In a message dated 10/31/2002 11:07:42 AM Eastern Standard Time,
schwatk@spawar.navy.mil writes:
I'm new to Video Poker. So I can really use any advice you might like to
pass on.
Although your question asked directions as to how to learn to play VP
perfectly, I will assume that your actual goal is to learn how to win or, at
least, how to minimize your losses. The distinction is that there are two
primary elements to playing video poker optimally. First is the selection of
the right games to play. If you select the wrong games (which is to say those
with poor paytables), it doesn't matter how perfectly you play those games.
You will still get wiped out. I should point out that the very best games
will not be available in Lake Tahoe because there is not as much competition
amongst the casinos as there is in Las Vegas and Reno. But you can still make
some choices so that you will be playing pretty near break even.
The second element is playing the right games correctly. That means knowing
what cards to keep after you are dealt the first five. And those decisions
will again depend on the paytable for the game that you are playing.
You are certainly in the right place to have asked. Not only are there
hundreds of VP fanatics here, but also the authors/developers of the tools
that will help you achieve your goal (I quickly add that I am among the
former group only). The Frugal Gambler by Jean Scott is a good beginner's
book, and while not specifically addressed to video poker, it fully covers
the general subject of optimizing your casino dollar. It is a good value.
Video Poker Precision Play by Dan Paymar is a concise guide to learning some
of the best available games.
As for software, the long standing standard, Bob Dancer's/Dean Zamzow's
Winpoker 6.0 has been recommended by other posters and I second that
selection. Zamzow's program is an excellent and highly versatile tool to
learn almost any VP game by actually playing it on your computer. It can be
set to show you the correct choices or to let you make the selection and then
advise you if you make an error. A backup program to this is Tomski's Video
Poker Strategy Master. Tomski's program generates strategy cards (cheat
sheets) that you can take into the casino with you. There is a new program,
Frugal Video Poker (Jean Scott) that has been developed to perform both of
these functions. I have not personally used the new program but it has
received favorable comments by many users.
There are literally hundreds of books, pamphlets, and programs covering video
poker. Some are useful, many are useless and some are actually harmful. The
ones I mention and a few other tools will be helpful.
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