Tony Dubnik wrote:
[Dan wrote]:
I am always trying to improve Optimum Video Poker, so I take posts
such as Tony's seriously, but I have some questions regarding his
post:Tony Dubnik wrote:
I currently own all of the major VP software programs: VP Tutor,
Winpoker, VP Wizard, Optimum VP, and VP Strategy Master. They are all
very good and have contributed to my VP knowledge but they all have
some serious shortcomings. I would like to see a VP program that is
comprehensive enough to configure ANY vp hand and analyze the resulting
return.I would like to see a VP program that could do the following:
Set payoffs by suit for flushes, straight flushes and royal flushes.I have only seen such a game in a casino for a short time, so I
didn't bother implementing it in OpVP. Is this a common feature that
a lot of players would want?Dan,
I just returned from Reno and saw at least one machine where this would be
helpful. There was a machine where each royal suit paid a different amount.
There are also occasions where certain suited hands pay extra on a
promotional basis such as heart hands may pay extra on Valentines Day.
"At least one machine" is not enough to interest me. However, I hadn't considered promotions of this type. Maybe it is worth adding this feature...
There
are also internet plays where this would come in handy.
...but I wouldn't do it for this reason. I will not do anything to promote gambling over the internet, and that includes adding anything to OpVP that is useful primarily for internet casinos.
> Set payoffs for different 3 of a kinds
Set payoffs for certain full houses i.e - full house with only face
cards different from othersI have never heard of games with these "features." Do they exist? Or,
more importantly, do they exist on a game that is at least marginally
attractive?I don't know if they are attractive or not because I can't analyze them
properly. I know that I have seen games where 3 7s pay extra. I think that
Nevada Bonus poker also pays differently for certain 3ks.
I did a hand analysis of Nevada Bonus Poker several years ago and found it to be very unattractive.
> The ability to simulate progressives - set the contribution rate for
RF, SF, 4K etc and have the payouts change with the feed.
Incrementally increasing progressive meters would not be hard to
implement, but with only one player rather than a bank that you can
begin playing at any time, it seems to me that the meters would rise
too slowly to have any practical value. In OpVP it's very easy to
change payoffs to reflect the current state of a bank for a very
quick analysis.In my case, I would not be interested in playing manually but in simulating
drawdowns and average hit rate if entering at a certain level. I would
expect the computer to be able to play until the royal is hit and then stop.
It wouldn't matter that the simulations is only on one machine as I could
"estimate" the hands I might get based on the number of other players. This
could help to determine the "optimum" level to enter a progressive.
A new feature is being added to OpVP to calculate the probability of losing a given bankroll before hitting at least one royal, or the bankroll required for what you consider an acceptable risk. Such a bankroll is generally much smaller than required for the same Risk of Ruin in unlimited play.
This calculation is explained in the upcoming issue of Video Poker Times, and it's included in an upgrade that will be e-mailed to all registered users by the end of this month. I think you will find this, along with the Cost Of A Royal calculation, more useful than simulations.
> Play Multistrike, 5 play Multistrike with the correct strategy for
each level
Play 50 and 100 hand VPTriple Play and other multi-play games are patented by Action Gaming
and can't be implemented in a commercial package without paying
royalties or otherwise getting permission. Similarly, Multi-Strike is
patented by Leading Edge Design.I figured this was the case but was hopeful that it would be possible. It
might be worth licensing "if" enough people were interested in buying your
software if it was included.
Sales of OpVP are good, and it's extremely doubtful that adding these features would significantly increase sales.
I see little point in implementing multi-play or SpinPoker in a
trainer program since the playing strategy is exactly the same as for
the single play game with the same payoff schedule. I wanted to
implement Multi-Strike, but have been unable to obtain permission,
and interest in the game seems to be waning.You're right here of course. The strategy is the same but the variance is
different. This would be a fun addition but doesn't really aid in the
learning process.
I have been working on some way to accurately calculate the variance and risk of ruin on multi-play games, but to the best of my knowledge no one has come up with such a formula. If an accurate method exists, I would quickly add that feature to OpVP.
> Wrap a Royal - i.e. - where a sequential royal like JQKAT or QKATJ
arecounted as sequential
Sequential royals are so far out in the extreme long term that they
have little effect on bankroll considerations, which are the strong
point of OpVP. As with multi-play games, implementing such features
would be just for game playing and serve little training purpose.Dan, I hear you but my goal is to have at least ONE software program that
can simulate ANY CURRENT VP GAME that exists today. These games do exist and
the sequential does add something even if minor.
I understand your desire, but I feel confident in saying that such a program will never exist. But all four of the current important programs together cost only about $100, so why not have them all? And three of them are frequently updated. I don't know about the others, but OpVP is still the only one with the variety of bankroll consideration calculations, it's the lowest cost, and so far all upgrades have been free.
Thank you for your interest and suggestions,
Dan
ยทยทยท
--
Dan Paymar
Author of best selling book, "Video Poker - Optimum Play"
Editor/Publisher of VP newsletter "Video Poker Times"
Developer of VP analysis/trainer software "Optimum Video Poker"
Visit my web site at www.OptimumPlay.com
"Chance favors the prepared mind." -- Louis Pasteur