LUCK is almost EVERYTHING in Video Poker

[Vegas_lover]

You called Dancer an obnoxious, arrogant jerk. You didn't tell us you knew Dancer that well that you could call him an obnoxious, arrogant jerk..

I don't have to know him well enough. My statement is based on his weekly articles on LVA that show up on several websites every week. Almost everybody responds to his articles in the same way and most people don't consider him to be a friendly, likeable guy. In many ways (when it comes to behavior) he's a lot like Rob Singer.

[Alan Mendelson]

Really? You don't know Bob Dancer yet you have the gall to call him "an obnoxious, arrogant jerk"? Shame on you.

And about my interview and reporting style: Alan Burke I'm not . Google him.

[Vegas_lover]

Really? You don't know Bob Dancer yet you have the gall to call him "an obnoxious, arrogant jerk"? Shame on you.

Haha good one. Who are you trying to fool?

[Vegas_lover]

Really? You don't know Bob Dancer yet you have the gall to call him "an obnoxious, arrogant jerk"? Shame on you.

In this video between 1:36 and 3:00 is a nice piece about how you can dislike somebody without having met the person. Enjoy

[Alan Mendelson]

Sure you can dislike someone. But vegas_lover, you called Bob Dancer "an obnoxious, arrogant jerk" -- how do you know he's "an obnoxious, arrogant jerk" when all you've done is read his columns?

I've read his columns and my only reaction has been why didn't he write about his wins? And I met the man, and he came across to me as being pleasant, respectable, intelligent, interesting, knowledgeable, friendly... and nothing close to be "an obnoxious, arrogant jerk," as you described him. So still -- shame on you.

[Vegas_lover]

Well shame on me then. Nothing changed. It's not the first time you read things differently than the majority

[bigfoot66]

I'm with Alan. Dancer's articles do not make me think of him as a jerk, although I certainly don't think of him as a suave or life of the party type. I imagine him to be as Alan descibed, but also a bit like an accountant.

[arcimede$]

Vegas_lover has it right ... and I have met the guy.

[redietz]

I've read virtually all of Dancer's stuff. I've not actually shaken his hand, although I've seen him interacting with people. His writing comes across as arrogant and a touch misogynistic, which works for him in LV. He'd be run out of town in NY or DC. In person, I suspect his persona is not as grating.

[Vegas_lover]

I've read virtually all of Dancer's stuff. I've not actually shaken his hand, although I've seen him interacting with people. His writing comes across as arrogant and a touch misogynistic, which works for him in LV. He'd be run out of town in NY or DC. In person, I suspect his persona is not as grating.

Dancer in NY talking to Vinnie like he talks in his articles; Vinnie would introduce Dancer to his bat

[Vegas Vic]

This Dancer person holds classes in the casinos, has a book titled "Video poker for WINNERS", and there's no implication that you too can be a winner? How naive must a person be to think Southpoint is so anxious to give away money that they have this expert come in and tell you how to rape them. Come on get real.

I don't know you at all but I take great offense at your choice of words. If you're trying to be funny or just creatively descriptive, you failed massively at both.

[Alan Mendelson]

Vegas Vic are you specifically objecting to the use of the word rape? I can understand that some people are offended by it. It is a very strong word, perhaps one of the strongest in our vocabulary.

When I covered the labor problems at the now defunct Eastern Airlines back in the 1980s, Eastern's Chairman -- Col. Frank Borman -- the astronaut who read from the Bible as their Apollo mission orbited the moon in the 1960s, came over to me after a news conference about union negotiations and whispered in my ear, "we were raped."

I thought the comment was meant to be private. But Frank Borman also made the same comment to a reporter from the Miami Herald and the next morning the banner headline in the paper read "we were raped."

The quote became part of aviation history. See http://www.skygod.com/quotes/airline.html

[quahaug]

I don't know you at all but I take great offense at your choice of words. If you're trying to be funny or just creatively descriptive, you failed massively at both.

Rape "a carrying away buy force". Lighten up. Its an internet forum for goodness sakes, don't get your panties in a bunch over it.

[quahaug]

By the way, how about addressing the post itself.

[Rob.Singer]

I don't know you at all but I take great offense at your choice of words. If you're trying to be funny or just creatively descriptive, you failed massively at both.

I understand why Vic says he's "offended" when he and everyone well knows using the word "rape" outside the nasty "box" is and has been accepted for an eternity. When people with limited vision try to come to grips with what I've accomplished in vp, frustration abounds. This is part of Vic's reaction. Eddie tosses in comments from all over the map, as he tries SO hard to dance with the devil. Spock....now there's a closet masochist. And arci? Where else could one possibly get to experience end-of-life hopelessness along with such alluring neurosis in the same wonderful package?

But it all ends at the same dead end for the lot. They are all extremely jealous of my unorthodox video poker success, with the added bonus of course, of arci being hurt by my personal life's enjoyment while he is left like a bruised apple at the end of another long & cruel season. The lies, more lies about his lies, the constant insults to the host--it all spells one thing: aggrevation with someone else's accomplishments. And what better venue to live out that aggrevation than in the virtual reality in the declining years of a punished life.

[Alan Mendelson]

I wonder if we could return to this thread in a civilized manner? Is there any way to define how much of video poker play is "luck" or is there no way to quantify it?

[Rob.Singer]

I wonder if we could return to this thread in a civilized manner? Is there any way to define how much of video poker play is "luck" or is there no way to quantify it?

It's just common sense Alan. If you know the game, you apply that knowledge to the deal you get, but outside of that you can only hope the machine gives you either a winner - or a better winner than your dealt winner if you were lucky. Therefore, my estimate is 95% luck to 5% skill, compared to a regular slot machine which is 100% luck.

[Alan Mendelson]

I wonder if we can come up with a number, a percentage?

Clearly everything in the initial deal all depends on luck. How much of the game is the initial deal? Is it 50% or more?
What happens when you decide which cards to hold is all skill -- or your lack of skill.
When replacement cards are dealt that also is pure luck.

So... if drawing and this is facetious:
5 cards 100% luck
4 cards 80% luck
3 cards 60% luck
2 cards 20% luck
1 card 10% luck

[Rob.Singer]

That's not how it works. By your % method, you can conversely say if you kept 4 of the cards then you had a deal that was 80% luck etc.

The luck vs. skill argument is always trying to determine how much skill is needed to hold cards. I say that part is simple common sense, just as knowing how and when to push the buttons correctly. Thus, the 5% figure. So it all rests on what cards are dealt, and what comes up on the draw.

[Alan Mendelson]

Actually Rob what I am suggesting is that the deal is always 100% luck, but its the decision about which cards to hold that is the only skill in the game, and the draw is also all luck.

Since the decision about which cards to hold is only one-third of the game (deal, decision, draw) then at the most skill would be only 33.33% of video poker.