What to play

[Chaz586]

Hi Everyone. Newbie here. I enjoy playing VP and slots. Most times I run through 700-1000 and cant seem to get it to last more then 20 min (10.00 games) Whats a good game/strategy to play? I love cards just not good at it.

[Alan Mendelson]

Hi and thanks for joining us. Yes, you certainly can go through a thousand dollars in twenty minutes or less playing ten dollar games. Did you consider lower limits? Also, you didn't tell us if you are playing the higher or lower volatility games? When I switched from double double bonus to bonus poker I found that my money lasted longer and I had more opportunity to hit a bigger payout because I was playing longer.

[arcimede$]

The two biggest factors in VP play are understanding pay tables and learning correct strategy. There are literally 100s of VP game variations and each one has some strategy differences. So, it's good to start with one or two games to begin with and gain some experience.

The return of VP games also varies significantly. You see games that are around 90% return and games over 100%. That's why understanding the pay tables is important. You can figure out most VP returns from the pay tables.

There's a site called vpfree2 that provides information on pay tables for casinos all over the country. It would probably be useful to find out what games are the best in your area.

http://www.vpfree2.com/

There are several software VP tutors one can buy that will help a person learn correct strategies. There's also a site, vp.com, where you can play VP online for free and they have an option where you will be informed of strategy errors.

Asking questions never hurts either.

[regnis]

It hurts me to agree with Arci--but he is correct. I would add that you should also be aware that 700-1000 is way too small a bankroll to play at the 10.00 level. Arci--can you give him some idea of the necessary bankroll for games from $1 to $10. That might help a lot.

[quahaug]

I think He's Singer.... Oh sorry , forgot my meds again. Nevermind!

[regnis]

Arci-if you see this thread, I still am curious as to what kind of bankroll Chaz would need to play a few hours at the various denominations. I am certain he was underfunded for a $10 game.

[Alan Mendelson]

Arci-if you see this thread, I still am curious as to what kind of bankroll Chaz would need to play a few hours at the various denominations. I am certain he was underfunded for a $10 game.

I've heard estimates that you should have as your bankroll twice the payoff on a royal flush. That would mean $2,000 to play 25-cent video poker, or $8,000 to play $1 video poker. And with that much money you would have a 50% chance of hitting a royal. That's what I heard. I have no idea what the basis is for that-- or even if it is correct.

Wizard of Odds has this chart for bankroll requirements for an infinite amount of play and various chances for losing the entire bankroll. http://wizardofodds.com/games/video-poker/appendix/1/ Maybe someone could explain it in simple, plain english? LOL

[arcimede$]

Arci-if you see this thread, I still am curious as to what kind of bankroll Chaz would need to play a few hours at the various denominations. I am certain he was underfunded for a $10 game.

The term "bankroll" gets used many ways. I believe you are referring to a session bankroll which is the amount you take to a casino on any given day. The idea is the bankroll should get a person through whatever time period they plan on playing.

There is also a separate use of bankroll to mean the total amount of money you reserve for playing. This really only applies to positive games since a negative game will eventually exhaust any bankroll given enough time.

So, let's assume the first definition since I suspect a negative game is involved. The factor involved here are the variance of the game, the return and the amount of play. These factors will determine the session bankroll requirement. So, it's not as cut as dried as some might think.

For example, I play at the dollar denomination ($5 game) and normally play 6-7 hour sessions at around 700 hands/hour. The variance is relatively high at 40 and the return is around 100%. My session bankroll is $3000 which gives me a 95% chance of lasting the full 7 hours.

So, a $1000 bankroll for a $10 game is not likely to generate a very long session. And, if the game is high variance or a low return that makes it even less likely.

[Alan Mendelson]

I play at the dollar denomination ($5 game) and normally play 6-7 hour sessions at around 700 hands/hour. The variance is relatively high at 40 and the return is around 100%. My session bankroll is $3000 which gives me a 95% chance of lasting the full 7 hours.

Arc, could you clarify this please? When you say your "return is around 100%" do you mean getting 100% of your session bankroll money back or getting a 100% profit on your money?