that weekend. It is a huge part of my casino playing and writing career. That trip was my first trip to the casinos.

At the time I was co-owner of a theater company in New York and we were doing a revival of the play The Only Game in Town by Frank Gilroy. The play had been a total flop on Broadway but I loved it. What did the critics know?

It was the story of a losing craps player, Joe, who had something of a gambling problem, and Fran, a Las Vegas chorus girl. They fell in love and thus the play proceeds. The ending was a happy ending where Joe tells Fran about one magic night at a craps table. I had no idea of what he was talking about. It was the conclusion of the play and I didn’t know what the heck Joe was talking about.

So off to Atlantic City to learn the game and how the players played it so I could perform it properly.

Fran was played by the actress who would become my wife, the Beautiful AP. Love was in the air in the play and in my life. But I was not in Atlantic City for love. I was there to learn about craps and what my big monologue at the end of the play meant. When the Beautiful AP came to town on Monday we’d check out the craps play at the Claridge Hotel Casino which had a reputation, according to my casino-playing friends, as a great craps casino.

I met the Captain there and my casino-playing life started that weekend despite the disaster that was about to happen at the roulette table.

Out of the Aside: It was now Saturday evening, a crowded casino with packed roulette tables. I had to stand up and reach over those sitting to place my bets. I did not enjoy that but still the lure of money drove me to play.

Things went fine for the first couple of hours. Four was still my longest losing streak. Until…

Five losses in a row; five! My next bet would be for $320. The most I ever bet in my life up to that time, which wasn’t too hard to imagine since I had never played in a casino in my life. Since I had never been in a casino in my life!

How much had I lost in that sequence? Let me add it up:

• $10 plus a minus $20 plus a minus $40 plus a minus $80 plus a minus $160 and if I lost that next bet of $320? Oh, man, I’d be down $640! 

I was now betting $320 to win a mere $10 which was my original bet. If I lost that would I ask the casino to let me bet $640? The maximum bet at that table was $500.

I could actually feel my heart beating in absolute terror. How could I lose so many spins in a row? That wasn’t in my plan. How could this happen?

I didn’t see the sheet of paper on the wall that indicated the table limits were going up to a $25 minimum to $1,000 for the maximum bet. That was happening right now.

I could bet that $640. Should I?

The floor person came over. “Hey,” he said. “You doubling again young man?” 

I looked at him. I looked at the players happily playing roulette. “Yeah, sure,” I said, putting out my huge bet. I hope no one could see my hand shaking.

“You got a winning system there, hey?” he said. “A winning system, right? I’ll be working for you next week.”

“I hope,” I said.

“Well, this spin will tell if you are right,” he said.

“I hope,” I said.

The dealer called out, “No more bets” and shot the ball around the wheel.

“Good luck,” said the floor person and he stepped back somewhat. 

The ball went around and around the wheel and then the dealer called out, “No more bets. No more bets!”

The ball hit a bumper and bounced and then it bounced in and out of various pockets. I was saying to myself, “Red! Red! Red!”

“Thirty-three, black!” and then I heard nothing after that. Just blah, blah, blah coming from the whole casino. I had taken a beating. I had been destroyed. I looked up to see the floor person’s back as he walked away from the table. Maybe he was happy that he wouldn’t become my employee.

It was soon I learned what I had done. I had played one of the oldest systems in the world, the Martingale. Many new casino gamblers played this early in their careers until they learned the lesson I had just learned.

Sometimes learning can be hard on the player. It was for me.

All the best in and out of the casinos!
 

I went to the table with the idea that I would play about 100 hours of roulette in about a month or two. I figured this would make a great article for 888, win or lose. I’d spend many a day at the game and in a month or two I’d get to 100 hours and we’d see what we saw. 

I would bet $50 per decision to make it interesting. This was a high-end casino in the heart of many other high-end casinos. 

The Edge

Now, yes, I am playing a game where the casino has a big edge over me. That edge is 5.26%, a long-term expectation of a loss of $5.26 per $100 wagered. 

I would limit myself to those 100 hours but I couldn’t say how much I’d play each day. Some days might be short; some days might be long. True, some days would be winners (I hoped) and some days would be losers (I hoped not.)

Facing a 5.26% house edge my expectation was to lose $5.26 per $100 wagered. I was certainly an underdog in this experiment.

[Please note: My “expected loss” is a theoretical figure. I could lose more than that. I could lose less than that. I could (maybe) win if luck were on my side. I’d need a lot of luck by the way. But the only thing I had to go on was a general average based on the probability of the game and the amounts I bet and the amount of time I spent playing. Casinos base your comps on your expected loss and they will give you back between 30 and 50% of that “expected loss” in the form of comps.]

Now, that is a heck of a lot of money to bet and a heck amount of money to expect to lose. It is what every casino player can expect when playing the “little wheel” which is what roulette means. 

Indeed, a regular roulette player could spread those 100 hours that I am imagining over months, if not several years, and the “expected” loss would not seem so formidable. Does it seem formidable right now? So-so.

Living Close to Casinos: Good or Bad?

If you have more than enough bankroll to play with impunity any day, afternoon or evening, then you can probably live inside a casino and not worry much about it.

[Please note: Most of us are not in that territory of bankroll. Can I afford $50 per hour? Yes. My wife is thin and does not eat much so I can cut her food rations down by 50%. Of course, would that be fair to her? Not really. But, still, I like to eat more than she does.

Don’t even think this, my readers. I can’t cut my portions of food! My body calls to me as if I’m Jabba the Hutt, “Eat Frank! Eat Frank! Eat more Frank, eat more, for me, for Jabba. Fill my bloated body up totally, my boy.” I can’t starve myself. I must play without any worry whatsoever. Starving to death while I play 100 hours of roulette is not in my wheelhouse. 

What am I to do? What am I to do?

My Lifestyle

I live close to many casinos. Living near casinos is a good and a bad thing. You must have discipline not to, let’s be honest here, go nuts on occasion. That can be a problem for some dedicated casino players. It has not been a problem for me since my first year of playing over three decades ago. I mean, after my first year when I seemed to do everything wrong. Put mildly, I was an idiot way back when.

I can play any day that I want to play. That is great. But I must be mindful of my bankroll, especially playing a game with a high house edge. That’s why I won’t bet more than $50 per decision at roulette. 

I am very mindful of my bankroll, having lost an entire bankroll 33 years ago! Nor do I want a fast roulette game. I like it slow in almost every casino game. If I am with a fast roulette dealer, I will sit out some decisions.

Still, I am not spreading that roulette play out over months and months. A bad streak and I could get clobbered. Playing 100 hours in a short period of time at a game with a 5.26% house edge .. is that really smart? Maybe. Maybe not.

I Have a Thought!

Sometimes casinos have a rule variation for the even-money bets of red/black, high/low, and odd/even. 

[Please note: These are even-money bets because they pay even money, not because they are 50/50 propositions between the player and the casino. The player will win 18 spins of 38 and the casino will win 20 spins of those 38. Losing those two spins on the green 0 and 00 gives the house its 5.26% edge over the player.] 

The green 0 and 00 are losers for the player, but the casino will only take one-half of the even-money bets should either of those two numbers show up. That reduces the house edge to 2.63%. That means a player making even-money bets reduces the house edge in half. This is called “surrender” and now the house has a 2.63% edge. A much, much more reasonable house edge, wouldn’t you say? 

The casino where I would be playing does have surrender. Good luck for me because those even-money bets are the only roulette bets I prefer making.

[Please note: The green zeroes used to be thought of as “casino numbers” because there were times in the distant past when any green hit was a loser and the other numbers paid their fair share. Over time, the green numbers became betting choices and lost the appellation of “casino numbers.”]

The American Roulette Game

The roulette game with the two green zeroes (0, 00) has a 5.26% house edge except when the even-money bets have surrender as already discussed. The two-green zero game is called American roulette. 

There is another version that is called the European or French game. That game has only one green (maybe blue) zero (0). The house edge is 2.70%. If they give back half the bet on the even-money bets (called en prison in this game), the house edge goes down in half to 1.35% – one of the lowest and best bets in the casino.

Exactly, how does the casino establish its edge on the individual numbers, as opposed to the even-money bets? Easily!

In the American roulette wheel, there are 38 numbers; 1 through 36 and the 0 and 00. Your chance of hitting a single number is one in 38. A true payout for hitting that number would be 37 to 1. The casino would not be able to make any money over time on such a game as it would have no edge over the player. The casino can’t do that and survive. (Look, we players want the casinos not to go out of business.)

The casino therefore pays back 35-to-1 on a direct hit. Yes, it has reduced the payout by two units establishing its edge at 5.26%. Shorting payouts is one way that casinos establish an edge over the players. You’ll find this at craps too.

All the various bets at roulette, those combinations often given French names to make them sound sophisticated when read in a book or article, basically do the exact same thing. The payoff subtracts what would have been winning units in a fair game between player and casino. The edge is always 5.26% on all other bets except one truly lousy bet – the Monster. That bet is a combination of 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3. The edge? Almost 8%!

My Personal Roulette Game

This is the game I will be playing, American roulette. I’ll make even-money bets (I’ll choose red or black) at $50 per decision. With surrender, I can cut all of my expected losses in half! Not bad, right?

Okay, lets now go back over the expected losses, only this time using the 2.63% house edge. I figure I’ll play somewhere between 40 and 50 hands per hour. I’ll count the hands and not go over 50 per hour. 

Okay, we aren’t in a horrible situation now, are we? Not really, no, not really.

Truth Be Told

I am having a crisis of conscience at this very minute. Do I really want to bet $50 per decision at roulette in a 100-hour maxi-session? That’s less than a month of playing a game with a high house edge. That’s playing roulette every single day! Four hours (less or more) a day at only one game? One with a somewhat strong house edge?

I don’t know about this any more. It isn’t exactly the money or the time.

I have often played 130 days a year in Vegas and Atlantic City (and other states) over my 34 years of casino play but my games were spread out. And they were played to play the games, not to write a specific article. I’ve never played for comps (although they come) or to impress anyone, be it casinos or fellow and sister players.

Now, what am I doing?  Why am I doing this?

I’ve never played roulette every day for four hours for almost a month. The cost of $50 a decision is not frightening if it were taking place over the course of six months or a year. That game would be sprinkled in with other games too; such games as blackjack and craps and Pai Gow Poker and traditional baccarat and some others along with those. 

The Real REAL Truth Be Told

Get ready to handle the real truth about this article. I only want to play the games for myself. That should be your attitude too. That’s the lesson here. Certainly, it is the lesson for me.

This is really becoming a money-management article. There is no way I am going to force myself to play 100 hours in less than a month at $50 a decision at roulette or any other game just to write an article. 

I play to play. I write to write. 

I am a writer first and a casino player second. Yes, I write about events and people in my life in books, articles, television shows, and plays. A lot of it is about casino playing. That’s a big part of my life. 

I get my gaming ideas from play (mostly from playing) but I don’t play to get ideas. The ideas come as my casino-playing continues. I play to play. 

For this piece, I started at $50 per decision. Went through what it might cost me. Then I “realized” I could reduce the hit on my bankroll by using “surrender.” A 2.63% house edge is not outrageous.

I think what I did is what many casino players should do; they think about costs and betting levels before they decide to play whatever games they want to play for however much money they decide to play at those games. I had an added ingredient here too; I didn’t want to play specifically to write an article. I don’t think I would be my real self playing that way. That has been true of me for all the decades I’ve been a player.

The joy I get from playing is the actual playing, nothing else. 

So, where are we? You can go for some hours of roulette play because you would be playing for yourself. That is fine with me because that is what I want to do. Play to play and nothing else matters (other than your money of course).

So much for my experiment.

All the best in and out of the casinos!
 

Nearly every video poker pundit insists that players bet the maximum credits to activate what is called the royal flush bonus.

Most video poker pay tables pay 250-for-1 for a royal flush when one to four credits are bet. But they pay 800-for-1 when the maximum of five credits is bet.

This is a significant increase that gives the player an additional return of more than 1% overall. Is there a legitimate case for betting less than the maximum credits?

This article explores this question in more detail.

Contents

1. Why would anyone consider betting less than the maximum bet?

Most video poker experts would never consider betting less than the maximum. The return is simply too little. 

What about the low rollers? The maximum bet is generally five times the single unit bet, for example, $1.25 rather then 25-cents for a quarter game, five dollars instead of one dollar for a dollar game.

2. Bet size and bankroll requirements

A general rule of thumb for long-term video poker bankroll requirements is three to four times the size of a royal flush. Generally, a royal flush pays 4,000-for-5.

• On a 25-cent game a royal flush pays $1,000 for a $1.25 bet.
• On a dollar game a royal flush pays $4,000 for a $5 bet.

A bankroll of three to four times a royal flush is:

• $3,000 to $4,000 for a 25-cent game
• $12,000 to $16,000 for a dollar game

Fortunately, long-term bankroll requirements are less important for infrequent, casual players. Having enough for the trip is important. 

For more information on long-term, trip, and session bankroll requirements, please go here: Video Poker Bankroll Requirements (888casino.com).

Low rollers may not have enough to play max-credit 25-cent video poker for very long. Many casinos do have lower denominations such as nickel or penny games. These games tend to have lower returns, however. They can be from 2-5% lower.

Are the returns from lower denomination games worth the switch? Let’s take a look.

3. Returns: 25-cent one-credit versus five-credit

Here are the returns and variances of 9/6 (full-pay) and 8/5 jacks or better games.

• Jacks or better – 9/6
  • Max-credit – 800-for-1 royal flush: return – 99.54%, house edge – 0.46%, variance – 19.51
  • Single-credit – 250-for-1 royal flush: return – 98.37%, house edge – 1.63%, variance – 4.33
     
• Jacks or better – 8/5
  • Max-credit – 800-for-1 royal flush: return 97.29%, house edge – 2.71%, variance – 19.32
  • Single-credit – 250-for-1 royal flush: return – 96.06%, house edge – 3.94%, variance – 4.66

The return from single-credit is around 1.25% less than max-credit for both pay tables. 
 
Variance is also considerably less. This is because there is no jackpot-sized winner when there is no royal flush bonus. It pays the same as any other straight flush.

Here are some examples.

Assume our casual, low roller video poker player spends four hours playing. Assume a slow rate of play – around 200 hands per hour. That is three-and-a-third hands per minute or one hand every 18 seconds.

At $1.25 per hand, 200 hands played amounts to $250 through the machine every hour – four hours = $1,000.

At 25-cents per hand, 200 hands played amounts to $50 through the machine every hour – four hours = $200.

To figure the average loss, multiply the dollars played by the house edge,

Jacks or better – 9/6

• Max-credit – $1,000 times 0.46% equals $4.60.
• Single-credit – $200 times 1.63% equals $3.26.

Jacks or better – 8/5

• Max-credit – $1,000 times 2.71% equals $27.10.
• Single-credit – $200 times 3.94% equals $7.88.

If you are lucky enough to find a full-pay 9/6 jacks or better game, the average loss is not that different playing $1.25 per hand versus 25-cents per hand – $4.60 versus $3.26. 

On an 8/5 jacks or better game, the difference is dramatic – $27.10 versus $7.88.

It is also important to remember that the variance is considerably higher when playing max-credits. This means bankroll swings will be more dramatic.

Note: Returns and variances for other games and pay tables will vary somewhat.

4. Playing Strategy

Since the only difference when betting one credit versus five credits is the pay for a royal flush, hands favoring a royal flush will rank lower when playing less than max credits. 

There are only a few changes in the strategy necessary to account for this.

For example, holding four cards of a royal flush outranks a flush hold and three cards of a royal flush outranks four cards of a flush playing max-credits in both 9/6 and 8/5 jacks or better. They are reversed when betting less than max-credits.

The lower returns of both nickel or penny video poker is caused by reduced pays on more than one other paying hand. This requires more changes in strategy to get the maximum possible return from the very low denomination games. 

5. Summary

The decision to play single-credit quarter video poker or very low denomination nickel and penny games is not simple. There is more to consider than just the bet size. 

• Return for the one-credit game versus that of the nickel or penny game.
• Number of credits required to trigger the royal flush bonus.
• Variance of the game impacts bankroll requirements.
• Playing strategy – changes required for a one-credit versus max-credit bet are minimal. That may not be the case with nickel and penny games where multiple hands are affected.

Whether the low-roller plays single-credit quarter or max-credit lower denomination games, the return is reduced. 

The bottom line: each video poker player must decide whether the reduced bet is worth the lower return. It is their money at risk. Is their enjoyment of the game worth the cost?

I cannot answer that question.
 

To a much larger extent than most casino games, blackjack involves large doses of skill. Players striving to cut the house edge to the bone or beyond focus on when to hit, stand, split or double down, and rightfully so.

Away from the strategy side, there is basic information every player should know. How does the house get an edge on the game? Are odds in online casinos the same as offline? Can you, as a player, change the odds? Let's tackle those basics and a few more.

Why Does the House Have an Edge in Blackjack?

After all, players and the dealer get cards from the same deck and players have more options than dealers do. It can't be that dealer strategy creates the edge. Players can use the same strategy if they like.

The house edge in blackjack comes from one simple fact: players can bust and lose before the dealer even plays his hand.

If you played the same strategy as the dealer, you would bust about 28% of the time and so would the dealer. You and the dealer would bust on the same hand about 8% of the time – 28% of 28%.

When either you or the dealer made a standing hand of 17 or better, you would win 46% of decisions and the dealer also would win 46%. But on the 8% of hands both you and the dealer busted, you’d lose.

Overall, the dealer would win 54% of hands and you’d win 46%, an 8% house edge that would be much too high to overcome. Hardly anyone would play.

However, you don’t have to make the same plays as the dealer. You can double down. You can split pairs. And you get paid extra on two-card 21s. All those factors help cut the house edge from that 8% starting point.

A  player who learns basic strategy can narrow the house edge to less than 1% – about 0.62% in a six-deck game in which the dealer hits soft 17, pays 3-2 on blackjacks, you can double down on any first two cards, and split Aces only once but other pairs up to three hands.

That’s a long trip below 8%, but all those wrinkles are necessary with the house having such a powerful edge from the start.

Do the Odds Differ Online vs. Live Games? 

If all rules are the same, the odds and house edge are the same online as in live casinos. 

In the six-deck game mentioned above, the 0.62% house edge in live games also is 0.62% online. If the dealer stands instead of hits soft 17, the edge is 0.4%, regardless of whether the game is live or online.

The biggest difference in online vs. live play is that most online games use a fresh shuffle for every hand. That can be done instantly online. In such games, card counting does not work. 

The tradeoff is that instantaneous results and payoffs mean online games can offer more side bets and options without slowing down the game.

Do Video Blackjack Machines in Live Casinos Have the Same Odds as Online Games? 

Like most online games, video blackjack uses a random number generator to deal the cards. But you have to be really careful in checking the rules before you play.

It's common for video blackjack games in live casinos to tell you, "Blackjacks pay 2-for-1."

Sometimes players don't immediately understand the implication – a 2-for-1 payoff is the same as even money, or 1-to-1.

If you bet $10 at a live or online game that pays 3-2 on blackjacks, your payoff when you're dealt a two-card 21 is $15, plus you keep your original wager. Your profit is $15.

On a machine that pays 2-for-1, your $10 is immediately deducted from your credit meter. When you get a blackjack, twice that, or $20, is added onto the meter. Your profit is only $10. 

With 2-for-1 payoffs, blackjacks pay the same as any other winning hand. The lack of a bigger pay on blackjacks increases the house edge by 2.27%.

Are Blackjack Odds Always the Same, or Can You Change Them? 

Blackjack odds change with your playing strategy. House edges such as the 0.62% on the six-deck game listed earlier in this article assume the player is using basic strategy. If the player varies from basic strategy, the house edge rises.

One of the first moves any player getting serious about blackjack should make is to learn basic strategy. A major plus for online play is that you can have a basic strategy chart open while you play. Whether you have a paper chart next to you and your computer or have the chart online on a separate tab, you can refer to it to your heart's content.

In live games that don't use continuous shuffling machines, it's also possible to change the odds by counting cards. Card counters make bigger bets when the composition of the remaining deck favors them and smaller bets when the composition favors the house.

When is that? When there is a higher than usual concentration of high cards remaining to be played, that favors players. Under those conditions, more blackjacks are dealt and that favors players. Conversely, a high concentration of low cards brings fewer blackjacks and favors the house.

Does Playing More Than One Hand at a Time Help or Hurt? 

If it means you're betting more money, playing more hands increases your exposure to the house edge. That means losses increase just because you have more at risk.

The situation is the opposite for skilled card counters in live games. If they have the edge over the house, then getting more money on the table increases average profits.

In some cases, players can make small gains by playing more hands if they use composition-dependent strategies or if they're counting cards and recognize close-call hands. Seeing extra cards can make a difference in strategy on close-call hands such as hard 16 against a dealer's 10 or hard 12 against a dealer's 4.

Does it Make a Difference if You Play Alone With the Dealer Instead of With More Players?

In live games, playing head to head with the dealer yields a much faster game with more hands per hour than games with multiple players.

Online, in common games dealt by a random number generator, the issue is eliminated. You always get a fast game and you have to be prepared for that. You don't have to play any faster than you want to. You can take your time and ponder your plays. But the virtual dealer is always ready for the next hand.

Speed of play varies by dealer. Some push the card out faster than others. But at wizardofodds.com, Michael Shackelford lists average hands per hour at live tables at 209 with one player at the table; 139 with two; 105 with three; 84 with four; 70 with five; 60 with six; and 52 at a full seven-player table.

That means if you risk $10 per hand at a full table, you're betting $520 per hour, but if you're head to head with the dealer, you bet $2,090.

Go into a session with eyes open, mind alert, and let your bankroll be your guide.