"Adams Myth" Wrote:
it is when you try to teach/explain to
others, that you truly understand your level of understanding (or the
lack of it) of the subject.
Excellent point!
I've played table games for over 25 years--gin, even longer--and video poker around 20 years. In addition, I'm a former math teacher/curriculum director. Still, it was very difficult to write my book, "The Video Poker Edge", so that beginners would find it clear and focused. Joanne Abrams, my excellent editor at Square One, made me rewrite everything that she didn't fully understand--she doesn't gamble. For example, just the footnotes on the bottom of the charts--pages 18-20 in my book-- took a great deal of time. I wanted to make sure that the hand ranking variations for games, say deuces wild, were correct. (I specified the games a ranking table would apply to and the games where you would need to use a different ranking table. I had to examine the tables for dozens of deuces games to make sure the information was correct and organized in a rational way.) You can't rely on information you see elsewhere to be accurate--along the way I saw lots of errors. You would have to be a long time player and have a high level of understanding to spot all the mistakes during the research process.
It was even more difficult to write video poker strategy cards that were both correct and appropriate for casino use, then it was to write my book. I include free removable strategy cards for the 8 games I recommend in the back of "The Video Poker Edge". I started writing video poker strategy cards in 2001 and continued to revise the format over the years with the following criteria in mind:
1. Correct holds
2. Include all possible dealt hands
3. Few, if any, abbreviations
4. Reduced vertical lines
5. Fast and easy to use
If I hadn't been born with a deck of cards in my hand, then there's no way I would have been able to create categories that would minimize the number of vertical lines--this differs for each game.
The best way to know whether a strategy card or chart is appropriate for casino play is to use it during home practice. There's excellent software on the market and I hope everybody is practicing before they go to the casino.
Linda Boyd
Author: "The Video Poker Edge"
www.squareonepublishers.com
Toll Free: 1-877-900-2665
Amazon.com/Bookstores: Stocked or By Order
Best Tutorial Software: WinPoker
www.videopokerpractice.com
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