I've been playing advantage VP for 9 years and making pretty good
money at it. I've also been playing Texas Hold'em for the same amount
of time. I was a quick success at VP but it took me years to learn
how to turn a consistent profit at Limit Texas Hold'em. And even if
you are real good it is very hard to beat the rake in the low-limit
games. But, you have to start somewhere. Nowadays, I make about 2/3
of a big bet an hour in the middle limits. It took alot, repeat, alot
of study and hard work. World class is 1 big bet an hour, and the
very, very best are at 1 1/2 big bets per hour. I'm still working on
getting there. I play at Bellagio, Mirage and now Wynn Las Vegas when
I'm in town as they are the only spots that have middle limit games 7
days a week.
I spent six weeks the last time down and mixed in some video poker,
mostly to get some mail. I played the Stardust progressives some,
worked the Riviera 5x promotion, ran the Wynn Promotion on the full
pays, ran the required action at the Plaza and Vegas Club, and ran
some action at 4 Queens on the quarter 10/7 progressive with a little
dollar 10/7 mixed in.
I got back home in early October, and since then the mail has
been pretty good. I'm sitting on a 2 day comp at Wynn, 2 day comp at
Stardust with a bounceback check, 3 day comp at Plaza, 3 day comp at
Vegas Club, 2 two-day comps at 4 Queens and a 3 day comp at Riviera.
With the exception of the Riviera promotion, everything I played
is pretty thin edge. My only incentive was future befefits, i.e.,
room comps for my next trip. And on my next trip, although I'll
mostly play poker, I WILL go around and run VP action to keep those
comps coming. Poker players only get offered the casino rate. Thats
how I'm using the 2 games together. Maybe it will work for other
Video Poker/Live Poker players.
P.S., A word to the wise on all those daily poker tournaments around
Las Vegas. The dailies at Binion's and Golden Nugget return only 82%
of the money taken in back to the players! And they are the cheapest
juice in town. The worst I've found is the Aladdin 7 PM tournament:
73% of the money taken in returned to the players. I won't play in
any of them. 10% juice or less online.