Avoid the Tourist Traps

The occasional Video Poker players, such as the tourists who visit Nevada casinos just a few times a year, usually have a totally different way of looking at the game, from the way regular players, who attain high levels of expertise, view it. The tourist feels much more limited time-wise but usually has more money ready to risk. The tourist sees every Video Poker machine as a chance to enjoy gaming, win or lose. If the game is available at all back home, it is usually at an extremely low payback, and is not offered in the high-glitz environment of posh casinos.

With that as backdrop, our primer for tourists on Video Draw Poker can be expressed in terms of ABC's.

(A) Apply time to learn to play well enough to enjoy the game, because the game is not much fun for hackers. Read a a book and practice for small peanuts, like nickels until you play well. With a deck of cards, you can practice at home, until you learn how to read the hands and select the right discards. Even if you don't play right on some of those hands, you can easily get a high payback if you're strong on the most common of them. For example, the four-flushers and the four-card straight.

(B) Budget a Bankroll. Know in advance how much you can lose before becoming too uptight about it. Gaming above your comfort level is always a poor way to play. But, on the contrary, don't play at a level where you are bored because the outcome means nothing to you. Video Poker requires concentration; the wager should be large enough to keep you alert.

(C) Calculate your daily cash budget, dividing the bankroll by the number of days you expect to play. Adjust the cash budget to a figure of $20 or $100 or $500, whichever best fits your finances.

(D)The Denomination of the VDP you play would be five nickels, five quarters or five dollars, corresponding to your level of cash. This gives you an 80 bet bankroll for each sitting, to survive a downdraft.

(E) Eliminate any possible way to experience the agony of an unfulfilled dream, that Royal without that Jackpot--Play at machine-limit (5 coins) only.

(F) Play Full-pay machines if possible. Full-pays pay 6 for 1 on Flushes and 9 for 1 on Full Houses. If lucky to find an "F" that is a progressive machine, go for it (like $440 on the nickel machines, $2,200 on quarters, $8,800 on dollars).

Playing 4 hours daily at a slow rate of 4 games per minute will give you close to 1,000 hands a day. If you don't hit the Royal or Straight Flush, you would expect to lose only 24 wagers per day, which works out to $6 on nickels, $30 on quarters; $120 on the dollars. Each day you have a 1 in 40 chance of hitting the Royal Flush and a 1 in 9 chance to hit a Straight Flush, either of which virtually insures a winning trip! Also, if you're not getting free drinks or a buffet (dollars only) to make you feel appreciated, change casinos. In any case, you'll have a great shot at getting home with 70% of the bankroll in hand for your next visit.