Okay, so NSUD represents Not So Ugly Deuces. I would like some assistance as to how to recognize these games in the casino and also advice on when it is economically sound to play the game. Does 5X and/or 6X player points make it okay to seek out this version of Deuces Wild rather than playing FPDW? Is there any change in playing strategy between the two?
Doing better, but still not home free,
Mickey
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lvmickey wrote:
Okay, so NSUD represents Not So Ugly Deuces. I would like some
assistance as to how to recognize these games in the casino and also
advice on when it is economically sound to play the game.
The games are, of course, differentiated by their paytables. the
vpFREE website provides a listing of the paytable variants for a large
number of games. You can link to it from the main menu on the
website, or link directly at: http://members.cox.net/vpfree/CDER.htm
The "economically sound" question doesn't have nearly so
straightforward an answer. Speaking in very general terms, the
higher the ER and the lower the variance, the smaller your risk of
suffering sustained significant losses. (Variance is a statistic that
is a measure of game volatility, just how rocky your play might be.
It's calculated in a tool such as winpoker, which I believe you said
you've just installed.)
Ideally, you want an ER with cashback that's "positive" (i.e. greater
than 100%). An ER in excess of 100.5% puts you in good stead over the
long term when it comes to surviving even the worst of downturns --
particularly if the game has only moderate volatility, such as FPDW.
That said, such strong returns can understandably be hard to come by
in some areas. So, as most recently discussed in another thread, many
of us opt for near breakeven games that pose considerable downside
risk, relying much more on luck to keep us afloat and prepared to
refund our bankrolls if necessary.
Like anything else in life, you weigh risk against your goals and
choose accordingly. The great thing about vp is that "trial and
error" is extemely effective at establishing your comfort zone. (Not
surprisingly, hard core casino losses have much greater impact in
establishing those limits than winpoker practice with virtual credits.)
Does 5X and/or 6X player points make it okay to seek out this
version of Deuces Wild rather than playing FPDW? Is there any
change in playing strategy between the two?
I'll set the "okay" judgement aside and simply say the more attractive
you can make the expected return, the more attractive the game in
general. There are definitely strategy changes, and you don't want to
wing them through winpoker practice alone. You want to have a
strategy chart in hand for each paytable you practice/play that
clearly spells out which holds are superior for each possible hand.
There are two software products that will allow you to develop
strategies for most any paytable you specify. They are VP Strategy
Master and Frugal VP. The latter, FVP, is both a practice/tutorial
program (similar to winpoker) and also a strategy tool (not to mention
includes advanced analysis tools as well).
I'm going to recommend that you extensively explore the links and
references provided in the menus located on the vpFREE homepage
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vpFREE/) for greater reference and link
to this information.
But a fine website that provides a number of strategies for the most
common and attractive paytables has been designed by the "Wizard of
Odds" (no relation ;). See: http://wizardofodds.com/games/videopoker/
As should be apparent by now, vp can be appreciated at any number of
levels of sophistication. Everyone has their own appetite for degree
of knowledge. Just don't try to jump in whole hog up front; instead
gradually ease into it. Extensive exploration of the archive here is
a fine way to start (skipping over the "Indian vs. Nat. Amer. vs.
tribal" discussions, of course 
- Harry
Is there any change in playing strategy between the two?
Here are deviations from FPDW strategy that I use when I play NSUD.
NSUD CHANGES
0 DEUCES
4 FLUSH > PAIR
2 PAIR> 1 PAIR
2 ROYAL K HI w 2 PEN > 2 ONLY
3 STFL, OPEN, 567s-9TJs, 0 PEN > 1 PAIR
3 STFL, OPEN, 567s-9TJs, 1 PEN > 1 PAIR
3 STFL, OPEN, 567s-9TJs, 2 PEN < 1 PAIR
1 DEUCE
ACE Hi 3 CARD ROYAL w 2 PEN >2 ONLY
3 STFL w 0 OR 1 GAP (2+57s OR HIGHER) > 2 ONLY
3 STFL OPEN > 3 Cd A HI ROYAL
4 ST OPEN 567 OR HIGHER > 2 ONLY
3 STFL (2+56s)
3 STFL w 0 or 1 PEN (2+45s) IF NO OTHER HOLD
2 DEUCES
4 SF w 0 GAP (22+45s-22+9Ts)
4 SF w 1 GAP (22+57s-22+9Js)
3 DEUCES
HOLD ALL 5 OF A KIND
Whether or not this game is worth playing is for you to determine. Keep in
mind that you are giving up slightly more that a full 1%, compared to
playing FPDW. Five Card's site has some interesting figures regarding
expected return/cost when playing sub-100% games.
Nudge
From: <lvmickey@cox.net>
Subject: [vpFREE] NSUD