vpFREE2 Forums

Mark Pilarski (a friend) Video Poker info

#1

Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

May 30, 2008

Dear Mark: As a video poker player, what should my beginning bankroll
be? I typically play $1 machines. Norm N.

In the gaming business it's called "risk of ruin." The risk of ruin
is the chance that standard deviation will wipe out your bankroll
before you have a chance to win what your pre-determined win goals
were. What you need in order to weather risk of ruin is a decent
sized bankroll. If your bankroll is too small to handle the swings
caused by standard deviation, you can get your clock cleaned.

Video poker players should have an adequate bankroll of at least 40
times their typical bet, if not more. With an adequate bankroll, you
can last through a cold streak and still be in action when a hot
streak comes along.

So, Norm, on a dollar machine, you should have a bankroll of at least
$200 (five coins in per hand times 40).
Dear Mark: What are your thoughts on players who like to believe that
one video poker machine that they regularly play is luckier than
another? Every time my sister and I go to the casino she runs to one
particular machine that she claims pays out more. June D.

It doesn't make one iota of difference whether she always plays
her "favorite" video poker machine or bounces around. As long as the
paytables are the same, she can expect the same long-term payback.

What I can't rule out, is that your sister accidentally happened on a
video poker machine that has a much better paytable than the other
machines surrounding it, so yes, June, it would pay out more.

I once had a favorite video poker machine at the Club Cal Neva in
Reno that I would play after pitching cardboard for eight hours. It
was a bar-top, so along with my after-shifter, I figured it was
worthy of a couple of bucks before I headed up to the lake (Tahoe). I
hit a royal and a dozen four-of-a-kinds over the year that I worked
there, and I'm sure I cashed out more than I put in. But deep down I
knew, or would like to think that I should have known, that the
probabilities of royals or four-of-a-kinds appearing remain the same
on all the machines, on every hand.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: All losers praise their own systems. VP
Pappy, Midwest Casino Guide

···

------------------------------------------------------------
You can email Mark at pilarski@markpilarski.com
-----------------------------------------------------------
This e-mail was brought to you by Charleston Communications.

When you can't be in Las Vegas be at OpenVegas
The First Las Vegas Social Network - We Never Close!

#2

--- In vpFREE_Detroit@yahoogroups.com, "Terrence Murphy"
<tismurph@...> wrote:

Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

May 30, 2008

Dear Mark: As a video poker player, what should my beginning

bankroll

be? I typically play $1 machines. Norm N.

In the gaming business it's called "risk of ruin." The risk of ruin
is the chance that standard deviation will wipe out your bankroll
before you have a chance to win what your pre-determined win goals
were. What you need in order to weather risk of ruin is a decent
sized bankroll. If your bankroll is too small to handle the swings
caused by standard deviation, you can get your clock cleaned.

Video poker players should have an adequate bankroll of at least 40
times their typical bet, if not more. With an adequate bankroll,

you

can last through a cold streak and still be in action when a hot
streak comes along.

So, Norm, on a dollar machine, you should have a bankroll of at

least

$200 (five coins in per hand times 40).

Terry, I don't know if Mark read the question wrong or was thinking
about live poker ( where 40x the big blind is an ok session bankroll).

A $200 bankroll for $1 video poker is nowhere near enough unless you
are trying to survive for 200 hands or so.

I recently dropped $500 on $0.50 9/6 JOB in about an hour. Even
though a game like 9/6 JOB has a fairly low variance, short term
flucuations can be pretty big. I'll run Dunbar's program and post the
results for $200 bankroll on $1 9/6 JOB. I'll put in 300 hands as the
session lenght ( a leisurely half hour of play). I think Mark will be
surprised at the results. I'll run it for 600 hands as well.

#3

Norm,

Do that and post it. I'll send it along to Mark and hope to get a
reply. He's a pretty sharp guy when it comes to gambling having
worked in the casinos for almost twenty years in all positions in
Reno.

Terry

PS: I dropped $700 Monday playing mostly Pick'Em at GT. I had a
double-points coupon and made maybe $40. I lost:
    1. $300 at quarter P'E.
    2. $200 at dollar P'E.
    3. $100 at DW.
    4. $100 on "da slots." (triple points)

Two weeks ago, I hit 8 quads and one straight flush in a six-hour
session. (quarters) Luck is certainly random.

"Luck come to those who take the most chances."
--VP Pappy

···

------------------------------------------------

--- In vpFREE_Detroit@yahoogroups.com, "johnnyzee48127"
<greeklandjohnny@...> wrote:

--- In vpFREE_Detroit@yahoogroups.com, "Terrence Murphy"
<tismurph@> wrote:
>
> Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski
>
> May 30, 2008
>
>
> Dear Mark: As a video poker player, what should my beginning
bankroll
> be? I typically play $1 machines. Norm N.
>
> In the gaming business it's called "risk of ruin." The risk of

ruin

> is the chance that standard deviation will wipe out your bankroll
> before you have a chance to win what your pre-determined win

goals

> were. What you need in order to weather risk of ruin is a decent
> sized bankroll. If your bankroll is too small to handle the

swings

> caused by standard deviation, you can get your clock cleaned.
>
> Video poker players should have an adequate bankroll of at least

40

> times their typical bet, if not more. With an adequate bankroll,
you
> can last through a cold streak and still be in action when a hot
> streak comes along.
>
> So, Norm, on a dollar machine, you should have a bankroll of at
least
> $200 (five coins in per hand times 40).

Terry, I don't know if Mark read the question wrong or was thinking
about live poker ( where 40x the big blind is an ok session

bankroll).

A $200 bankroll for $1 video poker is nowhere near enough unless

you

are trying to survive for 200 hands or so.

I recently dropped $500 on $0.50 9/6 JOB in about an hour. Even
though a game like 9/6 JOB has a fairly low variance, short term
flucuations can be pretty big. I'll run Dunbar's program and post

the

results for $200 bankroll on $1 9/6 JOB. I'll put in 300 hands as

the

session lenght ( a leisurely half hour of play). I think Mark will

be

surprised at the results. I'll run it for 600 hands as well.

#4

--- In vpFREE_Detroit@yahoogroups.com, "Terrence Murphy" <tismurph@...>
wrote:

Norm,

Do that and post it. I'll send it along to Mark and hope to get a
reply. He's a pretty sharp guy when it comes to gambling having
worked in the casinos for almost twenty years in all positions in
Reno.

Terry

Hey Terry,

Who is Norm?

#5

Johnny,

I guess I got Mark's letter writer's name stuck in my head. First
mistake I ever made. I promise...I'll never make another one...ever!
Thanks for reminding me Lou.

Terry

"He who is afraid to make mistakes, is afraid to win."
--VP Pappy

···

___________________________________________________

--- In vpFREE_Detroit@yahoogroups.com, "johnnyzee48127"
<greeklandjohnny@...> wrote:

--- In vpFREE_Detroit@yahoogroups.com, "Terrence Murphy"

<tismurph@>

wrote:
>
> Norm,
>
> Do that and post it. I'll send it along to Mark and hope to get a
> reply. He's a pretty sharp guy when it comes to gambling having
> worked in the casinos for almost twenty years in all positions in
> Reno.
>
> Terry

Hey Terry,

Who is Norm?

#6

Norm from Cheers?

I had birthday dinner at MGM's Saltwater and it was very good.
Ambience and service were excellent. Best (and only) lobster pot pie
that I ever had, although it was quite costly. I thought I was in
Chicago for a minute. Been confining my gambling to Motor City and
doing reasonably well at DDB.

#7

You too Brutus?

Geeze! One little senior moment and I get called out on it.

PS: Let's not give up on Greektown just yet. Let's wait and see what
their new casino is going to be like before we start playing somewhere
else regularly. Although we as gamblers, really have no allegiance, but
to the best games offered.

Terry

"A casino is filled with thousands of cold-blooded gamblers who are
mostly apathetic towards other gamblers...but I don't care."
--VP Pappy

···

------------------------------------------
--- In vpFREE_Detroit@yahoogroups.com, "Preston" <preston647@...> wrote:

>
>Norm from Cheers?
>
I had birthday dinner at MGM's Saltwater and it was very good.
Ambience and service were excellent. Best (and only) lobster pot pie
that I ever had, although it was quite costly. I thought I was in
Chicago for a minute. Been confining my gambling to Motor City and
doing reasonably well at DDB.