Creativity, artistry, math and science come together in designing slots. Manufacturers come together every autumn at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas to show off their latest brainchildren.

Games are designed to shout "Play me!" at players and "Buy me!" to casino operators. There's intense competition to carve out floor space in live casinos and display prominence in online casinos.

Most of the hundreds of new games shown at G2E will make their first appearance in live casinos, though in recent years there has been a growing focus on catering to online providers.

Let's look at a few of the latest and greatest you'll be seeing first in live casinos in the coming months.

Dracula (Light and Wonder)

There's eerie excitement in classic horror movies, and Light and Wonder is there for the chills and thrills with its Classic Monster series of slot machines. Frankenstein was a big hit a couple of years ago, and now Dracula is back from the undead.

Featuring the image of Bela Lugosi, the star of the 1931 "Dracula" movie and then a mainstay in horror films until his death in 1956, L&W's Dracula slot evokes the film atmosphere with symbol such as hearts and coffins, sound effects including thunder and Lugosi intoning, "I am Dracula!" and video including animation of Lugosi flamboyantly waving his cape to start a free spins round.

The base game has five video reels and is available with either five, 15 or 30-payline versions. The five-payline  configuration is designed for high-denomination games such as $1 and $2 slots, with penny players will see 30 lines and those in the middle, such as 5- and 10-cent games, are likely to see the 15-line version.

Dracula features five progressive jackpots, with a wide-area pot at the top. That means multiple  casinos feed into the top jackpot and a player at any participating casino can with a huge prize. In demo versions, the top jackpot started at $400,000.

That top jackpot is rare, but just above the five video reels is a prize wheel, and that's where some of the biggest wins will come. When a heart lands on the first reel of the base game, players will be hoping Count Dracula's face will appear on the other reels. Coupled with the heart, each Dracula symbol gives you one spin of the prize wheel. 

The wheel is marked into segments with credit awards, power-ups and four progressives. If your spin lands on a power up, it increases the credit awards on the other segments. The more Draculas, the better, because not only do you have more chances to accumulate bonus credits, the power ups and increased awards apply to all subsequent spins until the round ends.

It's even better if you launch the bonus wheel during free spins. Then the power ups remain active once a wheel round ends. If you get to the bonus wheel on another free spin, you're working with higher free spins from the start.

It's a fun take on what can be done with wheel spins. Dracula could be in line to follow Frankenstein as a monster hit.

Wheel of Fortune Cash Link (International Game Technology)

Wheel of Fortune has been an important part of the IGT slot empire since 1996. That's when IGT debuted its first three-reel slot based Wheel of Fortune, complete with sounds and graphics based on the ever-popular TV game show.

Nearly all slot players have at least heard a recorded crowd chant "Wheel! Of! Fortune!!!" before the click of a spinning wheel. 

At G2E 2024, IGT proudly displayed eight new Wheel of Fortune games. It even moved to extend the brand into video poker with Wheel of Fortune Poker, in which winning hands on the initial deal bring letters toward solving a word puzzle for bonus credits.

Wheel of Fortune Cash Link  is a showpiece game. In live casinos, it'll make its debut on the Wheel of Fortune Trio cabinet, which features three slot machines under a giant wheel display that extends the width of the three games.

The game extends the Cash Link Line. In the base game, a five-reel video slot, coins showing credit values will sometimes appear on the first four reels. Those are valuable if a treasure chest symbol lands on the fifth reel. When that happens, you collect the credit values of all coins on the screen.

There are a couple of bonus event. One is called Big Money. If one of the coins that lands on the screen is a special Big Money coin, it gives you a chance to activate the Big Money bonus. The Big Money symbol then is duplicated on all other coins on the screen, a treasure chest falls into place and you collect the big bucks.

One bonus that will be familiar to slot players happens whenever a segmented wheel symbol lands on the screen. Then Vanna White strolls onto the screen and you get a spin of the prize wheel. There are five pointers for the wheel. Depending on the size of your bet, you can get anywhere from one pointer to all five. The wheel spins, and you get the prizes indicated by your pointers. Most are credit awards, but some segments are multipliers to increase your winnings, and with others you can win one of the three progressive jackpots.

Wheel of Fortune Cash Link has a familiar feel, but still packs plenty of excitement for slot players.

Powerball Power Play (Everi)

Hold-and-respin bonuses have become player favorites and casino staples in recent years. Everi puts a twist on the format with Powerball Power Play, with roots in the iconic lottery game.

It's a five-reel, 20-line video slot with luxury-item symbols such as new cars, diamond rings, jet planes and cruise ships – the kinds of things that might attract a Powerball winner to spend newfound riches.

As with most hold-and-respin games, the bonus event is launched when you land six orbs on the screen. Here, the orbs are designed to look like lottery balls. Balls on the first four reels are white with a credit amount in black. On the fifth reel, the balls are red. Those are the Powerballs.

You keep spinning until you go three spins in a row without collecting another ball. If you're lucky enough to land three red balls in the fifth column, you unlock another screen of reels above the first. And if you unlock the second screen and land three Powerballs, you unlock a third screen.

There's no guarantee of unlocking the extra bonuses. but when you do, the potential is there for three times the fun and credits.

Bingo Frenzy Stampede (Konami Gaming)

Konami also puts a new twist on hold-and-respin bonuses with Bingo Frenzy Stampede, available in two themes – Tiger and Shark. This time, the bonus symbols are bingo balls and there's an animated bingo dauber character to add hype through the game.

The base game is a five-reel video slot with each reel three symbols deep. At first, the yellow bingo balls are not emblazoned with credit amounts. They just say "BONUS." But when you land six on the screen, they transform to display credits, progressive jackpots or multipliers, and the fun begins.

Not only do you start a collection bonus, you get extra space and more opportunities for balls to drop in. The reel set grows to a 5x5 grid instead of the standard 5x3, so there are 25 spaces instead of 15. 

When five balls fill any row, you can cry "Bingo!" The row collapses to the center. All the awards on the row are added to the center ball and the other four spaces are left blank free for more balls to fill in. With a lot of luck and cleared spaces, the bonus event can go on and on.

If you fill rows 15 times, you win the top progressive level, the Grand jackpot. There are four other jackpots – Mini, Minor, Major and Mega. Any one of them could appear on a bingo ball as the bonus event progresses.

Bingo Frenzy Stampede also includes a free spins bonus that differs according to game theme. In Bingo Frenzy Stampede Shark!, three scatter symbols launch free spins with low-paying symbols removed. Only the high-paying ocean life symbols remain. You can re-launch free spins during the round. It takes only two scatters on any free spin to add more spins.

In Bingo Frenzy Stampede Tiger, three lotus symbols launch the free spins. On each freebie, some symbols are hidden. When revealed, the might show all wild tiger symbols. They're potential big winner if they line up on paylines.

If not tigers, then the hidden symbols are bonus symbols, enhancing your chance of getting to the frenzy during the free spins. Free spins are always fun, but in Bingo Frenzy Stampede, that frenzy is really the round that can make your day.

Gamblers playing casino games at an advantage love to camp out at the tables. They slowly make their money, hand by hand, as they deploy winning strategies that have them operating with an edge at games like blackjack, three card poker and even slot machines.

Unfortunately for them, casino bosses do not share their enthusiasm. 

In fact, casino bosses want nothing to do with advantage players and aim to get them out of their casinos as quickly as possible. Techniques for that range from gentle backoffs – a player being told, “Your action is a little strong for us; you can play any game in the casino, but you can’t play blackjack” – to the rigid 86ing: Come back again, even for a soda, and the police will be called.

Counting Cards

During a few years of serious card counting, I endured my share of backoffs and I came to understand why those in the game go to elaborate lengths to prevent such events from happening. 

To that end, I enjoyed dropping into Las Vegas on a Friday night, getting a few hours of sleep and hitting the casino with a cigar in my mouth and the demeanor of a hard partying drunk in late-night/early-morning mode.

In fact, I was well rested and trying to seem as if I had been going at it all night. Pit bosses were generally happy to see a player in that condition and I figure that it routinely bought me some time.

But that’s mild in comparison subterfuge deployed by others. One of my favorite APs in disguise stories comes from John Chang. A founding member of the famous MIT blackjack team, he inspired Kevin Spacey’s character in the movie 21. But he didn’t have to become  Hollywood famous to be casino notorious.

Chang had his share of gambits – including pretending to be the deep-pocketed nephew of a Chinese computer mogul – but the most outrageous one came when the heat on him turned so intense that desperate measures were required.

At one point, it became clear that dressing as a female would be the best way for Chang to be able to play without getting thrown off the blackjack table.

“Cross dressing worked in the Bahamas and Illinois,” Chang told me when I interviewed him for the now defunct Men’s Vogue. Admitting that a baby face did not hurt him in pulling off the gambit, he added that in at least one casino, something gave him away. “At Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, they were looking at my hands. An Asian host came over and whispered in my ear, ‘We know who you are.’”

Security loomed. When Chang rose to leave, a guard said, “Lose the pearls, Esmerelda.”

As Chang remembers it, “I had to run around the casino in high heels and make sure they weren’t following me.”

Wonders of Wheelchair

A fellow blackjack advantage player, who had the well-earned nickname of Wheelchair, could not be chased around the casino because he gave the appearance of being unable to walk.

Though he was perfectly mobile, the man rolled around in a wheelchair, pulled up to blackjack games and made it so that he was nose level with the table’s rim. That afforded him a perfect vantage point for hole carding – that is, seeing the bottom cards of sloppy dealers. 

Because he did not appear to be slouching, abetted by the fact that casinos would be  loath to insult a handicapped person, he managed a double whammy: Perfect hole carding position and an act that all but guaranteed he would not be backed off from the game.

Team Duynamics

A woman I know who played on one of the most notorious blackjack teams in the country during the early 2000s used her youthful face, tiny backpack and slender physique to look like a trippy rave kid who was gambling away her wealthy father’s fortune.

Taking casino costuming to the next level was a blackjack contingent known as the Church Team and famous for elaborate disguises. One player had get-ups that ranged from that of an Indian businessman (complete with a turban and a suit) to a rapping gangsta to a makeup wearing goth.

Another member of the team employed a quick change to extend his play. In a single night, he looked a little rough with a scruffy beard and the demeanor to match. Then, after getting booted from every casino in Tunica, Mississippi, he shaved the beard, put on a suit and tie, and returned as a completely different person. It worked!

In Atlantic City, he told me, “I played the persona of an aggressive Russian guy. I’d point at the pit boss and tell him to get me water.”

    James Grosjean, one of the most prolific and most inventive players out there, had a costume that convincingly turned him from computer nerd to gnarly biker – complete with a sleeve of tattoos. Kelly Sun, who pulled off a multi-million-dollar baccarat play, was known to hire professional makeup artists to tweak her appearance.

But sometimes, the disguises don’t need to be so elaborate if you have the skills to match the subterfuge. I remember hearing about a super sharp blackjack player who would situate himself within eye shot of a targeted table, calmly read the day’s newspaper and sip coffee. He resembled a reluctant gambler looking to keep up on current events. 

But he was actually card counting from a distance, discreetly looking up from a corner of the paper. As soon as the count turned favorable, he’d fold up his reading material, leave behind the java and buy into the blackjack game, thus playing only when he had an edge and thwarting the casino’s likelihood of picking him off as an advantage player.

Crafty Costume

Back when I interviewed John Chang for Men’s Vogue, the magazine was eager to photograph him for the article. I figured that maybe he’d be shot in shadow, but he had an idea that would pay off for him.

Chang requested that the magazine load him up with pricy fake facial hair – a fu manchu, a van dyke, a dramatic mustache – that he would get to keep after using the array to hide his identity in the photos.

The editors agreed and he got his hairy camouflage that no doubt faked out casino bosses. Crafty advantage players always find a way to win. 

It is an annual custom. People make resolutions on New Year’s Eve to improve their lives in some (usually) meaningful way. While most resolutions deal with fixing things in a person’s daily life, other areas should not be disregarded.

For many people reading this, resolutions concerning gambling style could very well top the list. Presented below are several suggestions for New Year’s resolutions that are appropriate and meaningful for video poker players.

Many of these resolutions will also apply to other types of casino gambling in general. Let's take a look.

Contents

1. Have a Plan
2. Preparing for the Trip
3. Steps to Take While at the Casino
4. Actions to Take After Play
5. Summary

Have a Plan

Most video poker players I know are woefully lacking in this area. The only plan they have is to arrive at the casino, play all that they can while hoping to hit a royal flush or other jackpot, and then go home. They are usually disappointed. Resolve to make a plan – not just some vague ideas, but a comprehensive plan.

A proper plan for video poker play involves making a list of steps that, when followed, will improve the chances for success. This list includes preparing for the trip, steps to take while at the casino, and actions to take after play. 

Preparing for the Trip

For any plan to succeed, there must be thought given to how the plan should proceed. That is what a plan is. Video poker players need knowledge to be successful in the casino.

This includes knowledge of several different aspects of video poker play.

• Game or games to play. Different video poker games have different characteristics. The two most important characteristics are return and variance. Games with low variance have few “jackpot-sized” winners – usually only the royal flush. High variance games have several jackpot-sized winning hands. The cost for these extra winning hands is the reduced pays for lower-paying hands. Lower variance means the player’s bankroll does not vary as much as it does in higher variance games. Resolve to pick the type of game that suits your style of play.
• Pay tables affect return so it is important to know which pay tables have the highest return – and if that return is adequate. If it is too low, the player’s bankroll can be quickly eliminated.
• Which games and pay tables are available at the desired casino. Knowing information about games and pay tables means nothing if they are not available at the casino.
• Know the strategy for maximum return. Once a player settles on a game and pay table that is available, the proper video poker strategy must be played to get the maximum return. This takes work. The proper strategy must be found online or from an app and the strategy must be learned. This takes time and practice – but it reaps rewards. Resolve to take the time and effort to learn the proper strategy.
• No plan for casino play would be complete without a financial plan. The funds for casino play must be truly discretionary. They must not be needed for any other purpose. Resolve to make plans for trip, daily, and session bankrolls before heading for the casino.

Steps to Take While At the Casino

Preparing for a trip to the casino is important. Executing the plan while in the casino is crucial. Those who follow their resolutions and develop a good plan, very often fail resolutions for keeping to the plan once they arrive at the casino. Major points of casino play resolutions include the following.

Many video poker players arrive at the casino and immediately plop down at a machine and begin to play. They do not that they may not be at their best. Resolve to take time to get acclimated to the casino atmosphere before diving into action.

Stick to your normal schedule while at home. As much as possible, resolve that meal times, bedtime, and wake up times mimic those at home. Keeping a normal rhythm helps keep the mind clear. There are enough distractions in the casino without adding to them with an unfamiliar schedule.

Resolve to practice good money management. Bring only the amount determined in the plans made at home to each playing session. When it is gone, the session is over. Do something else, whether it is an activity or resting. Make sure you get away from the casino environment between sessions.

An occasional alcoholic beverage can be relaxing, but can also quickly lead to more. Alcohol consumption dulls the senses causing strategy mistakes and loss of discipline. Resolve to keep drinking while playing at a minimum.

Resolve to cash out when winnings reach a certain point and set aside those winnings as trip profit. Do not use them further play. For example, $20 is originally fed into the game. After a period of play, the meter is at $65. Consider cashing out when the meter hits $80 or $60. This is to be taken home as profit. Continue playing the rest of the session bankroll, but do not touch the amount cashed out.  

Resolve to stop playing immediately if mistakes are being made, if you become tired, or unable to concentrate. Even if there is plenty of session bankroll remaining, continuing play will put that at risk. Take a break from the casino. Walk around outside or take a rest somewhere. Return and continue the session when alert and in control once again.

Actions to Take After Play

Here are some good resolutions for after a session is completed.

• Put any session money left after play in a special spot to be taken home. This money should not be used to finance further play at the casino this trip.
• Resolve to make notes about each session when it is completed. Write down things that went well and, more importantly, things that did not. Make the notes while the session is fresh in mind. These notes can be very helpful in determining ways to improve in future play.

Summary 

It is a sad fact that most New Year’s resolutions last a very short time. They are easily forgotten and people slip into their former bad habits. 

Make a detailed written plan covering preparation for a casino trip, what to do while on the trip (both in and out of the casino), and finally, follow-up actions to be taken after play. 

Resolve to faithfully follow your video poker resolutions. The above suggestions, if faithfully kept will allow video poker players to have fun while also protecting them from ruin.

Remember, it may not be true for all video poker players, but for me, winning is the most fun.

Many athletes know about this phenomenon. It’s called “flop sweat” and it occurs when you are down and out and feeling oh so miserable, usually because of what just happened to you in a game or some form of intense competition.

It could be a loss that causes it – maybe a strikeout or a fumble or something that makes your team lose the game. In a final game in the New York City high school league championships, I kicked the ball out of bounds with 10 seconds to go in the game and we lost – by one point; a point scored after I kicked the ball out of bounds.

That was our first and only loss of the season. Flop sweat started to cover me from foot to head. It was an eerie feeling. I was getting colder and colder.

Until that moment I was playing brilliantly, really, I was. I had the flop sweat after that game and it even came home with me.

I also had the flop sweat one other time, the time when I went the whole route with a Martingale method of casino betting (doubling my bets after every loss), trying to beat the house (a very dangerous playing method I found out) and I wound up losing in a devastating way. Devastating.

Flop sweat doesn’t make you cool off when you are warm. Not at all. It is a cool sweat, yes, but it seems to be coming from somewhere else other than your body and it has no bodily particulars. It seems to be surreal. It comes all over you at once. I don’t even know if it is sweat at all.

Handling Casino Losses

I think some (or maybe many) casino players have felt the flop sweat after their play (or during it) because many have gone down the route that creates the condition. That route is, as I experienced it, a losing session of monumental proportions. A losing session that is unexpected and just seems to come out of nowhere. It lands in your lap and covers you with a cold sweat that doesn’t actually cool you off. Flop sweat it is.

A large part of casino gambling is the ability to handle defeat with some grace. After all, you are playing against the house edge at every game and you should realize this. You will lose, maybe today, tonight, tomorrow, maybe this whole week and on and on.

Really bad defeats are inevitable for most players, especially those players who enjoy long sessions at the machines or the tables. And also those players who simply go to the casinos a lot.

It’s in the cards, the dice, and the Random Number Generators (RNG) at the slot machines. You can’t escape the house edge unless you become an advantage player and those players are so very rare indeed.

Flop sweats do not appear when you are winning – that sweat is just regular, normal “happy” salty sweat. If you are only losing a little I doubt you’ll have a flop sweat experience.

Flop sweat can make a player take a long or short or some kind of pause in his or her gambling routine. It did me. 

I dumped the Martingale betting method and took a short time off from casino playing after my flop sweat experience. Actually, I debated whether to ever play again but obviously I did play again and have done so close to 40 years!

Still, I only had one session of flop sweat – and one was more than enough for me to learn my lesson.

(Please note. I don’t know about players who are drunk if they experience flop sweats. Being anesthetized might not allow the flop sweat to appear. Maybe someone has done a study of this.)

Some Ways to Initiate a Flop Sweat

Let’s take a look at the games you play and how you play them and see how close to a flop sweat you might be at any given time.

Blackjack

Blackjack is a truly dynamic game. Every decision you make on how to play your hands matters. Every decision the other players make determines things for them – and for you too. Cards tell the whole story in this game. 

In a six-deck game if all the aces (that would be 24 of them) came out in the first few rounds, well, no blackjacks will happen after that until after the shuffle.

When you are hitting your hands – you can bust or draw a good card or draw a card that doesn’t help you very much. The game generally goes in and out for most players. They win some, they lose a little more, you have a decent session or you don’t or it is a wash.

Players will win about 44% of the time, lose approximately 48% of the time and tie approximately 8% of the time. 

So, how can the game be so close between the player and the house with that above spread? 

Some hands are premium hands and pay back more than even money. A blackjack will pay 3 to 2 (or in some games it will pay the icky 6 to 5). Players can double down on some hands by putting up more money – these are largely favorable situations for the players because they will win more or lose less on the hands on which they are doubling. 

Players can split pairs and in some games double down after splitting.  

The whole casino-playing world is in some kind of recognizable order when you play blackjack because players generally have a feeling that what they do counts. 

You have a fun time; you win a little or lose a little, and then you go home and live your life feeling safe to go back to the casino after a short interval. 

If you play basic strategy – the computer-designed strategy for playing all your hands against the dealer’s face-up card, then you face about a half-percent house edge. That’s a supremely close game. You’ll rarely find any games in the casino that can match blackjack’s house edge against the basic strategy player.

Sadly, many players do not play basic strategy properly and some so-called casino “experts” decry it as being a false option and caution players against it. More fool them and their followers. They are helping the casinos make more money from the players.

So, what kind of situations are more likely to bring out the rare flop sweat in blackjack players?

Let us say that you play perfect basic strategy. You make all the right decisions and suddenly nothing works. I mean nothing at all. 

• You get a blackjack and the dealer gets a blackjack – a few times during the session.
• You double down in the right situations and the dealer keeps drawing winning hands. 
• You split pairs, you double after splits, and you lose a bunch of a bunch of hands that you felt you should have won.
• All the bad hands become busts when you make all the correct plays.

Now you decide to go for it. How long can a bad streak last? You ask yourself. (This is the start of the self-conning stage.) You double up the amount you are betting and continue to see your money flying into the casino’s vault.

Do you stop and take a break? 

Nope. 

You think, let’s go to two hands with those twice as large bets. Why not? My luck has to turn around soon, right? I mean come on really.

Yikes! The casino trashes you. Can’t you win a hand here and there? No siree. You're betting the most you ever bet and now you are playing two hands perfectly and you are getting trounced! Clobbered. 

You are running out of money. Okay, let’s really go for it, folks, right now! Take all the money you’ve brought with which to play and let her rip!

And you are slaughtered. Ruined. Broke. You can’t play anymore because you have lost your whole session stake just like that!

And the flop sweat can now be felt all over your body. It signals the lowest point you’ve ever been in a casino playing perfect basic strategy at blackjack. 

How could this session possibly happen? Really, how could it? How could every decision seem to be wrong?

You go to your room and think about how you are sweating because you are hot but you feel the cool wave of the flop sweat all over your body.

Weird. How could such a thing be possible? Yet it is. Hopefully, you are able to hit the bed and fall asleep. Hopefully.

Slots: The Former One-Armed Bandits

Slot machines used to be simple mechanical devices. Now they are computer marvels, allowing players to often wager 100 bets at once! Chew on that for a moment.

They have shiny lights of all colors; fun and fascinating sound effects. You can play movie-style slots, television show slots, world events slots, historical slots (imagine playing a slot machine titled the Titanic!). 

They bring in most of the money the casino makes from its players and have for almost half a century. Slots rule the casinos and have ever since 1984. 

Slots players are a guaranteed huge win for the house because the machines can actually take 10 or more percent from the players! Amazing. Machines that pay out the most money – you know those multi-million-dollar progressives – are the cheapest. They often keep around 17 percent of all the money played in them. 

If you are playing a multi-game machine then you are asking for trouble – the returns are killers. Many slot players get really, really close to flop sweats when they play such machines even though the machines don’t really allow you to make decisions that actually count. They are strictly random devices programmed to knock the players senseless. And they often do.

So, how does a player get into the flop sweat situation on slots? Here’s one way of many ways.

The machine the player chooses to play can have certain features that make it abominable. One such feature is the “hit” without actually winning money or earning anything other than frustration. 

The player presses the credit button and the reels do whatever they do and suddenly you hear that you have hit! Hooray! Oh, wait, the machine only returns a couple of credits to you, nowhere near what you just wagered. You had a hit, yes, but a losing hit anyway.

These ghost-hit machines can rattle a player’s nerves.  You think you’ve won something when in fact you haven’t. Slot players have been trained to accept long losing streaks but even they can get antsy and move from machine to machine looking for one that actually hits winners.

After hours chasing the glory of winning something or other, the slot player must decide: quit play or just keep throwing credits into the machines.

Smart players just take a break from play. But potential flop sweaters continue their pursuit of Lady Luck’s favors. That reward does not come no matter how much money they have spent.

The losses pile up and so does the frustration. At some point it is possible that the player begins to feel the cool, cool flop sweat covering their body.

What Do You Want From Your Casino Play?

To win! 

Yes, every player fantasizes about winning. Such fantasies are the food of our illusions and are generally harmless – until they aren’t. 

If you are having a poor session why not just take a break? The games won’t go away, nor will the house edges. When you come back to play those edges will still be working.

So, why take a break? To settle your mind and emotions. You can go back to play after awhile and still get hammered. True. Still, you need to recoup.

One last word from me: All the best in and out of the casinos!
 

Take a relaxing walking trip around the casino. Come on, this won’t take too long I promise you.

Look at the table games of blackjack, craps, roulette, mini-baccarat, Pai Gow Poker and all the other table games that you will pass. Check out all of the bets you can make at all of these games. Each and every bet. Give them some thought.

Go by the slot machines, epic ones that pay out millions and multi-millions, and those smaller ones that pay out small amounts, and, oh yes, check out the video poker machines too. Note all the payouts. Each and every payout.

Now I have a question for you. Okay, what have you not been able to see in your scouring of the casino games? Give it some thought. I’ll give you a moment. What have you NOT been able to see, anywhere?

There is something curiously missing from all the signs hawking the casinos’ games. 

In no game does the casino tell you how to play it or give you some clue as to what the return is if you play the machines or the table games correctly. No advice whatsoever.

What is the house edge? And what does that edge mean? Nothing.

In days past some slot aisles would proclaim something such as this: The machines in this bank will return about 98%. Great, but what did that really mean? Basically, not much. There was no way to get an edge at these games. You could only beat the machines by some form of luck and luck was and is an ephemeral item.

Some casinos may still hawk machines in this way. Paying back 98% means that the machine keeps two cents out of every dollar wagered over time – on average.

Checking Out Those Table Games

In craps, a game with so many different bets, it is hard to keep track of them all. Craps players are in the habit of betting more than one or two bets. Some will have a half dozen or more bets working at the game at the same time. 

Yes, it is rare that a craps player will only make one or at most two bets at the game. Their concept of play is “the more bets the better!” 

They are under the opinion that the more bets they make the more money they will make because with so many bets one or two can hit so that means more money is coming in to the player. Not so. So many bets can hit, yes. But there are so many misses that the losses craps players experience can be sky high, even if they have a winning night now and again.

What is the edge on all those craps bets? The casino might tell you the payout is 30 to 1, but it never tells you the percentage edge the house has over you when you make that bet. It never tells you what your losing expectation is. 

Here is something to know if you love playing craps. The casino will not pay the true value of any bet you place on a number. I’ll explain this fact in the roulette section of this article. It’s called, for lack of a simpler word, short-changing. Keep that in mind.

Look over at blackjack, the most popular table-game in the casino ever since the mid-1960s, and nowhere does it tell you what the house edge is if you play the game with the correct basic strategy. 

Basic strategy isn’t even mentioned in the signage at the table. That strategy is the only way to play the game to garner a one-half percent house edge over you. 

[Please note: Unless you are a card counter there is no better way to play the game of blackjack than basic strategy but that is, of course, a whole different story.]

At roulette, do you want to know how the casinos get their edges over the players? It is simple; really simple. Ridiculously simple.

The casino always short changes the winning player! You don’t get paid what the bet is really worth.

When a player wins, he or she does not get paid the full value of the bet. On the double-zero wheel, the payout for a direct hit is 35-to-1. The true value of the bet should pay 37-to-1 since there are 38 pockets for the ball to settle into. 

Take 38 players, each betting a different number straight up on the double-zero wheel (0, 00), and you have 38 bets on the layout. Yes, one bet must win. The players will lose 37 times but one player will win once and be paid that 35-to-1. In such a game, the casino will be ahead after every spin of the wheel. It can’t lose.

You do, of course, have roulette wheels with more or fewer numbers than the traditional American double-zero wheel. Let’s see how they fare for the players.  

You have the best wheel, the single-zero European-French wheel (0) that has only 37 pockets but the payout is still that 35-to-1 instead of 36 to 1. Or you have the new wheel, the triple-zero “yuck” wheel with a 0, a 00, and a 000. There are 39 pockets but the payout for a winning hit is still that same 35-to-1, not 38-to-1. 

Roulette goes from a decent game on the single-zero wheel to a rotten game on the triple-zero wheel. But the players (at least many of them) do not know this and some don’t actually care to know this. They just happily or unhappily play whatever wheel is in front of them.

No matter what bets you make at roulette, the casino will short change the winning player. Simple as that.

The short-changing of bets can be found at craps too. No place bet on the layout pays true odds except the “odds” bet. But to get the true payout on the “odds” bet at craps you have to have a pass line or come bet or a don’t pass line and a don’t come bet working. Those bets come with house edges too!

The player can’t create a betting formula that he or she can create to win at craps. There are no super betting systems. None.

Man, Do Tell Me More About Slot Machines 

The slot machines are ubiquitous losers for those slot players who don’t even pretend that they can get even close to an edge at them. The machines were once called, the “one-armed bandits.” Well, they certainly deserved that name.

In the good old days, the slots had to pay out in gifts: “Harry just won a cigar!” You’ll note that some machines had winning rectangles – those rectangles stood for cigars. There were multiple fruit images too. You could win a boat load of fruit but more than likely what you won were just lemons.

How Slot Machines Work

It is simple formula. More money goes into the machines than comes out of them. It is not a hard formula to understand. Money goes into to the machines. Less money comes out of the machines; casinos therefore win, players therefore lose. All is right with the world from the casinos’ viewpoint, that is.

Machines just used to be mechanical devices; now they are computerized marvels. Over the last 150 years they went from simple devices to space-age magic. But they always did the same thing; take the players’ money. That was and is their goal in life; winning money. And that they do quite well.

Today’s machines are run by computers. The new computer program is called the RNG which is short for the random number generator (actually it should be called the “almost random number generator” as humans can’t really set up randomness in its randiest sense). But the RNG is so close to random that there is no reason not to call it random. No slot player will argue that fact.

The basic principle is the same as the basic principle has always been. More money goes into the machines than comes out of the machines. Most players don’t even question this fact because it is a fact of casino life and, as such, is accepted.

In short, you are expected to lose at every game you play!

Now What About Comps?  

By the way, as an aside, your losing expectation is what opens the door to comps. You don’t get comps because the casino hosts like you. He or she may like you or may not like you, but that has nothing to do with how you earn comps. You earn comps by paying for them. Except a lot of players don’t realize the fact that the casino has a payment formula for comps. A very detailed one.

You get them because the casino can figure out what you are economically worth to them. Exactly what you are worth to them over a time period and they will return a certain amount of your expected losses in the form of “free” comps.

Your comps can mean “free” rooms, “free” meals, “free” transportation, “free” shows, “free” shopping sprees, “free” sporting events, and everything that the casino can tell you is “free” – but all of this is based on your expected losses at the games you play. 

The player has to show the casino that he or she is willing to depart with their hard-earned money to pay for the “free” givebacks the casinos will initiate. Indeed, there is no “free lunch” in the casinos’ eyes. No free lunch at all.

How the Casinos Calculate Your Freebees 

There are many formulas that the casinos use in order to calculate what a player is worth to them. It is not based on a player’s losses over time, but what the math says that player is expected to lose playing the way he or she plays. 

That takes into consideration how much the player bets on average per decision and how long the player plays at his or her chosen games. The casino will then come up with a comp profile of the player and comp the player based on this profile.

The player who complains that he or she is losing and has lost a lot of money will (rarely) nudge the casino to give more in comps because of those losses. 

It is pretty much an open and shut case for the casino. “Your expected loss is thus and such and we give you about 30% of those losses back in the form of comps and that, my friend, is that. You can win, you can lose, but we are basing everything on your potential losses over time playing how you play. Not on any immediate results.”

Low rollers walk a fine line when it comes to comps – after all, while their money means a lot to them, their value as individuals to the casino is not great in the scheme of things. Their value is great overall in the low-roller whirlpool but not as an individual. So, while the casino doesn’t want to alienate them, they can’t be catered to the way a high roller can be catered to. Those are the facts of casino life.

Most low rollers are aware of where they sit in the casino scheme of things. How could they not? 

How the Casinos Judge Worth

The casinos have charts explaining what certain play at certain games means to them. Slot machines have the same formula – except different. The slot machine keeps track of the player’s play and based on its handy-dandy formula doles out the comp points.

Most players know there is some kind of formula for judging them but they are not exactly sure what that formula is. 

Your play at the different games gives the casino insight into how much you will lose over a decent length of time. If the casino has a 5% edge over you then you can expect to lose 5% of all the money you bet. Based on those losses, the casino will reward you with a comp of up to about 30% (maybe 40%) of the expected loss.

Five percent of a thousand dollar-player is worth more comps than 5% of a $10 player.

All the best in and out of the casino!
 

It is no secret that casinos become crowded during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday season. Those holidays are times of cheer, and for many, that means Las Vegas (or other casino venues).

There are throngs of people who love to experience the joy of Christmas and the excitement of the new year unfolding at midnight. They enjoy the crowds. They enjoy the drinking and the merriment.

Most serious video poker players, however, are not fans of crowds. Instead of joy and merriment, they see and feel:

• Sky high plane fares, rental car and room rates and lines at every restaurant.
• Streets are crowded with traffic (even more than normal), and parking ramps are full.
• Machines (especially their favorite game) filled with people, many of whom are not even playing. This makes finding a playable game extremely difficult.
• Drunks who are definitely enjoying themselves, but who make concentrating on video poker difficult at best and impossible at other times.
• Smokers everywhere blowing smoke at everyone around them. The air is so thick with smoke it is difficult at times to see the other side of the casino.
• Crowds, crowds, and more crowds. They make moving from one place (or one machine) to another nearly impossible.

Many video poker players avoid casinos during the winter holidays. Others, however, join family or friends who enjoy the festivities. It is for these players that this article is written. What can video poker players do to minimize the impact of crowds during the holidays?

Read on to find out more.

Contents

1. Getting there
2. Where to stay
3. When to play
4. Summary

Getting There

If traveling by personal automobile, the cost of travel may not be all that different from other times of the year. It is true that gas prices peak during holidays, but this is not a great inconvenience compared to other transportation costs.

Airfares are a different animal, though. They can vary greatly. Part of the issue is all airfares are higher during peak travel times. Exacerbating the problem is the fact that the lowest of these higher fares sell out quickly. In addition, there are a limited number of lower fares. When they are gone, the price goes up further. 

If the schedule allows for some flexibility, find the days and times with the lowest fares and book them as far in advance as possible. The best fare you find will probably still cost more than at other times of the year.

Once you have arrived at the destination airport, rental cars are expensive. If you are there for several days and plan on staying in the same area, getting a shuttle or taxi for the trip from and back to the airport may be a more frugal course of action.

Where to Stay

If you have some say as to where your party wants to stay, it will save some money staying away from the Strip.

Even staying downtown can be very expensive, so avoiding it could also be prudent. Try to find a good price at a locals casino – if that is agreeable to the entire travel party.

When to Play

Deciding where to play is not really an option. You either play where the best casino games are, in which case you might need a car, or you play where your group is staying (or a casino nearby). 

There is a choice of when to play, however. The obvious answer is to play when there are the least people around. That tends to be from about 2 or 3 a.m. until around 9 or 10 a.m. 

I preach keeping the same schedule as when at home. Obviously, for most of this country, that advice cannot be followed during crowded times. Early morning is the best time for finding open games with a minimum of smoke and drunks to distract your play. Of course, there could always be a very late straggler from the previous night’s revelry that will “rain on your parade.”

The times could be different at different casinos, but this tends to be the least busy time in the casino.

Summary 

Serious video poker players enjoy playing when the crowds are at a minimum. During the winter holidays, casinos are quite crowded. This makes it difficult to find good video poker games. Not only are open games scarce, the cost of everything from travel to car rental to room rates are at a premium. 

By being judicious in planning travel, destination, and when to play, the negative effects of the crowds can be mitigated to some extent. While not ideal, it is better to do some planning than to be totally shut out of playing video poker.

The word has been out for decades among video poker players: Look for "9-6" machines to enhance your chance to win.

That's fine as far as it goes. The 9 and 6 stand for 9-for-1 payoffs on full houses and 6-for-1 payoffs on flushes, and those often are desirable, and even lofty, markers for high-paying games.

But not all 9-6 machines are created equal. A 9-6 Jacks or Better game is a high payer, but a 9-6 Double Double Bonus Poker game is not, and you'd be hard-pressed to ever find a 9-6 game in Bonus Poker.

Why the 9-6 Standard?

The first video poker game to achieve mass popularity among casino players was Jacks or Better, and its initial pay table included 9-for-1 payoffs on full houses and 6-for-1 on flushes.  For a maximum five-coin wager, full houses paid 45 coins and flushes 30.

Per coin wagered, royal flushes paid 250, straight flushes 50, four of a kind 25, full houses 9, flushes 6, straights 4, three of a kind 3, two pairs 2, and high pairs of Jacks or better 1.

If you bet more than one coin, payoffs are multiplied, so with a maximum five-coin wager, a straight would pay 20 coins or four of a kind 125. Royals were, and are, the exception. Incentive for betting the max is built in so that 250-for-1 payoff on a royal soars to 4,000 for a five-coin bet.

That remains the basic Jacks or Better pay table today. A 9-6 Jacks or Better game has an average payback of 99.5% to those who learn expert strategy. That's a much higher return than players get on most electronic games, including slot machines

Naturally enough, casinos with an eye on the bottom line asked for versions that didn't teeter so close to the profit/loss line. International Game Technology obliged, and 8-5 Jacks or Better machines started popping up in casinos. 

With 8-for-1 payoffs on full houses and 5-for-1 on flushes and the rest of the pay table unchanged, Jacks or Better returns an average of 97.3% with expert play.

Sharp players  made it a point to look for the higher payers, and "9-6" soon was in the common parlance for video poker fans.

The Effect of Full House/Flush Changes

In nearly all Jacks or Better-based video poker casino games, each change of a unit in payback on full houses or flushes changes the overall payback percentage by a little more than 1 %. 

In Jacks or Better, the average return with expert play drops to 98.4% if flush returns are reduced to 5-for-1, leaving a 9-5 machine.

Reduce the full house a unit, too, for an 8-5 game, and that drops the return another 1.1% to 97.3%. There also are 7-5 (96.2%) and 6-5 (95.1%) Jacks or Better games.

Increasing or reducing full house and flush paybacks is by far the most common way of changing payback percentages on non-wild card video poker games. 

Video poker regulars refer to the games by their full house-flush pays: 9-6 Jacks or Better or 8-5 Jacks or Better; 9-6 Double Double Bonus Poker or 8-5 Double Double Bonus Poker.

Let's look at the 9-6 situation in various video poker families. 

Jacks or Better

We've seen how the full house and flush payoffs change your average payback percentage. Changes can work in your favor in rare cases when returns increase beyond the 9-6 level.

You may never encounter them, but there have been times when a few casinos offered 10-6 and 9-7 Jacks or Better games. The 9-7 game, with an enhanced flush return, pays 100.8% with expert play, with the 10-6 version pays 100.7%.

They are profit-making opportunities for player in the know. Casinos that have offered them used them as a drawing card to increase business while knowing that most players don't play at expert level and will leave the casino with a slim profit level.

Such games are very rare. Even the 9-6 game can be hard to find. Online players should do some comparison shopping before they play and look for the 9-6 game. If it's not available in your jurisdiction, look for the games with the highest full house-flush paybacks.

Bonus Poker

This is the game that started the trend toward increased four-of-a-kind paybacks that we see in most non-wild card video poker games today.

The pay table looks much like Jacks or Better, except there's a bonus for drawing four Aces or four 2s, 3s or 4s. Instead of the 25-for-1 pays on most quads, for Aces pay 80-for-1. That's 400 for a five-coin bet. On a quarter game, it's a $100 payback, a nice secondary jackpot. Four 2s, 3s or 4s pay half that at 40-for-1.

Funding those bigger quad paybacks required reductions elsewhere on the pay table. That elsewhere was on full house and flush paybacks. There are no 9-6 Bonus Poker machines. 

Instead, the full-pay version has an 8-5 pay table with an average return of 99.2% with expert play. At 7-5, that drops to 98%, and at 6-5 it drops to 96.9%.

Beware. IGT has played with the pay table more on Bonus Poker than most games. Some versions pay 35-for-1 on a four of a kinds – higher than the 25-for-1 on Jacks or Better, but no Aces bonus. That increases the payoff to 99.7% with an 8-5 table.

On the downside, a minor share of Bonus Poker games pay only 1-for1 instead of the standard 2-for-1 on two pairs. Avoid them. Leave the 1-for-1 two-pair payoffs for games with bigger quad bonuses, such as Double Bonus Poker. 

Double Bonus Poker

A 9-6 pay table signals a reduced return in Double Bonus Poker, which doubles all the four of a kind returns from Bonus Poker. Four Aces pay 160-for-1, four 2s, 3s or 4s pay 80-for-1 and other quads pay 50-for-1.

In the original full-pay version, full houses are bumped up to 10-for-1, flushes 7-for-1 and straights 5-for-1 instead of the usual 4-for-1.  Average return with expert play is 100.2%.

Because of that straight payoff, Double Bonus is usually referred to by three numbers: 10-7-5 Double Bonus Poker.

With the big quad bonuses and extra pays on full houses, flushes and straights, there needed to be a reduction somewhere. That comes on two pairs, which pay 1-for-1 instead of 2-for-1.

The 10-7-5 version of Double Bonus has become a rare game, even online. If you can find a 9-7-5 game, it's a strong play at 99.1%.

At 9-6, you have to make a judgment call whether to play. A 9-6-5 game returns 97.8%, a little better than 8-5 Jacks or Better and just a tad below 7-5 Bonus Poker. But watch out when the straight pay is reduced. At 9-6-4 Double Bonus returns 96.4%.

Either way, a 9-6 game is nothing to get excited about.

Double Double Bonus Poker

With Double Double Bonus, it's back to 9-6 being a game to seek with its 99% return.

The key identifier on Double Double Bonus is its bonanzas on four Aces with a 2, 3 or 4 as the fifth card, and on four 2s, 3s or 4s with an Ace, 2, 3 or 4 as the fifth. Four Aces with a kicker pays 400-for-1, a 2,000-coin jackpot with five coins wagered. That's half the royal flush payoff. Quads in 2s, 3s or 4s with a kicker pay 160-for-1.

Other four of a kind pays are the same as in Double Bonus. Straights are back to 4-for-1 instead of the 5-for-1 in the best Double Bonus games. 

There are a number of full houses-flush variants available, with returns at 97.9% at 9-5, 96.8% at 8-5, 95.7% at 7-5 and 94.7% at 6-5. There is an enhanced 10-6 Double Double Bonus game with a 100.1% average return with expert play, but it's very rare, seen mostly at Las Vegas casinos that cater to local players.

Bonus Poker Deluxe

For the last in our journey through common games, 9-6 pay tables again are the gold standard. 

In Bonus Poker Deluxe, all four of a kind hands pay 80-for-1, or 400 for a five-coin wager. The rest of the pay table is the same as on Double Double Bonus Poker. In fact, other than the quads, it's the same as Jacks or Better except that two pairs pay only 1-for-1.

With expert play, the average return is 99.6% with a 9-6 pay table, 98.6% at 9-5, 98.5% at 8-6, 97.4% at 8-5, 96.3% at 7-5 and 95.4% at 6-5.

The 9-6 pay table is no longer common, but do compare different sites or casinos and find the best deal you can get.

As for other games, just be aware that 9-6 does not automatically signal a good game. One way to check is to visit vpfree2.com. There you can find listings of pay tables, including uncommon variations, and their payback percentages for dozens of game types. Check them out, and shop for the best available versions of the games you like.

The old saying that variety is the spice of life can also apply to casino gaming. Different players are intrigued or bored by different things.

Personally, I find playing slot machines quite boring. The actual act of playing slot machines is very basic - make the bet (only on the first spin – if the bet does not change), and hit the spin button (or pull the handle on older games).

That is all there is to it. Repeatedly hit the spin button and watch the results. There is no thinking, no variety, and no real activity. 

Video poker requires some thought after each hand is dealt. The player examines the hand, chooses which cards to hold, and hits the draw button. The mental gymnastics make the game more interesting.

However, after playing tens of thousands of hands, even this game can become boring. This article looks at what players can do to help keep the game interesting.

Contents

1. Video poker play becomes boring? Really?
2. Quit playing video poker
3. Vary the speed of play
4. Switch games, machines, or break up playing sessions
5. Keep track of the game statistics
6. Summary

Video Poker Play Becomes Boring? Really?

Different types of players have different visions of “boring.” Most casino players play slot machines. I venture to guess most of them do not find the play boring – expensive, possibly, but boring – never.

I suspect most video poker players never get bored. How can a player get bored with determining the proper play for thousands of possible hands. I admit, it took a very long time before boredom crept in – but it did.

After playing around 800-1,000 hands an hour for six to 10 hours a day on monthly 4-day trips to the casino, play became boring. The video poker strategy was firmly locked in. Determining the proper hold took almost no time.

A steady rhythm developed. Hit the proper button and wins are immediately added to the game’s credit total. It started to feel like playing slots. The only thing that really broke the boredom was the occasional straight flush or royal. After a time, even hitting quads was not that exciting.

After a while, excitement waned. Rather than a fun and relaxing experience, it became almost a chore. What can a player do?

Quit Playing Video Poker

The first and most obvious answer is to quit playing video poker. For most players, however, this is not a viable option. Video poker is all they like to play. They do not like table games for various reasons and slot machines are boring. 

For those who like this option – take it. For those who do not, read on.

Vary the speed of play

Changing any aspect of play adds an element of variety which helps relieve boredom. Intentionally changing the speed of play may not change the repetitive nature of selecting the cards to hold from each hand, but it will break the boredom of a constant rhythm of play.

This is easy to do and it could very well be the tweak needed to alleviate the monotony.  

Switch Games, Machines, or Break Up Playing Sessions

Varying the speed of play is a minor adjustment that may produce some relief. There are more effective routes to take, however. Rather than changing the speed of play, try one of these options:

• If well versed in a different game that has a similar return, switch to that game for a while. When that game becomes monotonous, switch back to the original game.
• If not well versed in a different game, or if the other available game options have inferior returns, try switching machines (if one is available). The act of simply getting up, moving to a different machine, and starting again will reset the “boredom clock.”
• The best option might be to take a break. Once a game becomes monotonous, mistakes can creep into play without being noticed. Take a break, and by break, I mean leave the casino. Go outside and walk around. Reenergize yourself. Return when you are once again alert and ready to play with enthusiasm.

Keep Track of Game Statistics

One option to break the monotony of play that I find useful is to record various events that happen during playing sessions. This started several years ago when trying to verify video poker games are random. Before starting play the following are recorded on a piece of paper:

• Game
• Denomination
• Machine number
• Start time
• Starting player’s club points a
• Names of several events to be monitored

At the session’s end, the following were recorded:

• End time
• Ending player’s club points*

* Used to calculate number of hands played.

Each time money is inserted or credits cashed out, the amount is recorded. When specific events happen, hash marks are added under that event’s heading on the paper. The events included:

• Royal flush – along with the specific suit and the originally dealt hand
• Straight flush – along with the ranks, suit, and originally dealt hand
• Four of a kinds – along with rank, number originally dealt, and kicker (if relevant)
• Full house
• Four of a flush – and, if it filled, another mark under the “flush filled” heading

This information not only satisfied the original purpose, it also provided an interesting history and results of play. The added side benefit - it breaks up the monotony. 

Summary 

Not every video poker player will experience boredom while playing the game. In fact, this probably affects a small minority of players. But when experienced video poker players play hundreds of thousands of hands a year, that play can become monotonous.

That can cause errors to creep into their play. While not an exhaustive list – nor practical for every player, the following can help alleviate the boredom:

• Quit playing video poker
• Vary the speed of play
• Switch games, machines, or break up playing sessions
• Keep track of game statistics

Video poker should be fun. When it becomes boring, consider the above suggestions.

There are times blackjack can seem routine. You hit, you stand, you win, you lose and the game goes on, whether it's online blackjack or in a live casino.

But there always seems to be something odd, unusual or otherwise memorable in other sessions. It might be a run of cards that seem to defy the odds. It might be some funny antics by someone at the table, or just some good advice that sticks with you.

Regardless of the situation, players come away with Tales from the Front, stories they enjoy retelling, such as these from readers who have been there. 

The Accidental Card Counter

I once was in on a hand where everybody had low cards. Several players had hands of four or more cards — I think one player strung out a seven-card 20. The dealer had to go five cards before making a standing hand.

One player expressed amazement and started counting. "All low cards! One, two, three, four ..."

The dealer at my table didn't banter with the player. He called out to the pit, "We have a card counter here!"

It was all in fun. No one really thought that was an advantage play, but the whole table enjoyed the exchange.

One Hand, Seven Losses

I had a hand for the ages last week, and not in a good way. It involved both splitting pairs and doubling down. I played it by the book, but it was an unmitigated disaster. We know that happens.

I played it right, but I lost SEVEN BETS.

It’s one of my favorite hands that a lot of people miss. You turn the probability from loss if you hit or stand to a small profit if you split.

I bet $25 and I split my original 2-2. On hand No. 1 was dealt another 2 and resplit.

Back to hand No. 1. Next card was a 9. I doubled and was dealt a 5 for 16.

On hand No. 2, I drew a 4, then a 5, then a 3, for 14. The basic strategy play is to hit 14 against 7, as you know. I did what I must, drew an 8 and busted.

On hand No. 3, ANOTHER 2 came up. I split those, and another $25 was on the line. I drew an 8. Time to double down again. This time I drew a 7, so I had 17.

Finally, I drew another 8 on the last 2, doubled down again, and drew a 3.

I could hope for a dealer bust, and if she turned up 10 for 17, I’d at least salvage a push on one double.

No such luck, but at least it was quick. The dealer had an Ace down, so she had 18 and beat all my hands. So the final outcome: I lost two $25 bets on the first double down; one $25 bet on the bust hand; two $25 bets on the double down that was a 17; and two $25 bets on the double down that was a 13.

That’s a $175 loss on what started as one $25 bet. This isn’t my first go-round and we’ve all seen those swings before. But man, it’s still exasperating.

A Mistake to Learn By

I'll admit I was a really bad player when I started. I was the kind who didn't differentiate between hard and soft hands and that led to all kinds of mistakes.

Once, I had Ace-4 and the dealer had 10. I signaled to stand and the whole table jumped on me. One guy shouted, "You can't stand on that hand!" Another calmly tried to explain that nothing I could draw would hurt the hand. If I drew, I might improve to a winning hand, but I couldn't bust. I insisted I couldn't risk hitting my 15. 

Unfortunately, it got worse. The dealer had a 6 down for 16. He then drew a 5. It would have given me 21, but it gave him 21 instead, and the whole table lost. Everybody was unhappy, and one guy stormed away in disgust.

I should have taken the advice then, but I'm better now. At least no one storms away from the table anymore.

Some Great Advice

When I was a blackjack beginner, I got advice at the table that started me learning basic strategy. I had an Ace and a 5, and the dealer had a 6. I signaled to stand on my 16.

The dealer hesitated, other players made noises like that was a mistake, but one player took the time to explain.

"You know you can't hurt that hand by hitting. You have a hand that can't win unless the dealer busts. If you hit, the worst you can wind up with is another hand that needs a dealer bust to win, but you could get something much better."

I asked what he'd do. He looked at the dealer and pit supervisor and when they didn't object, he said, "I'd double down. But if you can't bring yourself to double, at least hit."

I hit, won the hand, then went to the books after I left. I play better today because that player took the time to explain, made sense, and prompted me to look up strategy.

Fatigue-Induced Error

Some mistakes I've made when tired have been doozies. Here's one that really sticks out. I had a pair of 4s, the dealer showed a Queen. A sane person hits and hopes for the best. He certainly doesn't split and risk twice as much money on bad hands.

So much for sanity. I was in such a daze that I read the 4s as Aces. If all you can see is the card corners, it's not that hard to misread 4s as A's. But these were face up on the table. You could see all of both cards. The four spots should have been a giveaway, but uh-uh.

It shocked the dealer. He called to the supervisor, "Splitting 4s vs. 10," and the supervisor came over to watch. 

I should have said, wait, I don't want to do that, but I didn't. I took my double loss as a sign it was break time.

Magic at the Table

I was having one of THOSE blackjack sessions. Every  time I had blackjack, so did the dealer. If I had 20, the dealer had 21. If I had 11 against 6 and doubled, I'd draw a 5 and the dealer would make a hand.

It was working that way for the whole table. No big stacks of chips in front of anyone. You were rich if you had two chips to rub together.

When it was time for a new shoe, the cutter said, "It's time to put some magic in this table," which drew a chorus of "amens" and "I'm with you, brother." He waved his hand over the cards and said, "Protego!" before he cut.

One of the other players asked, "Protego?" and the cutter said, "It's the Harry Potter shield charm. I'm shielding us from dealer blackjacks."

A couple of people laughed. A supervisor said, "Hey, I'm not sure the state allows magic," and then she laughed.

I know it was just coincidence, but that shoe was great. The third hand into it, I got a blackjack and actually won. I won all my blackjacks in the shoe, and I think everyone else did, too. A couple of hands later, I had 8-3 and the dealer had 10. I doubled, got a 10 for 21 and the dealer had a 7 down for 17. I think everyone won or pushed that hand.

By the end of the shoe, every player's stack had grown. I was back in the black, ahead a couple of hundred.

I don't know how it went from there. My bit of magic was managing to disappear with a profit.

The seven deadly sins of Christianity are generally well known. They are pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. They can also apply to video poker – indeed to all casino gambling.

This article looks more closely at how they apply in the hope that the reader will avoid each of them.

Contents

1. Pride
2. Greed
3. Lust
4. Envy
5. Gluttony
6. Wrath
7. Sloth
8. Summary

Pride

“Pride goeth before a fall” is adapted from the Book of Proverbs. According to dictionary.com, it means “people who are overconfident or too arrogant are likely to fail.”

This adage applies to video poker as well. I suspect many, if not most, serious video poker players have experienced pride and its negative impact on play.

Experienced players can play tens of thousands of hands in a few days in the casino. When they were not as experienced they would brush up on proper playing strategy at home and possibly even in the hotel room before each playing session.

With the added experience, players become overconfident in their abilities and feel they have the strategy down pat so there is no need to brush up on it anymore. After all, they have played possibly hundreds of thousands of hands. They know what they are doing.

I was guilty of exactly this feeling. I was wrong. Slowly, unnoticeably, small mistakes entered my play. Mistakes that, while minor, still took their toll – and noticeably over scores of thousands of hands.

I learned. Before every trip to casinos, I brush up on the strategy for the games and pay tables I will be playing.

Greed

Greed is defined in Merriam-Webster as “a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (such as money), than is needed.”

Greed can cause a normally stable and rational person to lose all discipline. Having had a taste of success, players become gamblers by pushing for more, more, and more wins. They fail to realize (or forget) that the casino has the edge on virtually every game on the floor. Chasing more and more wins can bankrupt the greedy gambler.

Players must be careful they do not become undisciplined gamblers potentially causing them to lose it all.

Lust

Quoting from Merriam-Webster once again, lust is “usually intense or unbridled sexual desire,” or “an intense longing or craving.”

When it comes to playing video poker, the second definition is obviously the correct one. Preying on the same selfish human instincts as greed, lust can cause a very similar reaction in video poker players.

Players having an intense desire to hit a very large jackpot can push aside their normal guidelines concerning money management. Care is cast to the wind and they risk all in a mostly futile attempt at scoring the object of their lust.

Envy

Merriam-Webster says envy is “painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage.”

This is the “green-eyed monster” so common today. “I should be able to have a great house like others do.” Or more closely related to video poker players:

“I have played video poker much longer than the person who just sat down beside me and they got a royal flush. I want that.”

Also: “I just moved from that machine. I got nothing. She just sat down and got MY royal flush!”

Envy can cause video poker players to lose the concentration required to play properly. This lack of concentration causes errors in video poker strategy, which in turn, causes winnings to suffer. 

Envy has an even greater risk to the player. It can cause feelings of pride, greed, and lust to manifest themselves. These emotions will cause a loss of self-control which can eventually bankrupt the player. 

Gluttony

Merriam-Webster defines gluttony as:

• Excess in eating or drinking
• Greedy or excessive indulgence

This is a very close cousin of greed. In fact, greed is used in its definition. 

Gluttonous players do not know when to quit. They continue playing long beyond the point where they should stop. They become tired. They make mistakes in playing strategy. They must constantly have more; more hands dealt, more hands played, more chances to win.

Unfortunately, the house edge ultimately depletes their bankroll. The casino will win all that player’s money with enough play.

Wrath

Wrath is defined as “strong, vengeful anger or indignation” by Merriam-Webster.

Wrath can come from many different playing experiences that are common while playing video poker. These can include:

• Long losing streaks
• Closely related to the above, bankroll depletion
• Other players nearby having good luck
• Hearing other’s winning shouts
• Others smoking nearby blowing smoke in the player’s face
• Constant interruptions from players nearby
• Loud and boisterous players 
• Numerous other irritations.

Eventually, all these irritations swell to the point where wrath erupts. The effects are like those of envy, but they are much stronger. 

Sloth

The seventh and final deadly sin, sloth, is defined in Merriam-Webster as “disinclination to action or labor” or “spiritual apathy or inactivity.”

Sloth that affects casino play can be exhibited at home (or in the hotel room). Most serious video poker players know that the best results come from perfect playing strategy. Strategy that must be practiced while not in the casino. Slothful players tend to avoid practicing strategy at home. If they do, they do it for very short periods of time.

Perfect strategy cannot be “perfected” this way. It takes active and lengthy practice to “perfect” the playing strategy.

Summary 

The seven deadly sins are not only deadly in general life, they can be deadly in video poker play (or while playing any game in a casino).

Each of the seven deadly sins can have an effect of video poker play. 

Whether it causes loss of discipline, allows errors to creep into playing strategy, or simply causes the player to lose more money in the casino than necessary, each of the seven deadly sins should be avoided. 

Have fun playing video poker, but also, be smart. Avoid the seven deadly sins of video poker.