A strategy question for Rob...

[slingshot]

In one of your articles, you stated that if you were a local who played each week (like myself) you would try to win just a small amount playing bp. Although this could happen in 10 seconds, am I correct in that it would require 200 credits of play and an increase in denomination should one have a losing session? I realize that although the win goal is small, the bigger wins could come and how often would you go about changing machines. At first read, it would appear that one would change machines after each $5 (or more) win. In other words, would this be the rtt strategy with bp? Thanks

[antfanas]

In one of your articles, you stated that if you were a local who played each week (like myself) you would try to win just a small amount playing bp. Although this could happen in 10 seconds, am I correct in that it would require 200 credits of play and an increase in denomination should one have a losing session? I realize that although the win goal is small, the bigger wins could come and how often would you go about changing machines. At first read, it would appear that one would change machines after each $5 (or more) win. In other words, would this be the rtt strategy with bp? Thanks

I think this is the article you are referring to


A very good Strategy For Local Players
by Rob Singer
Tuesday, May 9, 2006

Take home some cash today! I get a lot of e-mails every single day from players looking for a better way...a better way of approaching their battle against the video poker computers. Many of course come from all over the country, but even more come directly from people living in and around Las Vegas.

By and large, most of these now thousands of folks tell me that they believe they are as good an ‘advantage player’ (AP) as the people who write the books and sell the strategy cards and videos to them. And I don’t doubt it. I’ve met with hundreds of these players, and many of them are as savvy and intelligent in what they’re trying to do as I or anyone else is.

Seems that most players have read my site at www.vptruth.com and have come away wondering how in the world they’ll ever be able to follow my lead when I start play at dollars and go up from there. After all, people who play almost every day when they have family and employment responsibilities that obviously need to come first, really SHOULDN’T be risking more than they can comfortably afford.

But that’s why they contact me. They know I do not condone playing the machines with anything other than a pre-planned gaming-only bankroll that has zero to do with the expenses surrounding their daily lives…..both today and into the future. They also know I have helped many players play successfully at mostly lower levels, and when a strategy includes progressions in both denomination and game volatility, it is important that they get the procedure correct.

Although only a couple players tell me they continue to play my single-play strategy at the same levels I do with similar resounding success, most of those whom I advise rightfully choose to play Romp Thru Town (RTT) or Advanced Romp Thru Town (ARTT) strategy. Either one has a consistently high possible win rate and overall profiting associated with them. On RTT I am 35-5 with an average win of $960 over 40 sessions, and in ARTT I am 34-8 with an average win of $1520 over 42 sessions.

My play usually begins at dollars on both strategies – which can be read/copied for free on my site. Even so, players can easily begin their play at 5c, 25c or wherever they want to. In RTT, there are several variations, and some players have even made their own successful adjustments to what I tell them.

In RTT, the staple game is Bonus Poker (BP). One way to play it is to plan to run 100 or 200 (but no more) credits at three or more denomination with good spreads, such as 25c/$1/$5/$25….or 5c/25c/$1 – although when playing nickels I always suggest Double Double Bonus Poker or a similar ‘advanced’ BP game be played. Many people choose to do the basic 25c/50c/$1 and are also successful – albeit to a smaller extent. The important part is where to cash out.

On any Romp that included 5c, nothing higher than $2 is recommended. Starting at quarters, I suggest $5 or at most, $10. And of course it goes up from there. But when does one know where to call it quits for the day? Well, that depends on how smart a player is vs. how greedy they are. The greater the greed the greater the risk. Set reasonable overall session win goals, and if you’re not sure what to use, just ask me. rsinger1111@cox.net or rob_singer@qwest.net I always reply.

My favorite way of playing this strategy is using 5 levels from dollars to $25, but at times I play for far less stakes. My 7-level also includes 25c & 50c. The real beauty of this strategy is first, it is played mostly on BP – which pays 2:1 for two pair and therefore gives much more play since it is a less volatile game; and next, there are so many variations which the player can create in order to make it comfortable for them. And that, my friends, is a major part of becoming a successful gambler.

Once you’ve gotten a good understanding of that strategy, you’re ready to learn the advanced ARTT strategy. Here, the number of levels has a minimal effect. It’s the HIGHEST denomination you choose to play that’s the important aspect. Where you BEGIN your play is also important, but to a lesser extent.

The basis of ARTT is to first choose a denomination spread – such as 25c/50c/$1/$2/$5, or 5c/10c/25c/50c – and all on BP unless you lose, and I’ll explain that shortly. What the denominations are really doesn’t matter. That’s because you are only trying to win 5 credits of the lowest denomination you’ve chosen to play at.

For instance, on the first set of denominations, let’s say you lose your first hand on quarters. Now you go to 50c and lose that hand too. On your 3rd hand you get a pair of Kings – which is a push – so you play another hand and lose this time. It’s now onto $2. Here you get two pair, which equates to a win of $20. So what have you invested so far? That’s right...5 credits each at 25c + 50c + $1 + $2, which equals $18.75. And that means you’ve won $1.25...or 5 credits of your lowest denomination. You’ve attained your first goal of the session.

Obviously, $1.25 won’t be won every time you win here. Many times the win will be a little more or a lot more – depending on what you winning hand of two pair or higher is on ANY of the levels. And if this large winner puts you at or over your pre-determined win goal for the day – go home! The machines will still be there tomorrow for you to beat again.

But what about if you go through all 5 denomination and lose 5 hands? Here’s where the chances for big wins come in. At level 5 (in this case, the $5 level) you are to play a total of 100 credits of BP until you recover the lower level 5-credit losses as well as what you’ve spent on the current level, and when you attain at least a $1.25 profit you begin all over again.

And if you lose all 100 credits at $5 without recovery? Then you play 300 credits more at that level on any of the advanced BP games, such as Double Double Bonus Poker, Triple Bonus Poker Plus, Super Double Bonus Poker, etc. You can easily see that if a win does come here, usually it will be quite big. And if you lose? Start all over again wherever you feel up to it. That’s why I suggest having at least 3X 400 credits of the highest denomination you intend to play in you gaming bankroll for either of these strategies.

Tough to understand? Not at all. And these strategies make for some of the most interesting video poker play you’ll ever see. Gone will be the requirement to sit all day at the same machine & same denomination, pounding away and playing right on through quads, Royals, etc. Gone will be the need to play as fast as your hands and eyes will let you. And gone is the quest to pile up the points – they will come automatically and as second fiddle to the money. Now tell me...which makes more sense to you?

[Rob.Singer]

Yes, there is a RTT strategy that plays on only BP, and uses 200 credits at each level with a modest win goal. But you need to use either 4:1 or 5:1 ratios between denominations. If you want to have more details then tell me your denominations. I may not respond right away but I will when I get a break from driving, sleeping and eating.

[slingshot]

Wow, antfanas. That's an oldie!! No, mine came from "Winning anything is better than losing" But thanks for the read, anywho. l had never read this one, that I remember. I'll just make it up as I go along with what I know. Sorry for the diversion, guys. My apologies.

[antfanas]

Wow, antfanas. That's an oldie!! No, mine came from "Winning anything is better than losing" But thanks for the read, anywho. l had never read this one, that I remember. I'll just make it up as I go along with what I know. Sorry for the diversion, guys. My apologies.

This is for you slingshot

Winning ANYTHING Is Better Than Losing
by Rob Singer
Tuesday, May 3, 2005

Something is better than nothing! Those who’ve followed my message over the years understand that I believe in winning consistently - or else it's just not worth my time and effort. For instance, I go into casinos EXPECTING to win each and every time, and although I come out ahead around 85%-90% of the time, I still absolutely hate to lose. You see, what’s the point of gambling if you don’t take extra money home? Are you simply there for a ‘good time’ or have you got some time to kill...so why not lose a little? Or do you get a charge out of seeing how many points you can accumulate and what color card you can bring home to add to your collection?

Ha! I know what you’re thinking right about now...that you’ve told friends and family and/or have written on numerous video poker forums countless times before how you “did OK but you had a GREAT time” in Las Vegas. Or if you’re a local, it’s always the famous “I came out about even tonight.” I dropped those type statements from my vocabulary years ago. After a while, even THEY couldn’t ease the pain.

Maybe you're one of those self-serving 'advantage' players who make believe they play perfectly, make believe that if they DON'T play perfectly their 'errors' don't affect the outcome to any discernible extent (i.e., they want it to be OK either way), that all casino promotions were put their just to shovel cash into players wallets on certain days of the week, and that it's 'OK' to lose at least 70% of the time because the other 30% will more than make up for the frustration, the humiliation, and the dwindling bank account as you step one foot into the grave.

One of the main disagreements I have with those who have a belief in long-term/expert-play strategy is that they really don’t know what it takes to win on a consistent basis. Why? Because they don't. We regularly hear words such as “I expect to lose about 75% of my casino visits.” To me, that translates into having a miserable time on at least 7 out of every 10 trips! Yup, it sure makes sense to go home with an empty wallet and lungs full of smoke..... Is that what you’re after in this game?

As sure as the sun coming up every morning (at least here in Arizona) the next words out of their mouths claim that the 3 out of 10 winning sessions outscore the 7 losers by the tiniest of margins, that is, after all the comps, cash back, freebies, tournament invites, theoretical add-ons for them even when nothing is won, and VIP host smiles are all added in. To me it’s an exercise in futility, because I’m only there for the money, and so aren't they. But some people need to make themselves feel good if only for a day. It is, in effect, the meaning behind continuing to play the way that they do.

I’ve said this time and again—If I lived in Las Vegas I’d go out to win a small amount of credits playing Bonus Poker every single day. Maybe that would be just ten $10 credits, five $25 credits, or two $100 credits. It could be twenty-five $5 credits, whatever. It all depends on what you want or need. But it would also mean those marathon 6 hour sessions in front of a machine would instead be replaced by short-term bursts that would come to an end in as short as 10 seconds. Imagine that everyone! More time to live, more time to enjoy family, and more time to live a healthy, happy life!!

I can already hear the math critics whining out loud about this. But it’s always they who only can see the one side of the ledger that they like to see - if only because they have a NEED to see it that way. They’d say “Sure, you will win far more sessions than you will lose, but with the hefty bankroll needed to assure such wins, that one devastating loss is certain to arrive – thereby wiping out all the small wins accumulated along the way, and more.”

Now here’s the other side of that balance sheet that makes sense. Why is it always “those small wins” and “that devastatingly large loss”? Has anyone ever heard of a “huge jackpot win”? In fact, it’s been my overwhelming experience that such wins come quite a bit more often than the big losses do. I think my critics know that too, but since they can’t figure it out on a slide rule then it just can’t be true! I have yet to get any of them to respond to this statement after they take their uneducated shots at me. I attribute it to jealousy, and that's fine. Money talks, **it walks.

Another theme I preach on is that anyone who gambles would certainly want to be able to count out a $50 profit after gambling, than to count ATM slips. So it wasn’t worth your time for ‘just fifty bucks’? Get real. That’s where mental toughness comes into play. Here’s where true winning players get separated from make believe winners and outright losers. You gonna buy the groceries with ATM slips? Think about it.

So let’s look at all the reasons short-term play far outdistances long-term strategy when it comes to video poker. How’s your back? You enjoy sitting in those casino chairs for hours on end waiting for the masseuse that never comes? What about your girth? Do you feel good about yourself giving only your fingers the only workout of the day? What about those daily trips to the local casinos scattered around town? You like the view, and the way most of the patrons work so hard at looking their best when they go out? And my favorite pet peeve: Second hand smoke. Yes, I know, a great many video poker players already light up for reasons no one can understand. But if you don’t, just how enjoyable is it spending all that time sucking in other people’s problems?

Thankfully I’m still in good health, but that doesn’t stop me from coughing for a half hour sometimes after being in a casino for several hours. Even so, I can bring up a magical subject here that’l just make many of you easily forget or ignore everything I’ve said thus far: Slot Club Cards! Yes, those who sit at machines for long hours are sure to reap the benefits from those little demons. In fact, as strange as it may sound, there are people who play JUST FOR THE POINTS!

Folks, there has never been such an unforgiving casino game as video poker. You all know that as well as I do. So why then are you satisfied with all the losing? I couldn’t continue on playing the game if I lost even a third of the time that I played. And to spend all that time inside unhealthy atmospheres while doing so? Get real.

Take a hint: More and more people are learning to play hit-and-run video poker. These are the people who’ve been able to come to grips with their mistakes of the past, as I have, and are ready to embrace a whole new kind of enjoyment playing the game. There is no math that can analyze it because it just isn’t in any of the casino playbooks. And we all know the casinos invented long-term mathematical strategy. It doesn’t take a lot upstairs to see that the only way to beat them is to play exactly the opposite as they expect gamblers to.

At the end of the day, you may have to speak to others around you, but you have to answer only to yourself. You spend enough time going over it and it will all make sense. Either that, or go out and buy something that tells you if you achieve robotic perfection and continue on that path into eternity, then you may see light at the end of a tunnel at night.

[slingshot]

That's the one-thanks. I just didn't know if it was from playing the rtt strategy or not. What really was important to me was the first article where Rob said to play 100 credits on bp-I knew I had read that before and that it had changed to 200 credits. I now have absolute proof and it's important to me to know that-for personal reasons. I know you don't know what I'm talking about, but let's just say my confidence level just shot up really high. Thanks, again.

[Max A Million]

I think this is the article you are referring to


A very good Strategy For Local Players
by Rob Singer
Tuesday, May 9, 2006

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But what about if you go through all 5 denomination and lose 5 hands? Here’s where the chances for big wins come in. At level 5 (in this case, the $5 level) you are to play a total of 100 credits of BP until you recover the lower level 5-credit losses as well as what you’ve spent on the current level, and when you attain at least a $1.25 profit you begin all over again.

And if you lose all 100 credits at $5 without recovery? Then you play 300 credits more at that level on any of the advanced BP games, such as Double Double Bonus Poker, Triple Bonus Poker Plus, Super Double Bonus Poker, etc. You can easily see that if a win does come here, usually it will be quite big. And if you lose? Start all over again wherever you feel up to it. That’s why I suggest having at least 3X 400 credits of the highest denomination you intend to play in you gaming bankroll for either of these strategies.

Hi antfanas! Thanks for posting this article referring to one of Rob's strategies.

I looked over this strategy and maybe Rob or any others can clarify a question regarding this type of play style.

Say, for example that you are cycling among the denominations (e.g. .25/.50/1/2/5) and are accumulating a small profit as one plays. Let's suppose that I have been going back and forth among the first 4 levels and I now have a profit of $80. Now, when I start again at .25 and then reach the $5 level and I lose that hand, I have now lost $43.75.

My total profit now stands at $36.75. So now what do I do? Do I protect my winnings and drop back to the .25 level and start the cycle again or do I now consider the previous $80 profit as my new baseline to get back at by playing at the $5 level?

Thanks!

[slingshot]

Hi antfanas! Thanks for posting this article referring to one of Rob's strategies.

I looked over this strategy and maybe Rob or any others can clarify a question regarding this type of play style.

Say, for example that you are cycling among the denominations (e.g. .25/.50/1/2/5) and are accumulating a small profit as one plays. Let's suppose that I have been going back and forth among the first 4 levels and I now have a profit of $80. Now, when I start again at .25 and then reach the $5 level and I lose that hand, I have now lost $43.75.

My total profit now stands at $36.75. So now what do I do? Do I protect my winnings and drop back to the .25 level and start the cycle again or do I now consider the previous $80 profit as my new baseline to get back at by playing at the $5 level?

Thanks!

You threw away a SESSION WIN GOAL! I did it for sometime before I realized I should have stopped. The temptation is to win it all at one time on one machine. Rob sometimes sets a mini-win goal of say $25 and then sometimes starts over regardless of where he is. I don't have his bankroll and so I would have stopped after winning the session win goal and gone elsewhere.So at this point, I would say the best thing is to start all over since you've already won your mini-goal.