Big Casino Wins and Jackpots

[redietz]

Alan, have you been taking old girlfriends to dumpy Henderson casinos and cheap coffee shops? Shame on you!!! You're obviously pure white trash.

Hmmm... she's been taking me. She is a real bargain shopper and she loves getting prime rib dinners for $8.95 and the $5.99 specials at Arizona Charlies.

I had breakfast at the Market Street Cafe in the California last trip. Breakfast was good; prices were reasonable. I wanted to mention they have a $9.99 prime rib special there that used to be among the LVAdvisor's top 10 on occasion. I didn't get a chance to try it, but it may be worth a shot.

[Alan Mendelson]

As she puts it: you can't eat this well going to a supermarket, buying it yourself, and cooking it.

[slingshot]

Sling, if Singer's nonsense worked you would be a millionaire by now. But you aren't are you?

This raises a very good question and issue: how much money can you hope to make/earn/profit in casino games?

Unfortunately, payouts are not huge on casino games and in order to win a lot of money you have to bet a lot of money. One of the best games to play in a casino for its very low house edge is craps. The best bets on the craps table are the pass or don't pass, which have a house edge of about 1.4%. But the bet pays only even money. To win a million dollars you'd have to bet a million dollars.

Slot machines and video poker and some of the "exotic" table games such as 3 Card Poker do have certain jackpot bets. Video poker has the royal flush where a $500 bet can win you $400,000 but that happens about once in 42,000 tries and in between tries you are likely to lose some or all of that $500 on each try, but you could win on about 40% of each try or play.

Frankly, no one's strategy will make you a millionaire. Not Singer's, not Dancer's, not even the advice of Mickey who says he has a profit every day he plays and I doubt he's a millionaire either.

I would love to have the $57,200 to play just ONE session of his single play strategy. I tried it once starting at nickels and stopped at dimes with +$35 due to wife calling me to pick her up. Now, after reading one of his articles just a few weeks ago, I'm glad she called as he said at lower levels a win goal was $25. I would not have started over. Also, I went thru about 600 credits of what had to be a LONG cold cycle before hitting 4 A's on 10¢ ddbp for $80 and a $35 profit. I have never concentrated so hard as then playing. A very tiring and rigorous strategy.

[Rob.Singer]

People who claim they're millionaires by playing video poker would easily be liars. I've won over a million dollars, but it was over an 11 year period. Hardly a decent income, but it served its purpose. The key was being prepared. Any gambler who goes into serious vp play w/o first having saved for a good retirement and plays paycheck to paycheck, is a true degenerate.

[Rob.Singer]

Sling, if Singer's nonsense worked you would be a millionaire by now. But you aren't are you?

This raises a very good question and issue: how much money can you hope to make/earn/profit in casino games?

Unfortunately, payouts are not huge on casino games and in order to win a lot of money you have to bet a lot of money. One of the best games to play in a casino for its very low house edge is craps. The best bets on the craps table are the pass or don't pass, which have a house edge of about 1.4%. But the bet pays only even money. To win a million dollars you'd have to bet a million dollars.

Slot machines and video poker and some of the "exotic" table games such as 3 Card Poker do have certain jackpot bets. Video poker has the royal flush where a $500 bet can win you $400,000 but that happens about once in 42,000 tries and in between tries you are likely to lose some or all of that $500 on each try, but you could win on about 40% of each try or play.

Frankly, no one's strategy will make you a millionaire. Not Singer's, not Dancer's, not even the advice of Mickey who says he has a profit every day he plays and I doubt he's a millionaire either.

I would love to have the $57,200 to play just ONE session of his single play strategy. I tried it once starting at nickels and stopped at dimes with +$35 due to wife calling me to pick her up. Now, after reading one of his articles just a few weeks ago, I'm glad she called as he said at lower levels a win goal was $25. I would not have started over. Also, I went thru about 600 credits of what had to be a LONG cold cycle before hitting 4 A's on 10¢ ddbp for $80 and a $35 profit. I have never concentrated so hard as then playing. A very tiring and rigorous strategy.

Yes, you have to know what you're doing and where you are profit or loss-wise, every step of the way. Compare that to moronic AP play, where self-created addicts pound away actually believing they'll be ahead by the end of their lifetime. What legends.

[redietz]

Rob, I'm not an AP per se, but I'm ahead lifetime. I think the way I have played since the inception of video poker is reasonable and sane. Low stakes, positive expectation games, take advantage of senior multiplier days and holiday promos when available, accrue the free rooms offers. If you're playing a 99% game and it's a multiplier day or there are other promos attached, that's okay, but you don't count food or rooms or anything towards the win/loss figure, but you do count free play earnings after it's been played through (once).

I have no idea if you're ahead lifetime playing vp. I have no idea if anyone else on this board is ahead playing video poker. I'm ahead between $5600 and $5700. Chump change? Yeah, but better than losing. And I'm not counting 20-some years of room or food in that total.

It can be done. I'm no vp wiz. I don't practice on a trainer. I play a limited number of hours each year. I can't pass any test Bob Dancer gives on his blog. But I'm ahead sticking to simple AP principles that really anyone can duplicate.

[slingshot]

Red, I hope you are ahead, as well as everyone on this forum. I read VP Truth for 6-8 years and it was an excellent read and even the stories of sessions were full of valuable tips and creative playing. I belong to 4 other forums (metal detecting, fishing, slingshots) which relate to my hobbies. The point being, I have never experienced the disdain for respect for the individual as on this forum. I only visit to catch a unique approach, as the artt approach on the $5 machine at 1,2,&5 credits. I have won $100+ a couple of times in like 60 seconds. Or how about the Royal holding a lone 10? I had never thought of that. Actually, I think those days are over. Fortunately, Rob laid out the approach for his new book in his last article, "What's wrong with a positive progression?" It was really a cumulative statement of all his past articles. Oh well- those were the days.

[ddb1]

After a brutal half hour on a 50 cent 5 meter progressive (which I am pretty sure was positive) I was stuck $400. I decided to take my remaining $300 of the night's budget and hit the $1 DDB Dream Card. After a dealt quad 3s (whiffing on the kicker attempt), quad 5s then another quad 3s - I had $1000 in credits. Now that I was in the black, I decided to play down to $800, ensuring a $100 profit, or the next quad. Whichever came first. Dealt 2 aces and the dream card gave me the third. Caught the fourth and kicker on the draw. Got paid and got the hell out. Up $2140 for the session.

[redietz]

Great hit. How long did it take you to get all of those quads?

[Rob.Singer]

Rob, I'm not an AP per se, but I'm ahead lifetime. I think the way I have played since the inception of video poker is reasonable and sane. Low stakes, positive expectation games, take advantage of senior multiplier days and holiday promos when available, accrue the free rooms offers. If you're playing a 99% game and it's a multiplier day or there are other promos attached, that's okay, but you don't count food or rooms or anything towards the win/loss figure, but you do count free play earnings after it's been played through (once).

I have no idea if you're ahead lifetime playing vp. I have no idea if anyone else on this board is ahead playing video poker. I'm ahead between $5600 and $5700. Chump change? Yeah, but better than losing. And I'm not counting 20-some years of room or food in that total.

It can be done. I'm no vp wiz. I don't practice on a trainer. I play a limited number of hours each year. I can't pass any test Bob Dancer gives on his blog. But I'm ahead sticking to simple AP principles that really anyone can duplicate.

If you're ahead lifetime it's because you don't play much, you were lucky, you have the ability to quit when ahead, and you didn't fall into the same problem area that far too many other players do: you don't run to higher limits after winning on lower limits. But being ahead has nothing to do with whether or not you're an AP.

I've never included anything other than direct winnings from the machines as an identifier for my profiting. To use cash back, bounce-back cash, and free play results as part of anyone's claims just does not make any sense to me.

[redietz]

Rob, it behooves me to point out that you have no more authority to make the judgement as to why I'm ahead lifetime than I do as to why you're allegedly ahead lifetime. Wait -- you didn't actually say you were ahead lifetime, did you? Interesting.

How can you possibly say "being ahead has nothing to do with whether or not you're an AP?" You have no basis on which to make that statement except your self-assigned alleged expertise, which would be shot down by every math professional in the country. Nobody has vetted you regarding your math expertise. Nobody has vetted you regarding your video poker expertise. Your wife is probably in the best position to report on the reality of your claims, but she doesn't post. Unlike sports handicapping where you're in public competitions where results are publicly posted or poker competitions with the same, somebody claiming video poker expertise gets to exist in their own little mythology.

My being ahead appears to be because I follow simple AP principles that anyone can do. In terms of luck, I'm almost exactly where I should be in number of royals. I had my one day with three royals (two not max coin, barf), and then I had an enormous drought, but after 20-some years, I'm where I should be.

You have no credentials to assign cause/effect, Rob. People can have whatever opinions they please, but yours have no more weight than any other civilian's.

[Alan Mendelson]

First: ddb1 great results!

Redietz, yes, you're ahead because you stopped playing to be ahead. It would kill you to admit that, but that's the truth.

And ddb1 also quit when ahead. Congratulations again.

[FABismonte]

After a brutal half hour on a 50 cent 5 meter progressive (which I am pretty sure was positive) I was stuck $400. I decided to take my remaining $300 of the night's budget and hit the $1 DDB Dream Card. After a dealt quad 3s (whiffing on the kicker attempt), quad 5s then another quad 3s - I had $1000 in credits. Now that I was in the black, I decided to play down to $800, ensuring a $100 profit, or the next quad. Whichever came first. Dealt 2 aces and the dream card gave me the third. Caught the fourth and kicker on the draw. Got paid and got the hell out. Up $2140 for the session.

Congratulations ddb1! Based on your handle, I assume Double Double Bonus Poker is your favorite game. I find dreamcard amusing but too volatile for my taste. Good decision to settle for a smail profit OR the next quad. Sweet that the next quad was a monster. Where were you playing?

FAB

[slingshot]

After a brutal half hour on a 50 cent 5 meter progressive (which I am pretty sure was positive) I was stuck $400. I decided to take my remaining $300 of the night's budget and hit the $1 DDB Dream Card. After a dealt quad 3s (whiffing on the kicker attempt), quad 5s then another quad 3s - I had $1000 in credits. Now that I was in the black, I decided to play down to $800, ensuring a $100 profit, or the next quad. Whichever came first. Dealt 2 aces and the dream card gave me the third. Caught the fourth and kicker on the draw. Got paid and got the hell out. Up $2140 for the session.

Nice hit. I hate to admit it, but I woulda stopped at the $1,000.

[Alan Mendelson]

Sling... stopping at a $1,000 point wouldn't have been wrong.

dbb1 used a rising stop loss to guarantee himself a $100 profit and to give himself an opportunity to win more. And you know what? He quit when he was ahead. Now, is anyone going to fault him for that? I wouldn't.

[jbjb]

I fault him for playing it in the first place.

Quitting at a predetermined point and leaving only to come back in a month or whatever time frame is the same as cashing out and starting over immediately. Makes no difference. This is the point you don't seem to grasp.

[Rob.Singer]

And here's the point your AP-misguidance does not allow YOU to understand.

This fellow is playing for entertainment. He has no interest or need to sit there and keep playing for hours after stopping at his win goal--regardless if the game is + or - EV. He goes home a winner, which always makes for a better psychological life, and depending on the amount of the profit, a better financial life. And guess what? Those feelings and realities will last until he goes back---the next day, the next week, month or year.

People who play thru royals and other wins are nothing but problem gamblers. They can't stand the elimination of that intermittent satisfaction of winning hands, and they just don't have the discipline to be winning gamblers. And these are the people who are forever filling up the machines for players like me.

[redietz]

Either that, Rob, or AP's don't feel "intermittent satisfaction" at all and are just there to make a profit. I've never really jumped on the pop psych malignant narcissist bandwagon regarding you, but it is weird how your posts assume (1) you can read other people's minds or (2) everybody has a psyche like yours.

[regnis]

I fault him for playing it in the first place.

Quitting at a predetermined point and leaving only to come back in a month or whatever time frame is the same as cashing out and starting over immediately. Makes no difference. This is the point you don't seem to grasp.

JB--you fail to recognize that he may enjoy and/or spend that money that he won. Then next time he goes to a casino he will probably not be exposed for that $1,000 having already spent it. That is what you guys fail to understand about recreational gambling. Had he not quit he could very well have played right thru it. By quitting, pausing, taking a brief sabbatical, or whatever you want to call it, he probably found another use for that $$ rather than lose it back.

I don't question that what you are saying is proper as it applies to a pro who is playing on a full time basis. But that doesn't apply to a recreational gambler. One time I handed my wife a check from a Pick 6 to pay off our mortgage. Why?? So I couldn't lose it back, at least for the next 20 years. That is what quitting while ahead does. The next time I played it was a fresh start with a fresh bankroll and now much lower loss limits until the bankroll re-grew.

[Alan Mendelson]

And here's the point your AP-misguidance does not allow YOU to understand.

This fellow is playing for entertainment. He has no interest or need to sit there and keep playing for hours after stopping at his win goal--regardless if the game is + or - EV. He goes home a winner, which always makes for a better psychological life, and depending on the amount of the profit, a better financial life. And guess what? Those feelings and realities will last until he goes back---the next day, the next week, month or year.

Exactly.